The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have divided opinion as much as any team this offseason, with some thinking Todd Bowles' team is playoff-bound as an NFC contender, while others think playoffs won't be achieved.
Considering the offseason the franchise has had with Hasson Reddick coming in to bolster the pass rush, along with the re-signing of Chris Godwin to complement the draft selections, Tampa Bay has a well-rounded roster.
With the NFL schedule being released, the Buccaneers have a chance to prove their skeptics wrong out of the gate, with the Atlanta Falcons, tipped by some to claim the NFC South for the first time in four seasons, up first.
And for ESPN's Jenna Laine, the "circle this date" game for the Buccaneers comes in Week 1.
"Week 1 at the Falcons, and Week 15 hosting the Falcons," Laine writes. "The Bucs lost a 36-30 in a "Thursday Night Football" matchup that went to overtime in Atlanta in Week 5 last season and then suffered a 31-26 home loss to the Falcons in Week 8, but none of those games were against quarterback Michael Penix Jr. It should be noted that as head coach of the Bucs, Todd Bowles has never lost a season opener."
That Bowles stat is quite the eye-opener. In eight years as a head coach, never losing a Week 1 outing is impressive.
And the Buccaneers will hope that continues in 2025, because the Falcons loom as a genuine challenger to the NFC South crown, and even with all their troubles last season, it took Tampa Bay to rattle off six wins in the last seven games to overtake them for the division lead.
Plus, Week 1 is in Atlanta, which adds another layer to it, but the Buccaneers getting one over their division rivals out of the gate and on enemy territory would be a good way to start the year.
And maintain Bowles' impressive Week 1 stat in the process.
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