Report: Bucs Will Open Season At Home
May 10th, 2021
So it is written. So let it be done.
It appears the NFL is going to right an 18-year wrong.
While tradition seems to suggest the defending Super Bowl-winning team open the following regular season at home in prime time, that wasn’t the case the last (first) time the Bucs won a Super Bowl.
After the Bucs hammered the Raiders in January 2003, Tampa Bay traveled to Philadelphia to both open the new season and to christen the new Eagles stadium. The Bucs were so upset over having to travel to open the season despite winning the Super Bowl, they curb-stomped the Eagles at brand new Lincoln Financial Field before the first s(p)it-faced Eagles fan was able to vomit on people in front of him.
The report that the Bucs will open the 2021 season at home comes from no less an insider than hot-dog-eating-contest-protesting, mock-draft-scowling, L.L.-Bean-wearing, Second Amendment abolitionist, Mike-Florio-arguing, parrot-insensitive, chewing-with-his-mouth-open, soup-gulping, California-train-romancing, anti-football proliferation, outhouse-admiring, airline-napping, steerage-flying, Yogi Berra-worshiping, urinal-picture-taking, video-game-playing, Taylor-Swift-listening, pickpocket-thwarting, Bucs-uniform-frowning, Allie-LaForce-smitten, Big-Ten-Network-hating, pedestrian-bumping, olive oil-lapping, popcorn-munching, coffee-slurping, fried-chicken-eating, oatmeal-loving, circle-jerking, craft-beer-chugging, cricket-watching, scone-loathing, college football-naïve, baseball-box-score-reading, NPR-honk, filthy-hotel-staying, fight-instigating, barista-training, Budweiser-tolerant, baseball-scorecard-keeping, pasta-feasting, vomit-dodging scrooge, Kay-Adams-following, Coors-Light-souring social activist and NFL insider Peter King.
In his weekly Monday morning column published on NBC Sports, King noted the NFL schedule release on Wednesday will feature the Bucs hosting the season-opener.
THE 2021 SCHEDULE. A few things to keep in mind with the schedule release coming Wednesday evening:
The opener. Tampa Bay gets to open at home on Thursday, Sept. 9, with the 2020 champs beginning 2021 with basically the exact same roster. My prediction: The foe will be either Buffalo or Dallas. Why do I say that? The NFL wants to get off to a very strong start after a shaky offseason, and they want a game that will generate buzz in the weeks before the season begins and will be must-see TV to start the season. To schedule the Saints or Bears or Giants here (all Bucs home foes this year) doesn’t seem smart because any of them could be a game that’s over by halftime. Not so Buffalo or Dallas. The Bills could go to Tampa and win the opener, and the Cowboys, with Dak Prescott leading an explosive offense, would be able to go toe-to-toe with the Arians/Brady offense. We’ll see, but those are the two sexiest home foes for the Bucs, and I think one of them will open the NFL’s 102nd season.
Starting off with the Cowboys makes sense. TV network suits don’t care so much about games, they care about big TV markets and teams that can draw eyeballs.
Dallas, no matter their record, will bring eyeballs. It helps that the Cowboys are led by $40 million man (per year) Dak Prescott.
Wouldn’t it be cool when the Bucs chain whip the Cowboys and their soft defense for a national television audience?
Joe would enjoy that.
Joe was worried NBC, which will broadcast the game, would squeeze the NFL to put the Bucs on the road citing the first week of the NFL season to be at the height of hurricane season.
May 10th, 2021 at 12:09 am
Please 6lb 9oz baby Jesus let it be against the saints so they can be the first to experience the stadium with the new super bowl banner.
May 10th, 2021 at 12:25 am
I’m sent here by the chosen one…
May 10th, 2021 at 12:30 am
LOL!
May 10th, 2021 at 12:39 am
Who the hell is the chosen one. I will take a quote from JPP. It don’t matter who you put out there we coming for em and it won’t be pretty for em.
May 10th, 2021 at 12:41 am
I wish NO too but it will likely be Dallas.
We came oh so close to getting that billboard in New Orleans saying “We Dat” but in the end, it became a nice charitable donation.
May 10th, 2021 at 12:47 am
I would hate it if the bucs play on thursday to start the season. Put them on sunday night. Its still prime time and it will still generate buzz if its against the cowboys or buffalo etc.
