If Tom Brady had landed in San Francisco, the 49ers schedule would have contained a slew of must-see games. With Brady heading to Tampa Bay, the slate still consists of plenty of compelling matchups.
The dates and times won’t be known, but the opponents and the places are. Unfortunately, the Buccaneers won’t play the Patriots -- unless both teams get to the Super Bowl. Fortunately, the Bucs otherwise have a very good schedule.
Beyond the six games against the teams of the NFC South (which includes a pair of combined-age-of-84 games against the Saints and Drew Brees), the Buccaneers host Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs, Jared Goff and the Rams, Kirk Cousins and the Vikings, and the Chargers -- the team #Tommy spurned to pick the Bucs.
The road schedule has TB12 and TB going to Las Vegas to face Jon Gruden and company, Denver (where Brady has struggled often), New York to face the Giants (who are 2-0 against Brady in Super Bowls), Detroit (Matt Patricia reunion), and Chicago (the only game that doesn’t really have much on-the-surface sizzle).
Several of those games surely will be destined for prime time and/or the 4:25 p.m. ET slot on a Sunday afternoon, giving the Buccaneers a profile that they’ve never before had.
Hopefully, that will happen. Because this will mean that football season will happen. Which will mean that some semblance of normalcy will have returned to our nation and our world before September.