Updated game-by-game predictions for the Bucs’ 2022 season
The offseason is over, training camp is done, and the preseason is in the rearview mirror. Now, we’re just days away from Week 1 of the 2022 NFL regular season.
For the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the offseason has been full of peaks and valleys, from Tom Brady’s return and some high-profile additions, to the retirement of Rob Gronkowski and the loss of key players due to injury.
Throw in what looks like a much tougher schedule, and the 2022 campaign could be the biggest challenge yet for the Brady-era Bucs.
All that considered, here are our updated predictions for every regular-season Bucs game on this year’s slate:
Week 1: AWAY vs. Dallas Cowboys
(AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio)
Prediction: Bucs 34, Cowboys 27
Week 2: AWAY vs. New Orleans Saints
(AP Photo/Derick Hingle)
Prediction: Saints 24, Bucs 20
Week 3: HOME vs. Green Bay Packers
(AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
Prediction: Bucs 27, Packers 24
Week 4: HOME vs. Kansas City Chiefs
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Prediction: Chiefs 34, Bucs 31
Week 5: HOME vs. Atlanta Falcons
(AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio)
Prediction: Bucs 41, Falcons 17
Week 6: AWAY vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
(AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Prediction: Bucs 26, Steelers 13
Week 7: AWAY vs. Carolina Panthers
Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Prediction: Bucs 30, Panthers 16
Week 8: HOME vs. Baltimore Ravens
(AP Photo/Zach Bolinger)
Prediction: Bucs 27, Ravens 23
Week 9: HOME vs. Los Angeles Rams
(AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio)
Prediction: Rams 23, Bucs 20
WEEK 10: Munich vs. Seattle Seahawks
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Prediction: Bucs 38, Seahawks 10
Week 11: BYE
Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Week 12: AWAY vs. Cleveland Browns
Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports
Prediction: Bucs 20, Browns 13
Week 13: HOME vs. New Orleans Saints
(AP Photo/Mark LoMoglio)
Prediction: Bucs 26, Saints 23
Week 14: AWAY vs. San Francisco 49ers
(Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Prediction: Bucs 23, 49ers 16
Week 15: HOME vs. Cincinnati Bengals
(AP Photo/Jeff Dean)
Prediction: Bengals 34, Bucs 27
Week 16: AWAY vs. Arizona Cardinals
(AP Photo/Don Montague)
Prediction: Bucs 33, Cardinals 24
Week 17: HOME vs. Carolina Panthers
(AP Photo/Alex Menendez)
Prediction: Bucs 28, Panthers 9
Week 18: AWAY vs. Atlanta Falcons
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Prediction: Bucs 48, Falcons 20
Final Record Prediction: 13-4, NFC South champions
(Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Tampa Bay has quite the four-week gauntlet to start the year, and they’ll be working in some new faces while waiting for returning players like Chris Godwin to get back to full strength. Even if they start 2-2, though, they should hit their stride and start rolling.
Even with what they lost this offseason, there are plenty of reasons why this year’s Bucs team could be better than last year’s version. The Saints will be their toughest test in the NFC South, but they lost some key pieces of their own, and have too many question marks to keep the Bucs from winning the division for a second straight year.
Who knows where they’ll land in the NFC playoff seeding, but nobody wants to face Tom Brady and the Bucs in the postseason. Despite the growing number of doubters, Tampa Bay could easily end up being the favorite to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl.
