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Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts greets Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The toughest stretch of the Buccaneers' 2025 schedule

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI
By Collin Haalboom | Last updated May 16, 2025 3:00 PM ET

There are no easy wins in the NFL. There are simply too many great players, coaches, teams, and too few of games in an NFL season for any team to expect a victory at any point prior to hearing that final whistle blow on any given week, hence the term 'any given Sunday'. The unpredictable nature of the NFL is just small part of what makes it such a uniquely compelling spectacle.

With the NFL schedule hot off the press, and the first regular season games of 2025 still months away, it feels like the perfect time to dig into the new schedule and analyze the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' toughest stretch of games in 2025.

Although following up a trip to Buffalo in Week 11 before immediately heading to the west coast to take on the Rams in L.A. in Week 12 is certainly daunting, it's still not the Bucs' toughest stretch on the schedule. That challenge will present itself much earlier in the season, between Weeks 4-7.

Week 4: vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Although the Buccaneers will be at home and have performed quite well against the Eagles in recent years, taking on the Super Bowl champs will be no easy task. The Eagles are one of the most well-rounded teams in the league on both sides of the ball. Their championship pedigree should only improve their chances of finding success in 2025, and the Bucs will need to put their best foot forward if they hope to continue their recent success when matching up against the league's best team.

Week 5: at Seattle Seahawks

Although the Seattle Seahawks have turned the roster over quite a bit from last year, they're still in win-now mode. They've got a ton of exciting pieces (especially on defense), a talented head coach, a new quarterback and they play at Lumen Field, which remains one of the toughest stadiums to play in for opposing teams. Throw in the fact that the Buccaneers will have to travel 2,531 miles just to get there, and the home field advantage for the Seahawks becomes even more apparent.

Week 6: vs. San Francisco 49ers

Although they're coming off a tough season, the San Francisco 49ers are still loaded with proven talent at key spots. LT Trent Williams, LB Fred Warner, DE Nick Bosa, RB Christian McCaffrey and TE George Kittle each have a claim to being considered the best players in the league at their respective positions. Head coach Kyle Shanahan is also one of the brightest offensive minds in the sport, so that all but guarantees a tough matchup for a defense regardless of who he has available to him. The Buccaneers have struggled mightily against Shanahan's team in recent years,

Week 7: at Detroit Lions

The Buccaneers and Lions have proven to be fierce opponents over the past couple of seasons. They've matched up in the regular season each of the past two years, with each team claiming one victory a piece. They also combined for a thrilling divisional round playoff game in 2023 which ultimately ended the Bucs' season in Detroit. Much like the Buccaneers, the Lions combine dynamic passing attacks with explosive running games and dominant OL play. They also boast plenty of defensive talent at key spots. The fact this game will be played in primetime on Monday Night Football speaks to the national intrigue of this matchup.

The Buccaneers don't have an easy schedule in 2025 — no NFL team does. The quality of competition is simply too high in this league. Despite the challenges that the Buccaneers will face each week during the NFL season, the stretch of games from weeks 4-7 will be their toughest.