ATLANTA FALCONMS
The Atlanta
Falcons' quest for a return trip to the Super Bowl ended last season
with a 15-10 loss to eventual Super Bowl champ Philadelphia in the divisional
round.
The Falcons have a chance to rebound from that loss
immediately with a season-opening prime-time showdown with the Eagles on
Thursday, Sept. 6. Such a road win there would be the ideal start to the new
season.
But in order to have success, the Falcons have to find
consistency on offense, keep building on defense and find a way to overcome
their special-teams woes.
Here are game-by-game predictions for how the Falcons might
fare in 2018:
Week 1: Thursday, Sept. 6, at Philadelphia
Eagles, 8:15 p.m. ET
The Eagles will be hyped as the city welcomes them back as
champions. Quarterback Carson Wentz should
be back in a starting role off an ACL injury. And the Eagles fortified their
strong defense with the addition of Michael
Bennett, a guy the Falcons had desired to add via a trade. Record: 0-1.
Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 16, vs. Carolina
Panthers, 1 p.m. ET
The Falcons seem to have the Panthers' number in Atlanta,
having won four straight against their division foe at home. It's always
intriguing when Atlanta native Cam Newton comes
home, but Deion Jones and
the Falcons know how to knock him out of rhythm. Record: 1-1
Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 23, vs. New Orleans
Saints, 1 p.m. ET
The bitter rivalry had a dramatic ending last season as Jones,
a New Orleans native, came up with the leaping interception of Drew Brees.
These games always seem to be close and could come down to Matt Bryant's
leg. Record: 2-1
Week 4: Sunday, Sept. 30, vs. Cincinnati Bengals, 1 p.m. ET
These teams last met in 2014, with the Bengals winning 24-10
at home. The Bengals are coming off a 7-9 season, so this should be one of the
easier early opponents, although last year's home losses to Miami and Buffalo
showed the Falcons that nothing comes easy. Record: 3-1
Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 7, at Pittsburgh
Steelers, 1 p.m. ET
There are some intriguing storylines here with the
quarterback matchup between Matt Ryan and Ben
Roethlisberger, the running back battle between Devonta
Freeman and Le'Veon Bell,
and the top receiver showdown between Julio Jones and Antonio Brown.
The Steelers will be tough at home. Record: 3-2
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 14, vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET
The Falcons swept the meetings last season and have won
three in a row against the Buccaneers. Meanwhile, the Bucs still seem to be
getting things figured out with quarterback Jameis
Winston, who is dangerous but erratic. Record: 4-2
Week 7: Monday, Oct. 22, vs. New York
Giants, 8:15 p.m. ET
Last year on this date, the Falcons traveled to New England
for the much-anticipated Super Bowl rematch with the Patriots, only to get
bullied in a 23-7 loss. Playing the Giants at home should be a much easier
task, even if Odell Beckham Jr. goes off. Record: 5-2
Week 8: Bye
Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 4, at Washington
Redskins, 1 p.m. ET
Redskins cornerback Josh Norman already
talked about how much he's looking forward to the matchup with his buddy Julio
Jones, the guy Norman called the "ultimate competitor." The Redskins
have a new signal-caller in Alex Smith,
who will be competitive but not competitive enough to lead his team to
victory. Record: 6-2
Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 11, at Cleveland
Browns, 1 p.m. ET
The Browns' winless streak dating back to last season should
be over by now, but they still have a long way to go. It will be interesting to
see if one of the highly touted rookie quarterbacks is running Hue Jackson's
offense by this time. Won't matter. Record: 7-2.
Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 18, vs. Dallas
Cowboys, 1 p.m. ET
Although the Falcons handled the Cowboys rather easily last
season, it is likely to be a different story this time around with Ezekiel
Elliott in the lineup. The Cowboys have Elliott and the
offensive line to grind it out in a hard-fought, physical contest. Record: 7-3
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 26, at New Orleans Saints,
8:20 p.m. ET
This should be a rather entertaining Thanksgiving Day brawl,
with the bitter rivals fighting for supremacy in the division. The running back
tandem of Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram,
if healthy, pose one of the toughest challenges of the season. And Drew Brees
is Drew Brees. Record: 7-4
Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 2, vs. Baltimore, 1 p.m.
ET
There was a time when Matt Ryan vs. Joe Flacco was
an intriguing matchup of taller quarterbacks. Not anymore. Flacco has fallen
off significantly from his Super Bowl days. Record: 8-4
Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 9, at Green Bay, 1 p.m. ET
A Falcons team that's used to playing indoors has to brace
for potential frigid conditions at Lambeau Field. Not to mention it's hard to
put the freeze on Aaron Rodgers,
especially on his home turf. Record: 8-5
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 16, vs. Arizona, 1 p.m. ET
New Cardinals coach Steve Wilks, formerly the defensive
coordinator in Carolina, and defensive coordinator Al Holcomb, formerly the
linebackers coach in Carolina, know how to attack the Falcons defensively. But
it might take a year for the players to adjust in the new system. Record: 9-5
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 25, at Carolina, 1 p.m. ET
Depending on what version of Newton shows up, the Panthers
should be much more formidable at home. It will be interesting to see how Christian
McCaffrey is progressing at this time. And the Panthers will have
linebacker Davis back (PED suspension) for this second meeting. Record: 9-6
Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 30, at Tampa Bay 1 p.m. ET
The NFL set it up so that the final weekend is full of
division matchups. This could go either way depending on the stakes, but
Winston showed early in his career he was capable of giving the Falcons fits.