May 10th, 2021 at 12:52 am
I wouldn’t mind the aints.
We could even swap home games with them if needed.
Storm can’t be both places at once.
May 10th, 2021 at 1:05 am
Why? That’s an extra bye week opening on a Thursday night. That’s a blessing.
Given that this team just finished a 20-game schedule and key players aren’t exactly young, every little bit of extra rest is going to be needed for the long haul ahead in January and February.
May 10th, 2021 at 1:06 am
Did I read that correctly? Peter King and/or the NFL thinks the Saints are too weak to hang with us now? Oh boy someone please tweet that at Cam Jordan and the rest of NOLA
May 10th, 2021 at 1:35 am
It’ll be Dallas.
Buffalo I think would be a more interesting game. But it’s about ratings.
May 10th, 2021 at 2:32 am
perfect…
the old america’s team…
vs
the new america’s team…with tom gravy
May 10th, 2021 at 2:33 am
on second thought i called him tom gravy last year…
maybe this year i go with…
tommy tequila
May 10th, 2021 at 2:33 am
Bucs vs Pats on Thanksgiving Day prob
May 10th, 2021 at 2:55 am
Buffalo will be the opener, my monies on them saving the the Cowboys game for Thanksgiving.
And it doesn’t matter, bring ‘me on any weekend, Bucs will win both!
May 10th, 2021 at 6:35 am
I don’t like the idea of NO because I am so tired of opening up against a division rival, but the NFL tends to do that. But I think NO makes sense because that was one of the key opponents to beat to get the SB, which we see often with the SB champs first game, and KC or GB are not ont the list this year. The side stories as well, with the new QB in NO and how the Bucs beat the division champs on a wild card, etc, make NO a logical choice. As for DAL, isn’t Prescott just back from a season ending surgery? I’m all for playing them for that reason…he will need to shake some cobwebs off still.
May 10th, 2021 at 7:19 am
I like that we get a Thursday game out of the way without having to play the previous Sunday. I expect we’ll have at least 2 more
May 10th, 2021 at 7:59 am
And if a hurricane is going to hit Florida they’d have to move the game to Dallas meaning we lose a home game. At least if we open against the Saints, and the game get’s moved we can just which home games. Just a thought.
May 10th, 2021 at 8:44 am
Broken record Joe, you’re getting quite repetitive…… and loose the long winded nonsense preamble for Brady it’s getting really annoying
May 10th, 2021 at 9:17 am
Cowboys Bucs makes the most sense here. Cowboys will be out of playoffs by mid season. Bills Bucs will draw more eyeballs at seasons end.
May 10th, 2021 at 9:27 am
🙂
May 10th, 2021 at 9:35 am
If the networks are so concerned about hurricanes, does that mean Miami, Jacksonville, New Orleans and Huston, should they win the Super Bowl in years to come, will also have to start on the road? How about Charlotte, Washington and New York? Any of these cities could be hit by a hurricane. Or is it that just the Bucs that gets special attention?
May 10th, 2021 at 10:11 am
dont matter imo!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!
May 10th, 2021 at 10:11 am
Great news and I think that Buffalo would give us the biggest challenge. The Dallas defense was pathetic last year, so unless it has improved a whole lot, we will curb stomp Jerry and his dumba$$ team.
May 10th, 2021 at 10:25 am
Webster, you don’t football much, do you?
The SB champs always kick the season off on Thursday. Has been that way for the balance of the century.
May 10th, 2021 at 10:50 am
Buffalo would be a great game to get all the players focused during camp.
May 10th, 2021 at 11:15 am
To Chain Whip, Curb Stomp and Seal Club either Dallas or Buffalo would be a beautiful site. GO BUCS!!!!
May 10th, 2021 at 1:10 pm
Buffalo bills.
Dallas with open season at cowboy stadium. $$$
May 10th, 2021 at 1:41 pm
No surprise the Bucs will open at home, however, i want the Bucs to face a great offensive team to see how that defense will perform. Either the Cowboys or Bills.
May 11th, 2021 at 12:06 pm
Didn’t they use to do the NFC AFC championship rematch to kick the season off,, Superbowl winner playing conference championship game rematch,, like to see that,, Bucs vs GB