And Mike Evans has done the same recently. Record: 9-7
CAROLINA PANTHERS
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The NFL apparently has something against
the Carolina
Panthers opening at home.
Make that had.
For the first time since 2013 and the second time in Ron
Rivera’s eight years as head coach, Carolina opens at Bank of America Stadium
-- against the Dallas
Cowboys.
Perhaps the schedule-makers finally forgot how Rivera
questioned them in 2016 when the Panthers had to open at Denver, a rematch of
Super Bowl 50 that was played less than eight months earlier.
Rivera felt the defending NFC champions deserved to open at
home. He was critical that the league made him and his players relive their
24-10 loss to the Broncos all offseason.
So the league rewarded Rivera this year with about as high a
profile opener as one could get -- against America’s Team.
With that in mind, here’s a game-by-game look at how the
Panthers will fare in 2018:
Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 9, vs. Dallas Cowboys, 4:25
p.m. ET
Any time Dallas comes to town, it creates a stir. It causes
a bigger stir when it’s the first game -- and a national broadcast, at that.
Here’s another twist: Remember when Norv Turner was the offensive coordinator
at Dallas and helped Troy Aikman become a Hall of Fame quarterback and Emmitt
Smith a HOF running back? Seems like forever ago. Well, Turner, 65, still is
trying to work his magic, now with Cam Newton and Christian
McCaffrey. Record: 1-0
Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 16, at Atlanta
Falcons, 1 p.m. ET
The Falcons have won four of five games in this series since
putting an end to Carolina’s run at a perfect record with two games remaining
in the 2015 season. That trend continues. Record: 1-1
Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 23, vs. Cincinnati
Bengals, 1 p.m. ET
These teams played to a 37-37 tie the last time they met,
2014 in Cincinnati. You can almost guarantee that this one won’t end
deadlocked. Record: 2-1
Week 4: Bye
Week 5: Sunday, Oct. 7, vs. New York
Giants, 1 p.m. ET
Giants general manager Dave Gettleman returns to the stadium
where he helped build the Panthers into a Super Bowl runner-up in 2015 and
perennial playoff contender. He’ll probably stop by one of his favorite
restaurants in the Dilworth area. He still won’t tell anybody why owner Jerry
Richardson fired him the week before last year’s training camp. Record:
3-1
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 14, at Washington
Redskins, 1 p.m. ET
By now, the reviews for Washington cornerback Josh Norman in
"Dancing with the Stars" will be fully known. His former Carolina
teammates will either be ragging him or listening to his bragging. By now, the
Redskins will know if Alex Smith was
worth trading for to replace Kirk Cousins. Record:
4-1
Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 21, at Philadelphia Eagles, 1 p.m. ET
The Eagles may have won the Super Bowl last year, but they
didn’t do it by making trades like they did with Carolina prior to free agency.
The Panthers got wide receiver Torrey Smith,
a dependable player with good leadership skills. The Eagles got
cornerback Daryl Worley,
who recently was released after being arrested when police found him passed out
in a car. A gun also was found. That aside, the Eagles won the Super Bowl for a
reason. Record: 4-2
Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 29, vs. Baltimore
Ravens, 1 p.m. ET
Perhaps the new Panthers owner will choose this game to
retire the jersey of Steve Smith, the team’s all-time leading receiver who went
to the Ravens after being released by Carolina in 2014. Smith predicted there
would be “blood and guts everywhere" when he faced the Panthers that season.
Yeah, he was mad. This could be love and forgiveness. Record: 5-2
Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 4, vs. Tampa Bay
Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET
Jameis
Winston gave a pregame speech prior to a Week 9 game against
New Orleans last year in which he formed his fingers into the shape of a W and
pretended to eat it. When Winston couldn’t finish off the Panthers in December,
allowing Carolina to clinch a playoff berth, the Panthers' team website trolled
Winston with the picture of a cake shaped like a W, disappearing bite by bite.
Winston won’t finish this one off, either. Record: 6-2
Week 10: Thursday, Nov. 8, at Pittsburgh
Steelers, 8:30 p.m. ET
Rivera isn’t a big fan of Thursday night games. Now he has
to face one of the best teams in the AFC on a Thursday. On the road. And the
road team typically doesn’t fare well on a short week. Record: 6-3
Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 18, at Detroit Lions,
1 p.m. ET
These teams meet in the Motor City for the second straight
year. Detroit native Devin Funchess had a big game with seven catches for 53
yards and a touchdown last year as Carolina won. He was key off the field, too,
tipping a couple of reporters to what he called the best wings in town. They
were. Record: 7-3
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 25, vs. Seattle
Seahawks, 1 p.m. ET
Seattle is retooling, but Russell
Wilson always seems to be a thorn in Carolina’s side. These
teams have faced each other seven times since Wilson entered the league in
2012, and the Seahawks have won five times. Make that six. Record:
7-4
Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 2, at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1
p.m. ET
You keep hearing that this is going to be the year the
Buccaneers will break into the playoff picture. It hasn’t happened since 2007,
and there’s no reason to think this year will be different. Record:
8-4
Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 9, at Cleveland
Browns, 1 p.m. ET
The typical December cold spell could work to Cleveland’s
advantage here. But hey, this is a team that didn’t win a game in 2017. Weather
doesn’t matter. Record: 9-4
Week 15: Monday, Dec. 17, vs. New Orleans
Saints, 8:30 p.m. ET
Newton loves Monday Night Football. He spent part of a news
conference last year before a prime-time game against Miami talking about the
iconic MNF song performed by Hank Williams Jr. and how he planned to wear a
cowboy hat to the game. He brought his game that Monday, throwing four
touchdown passes and rushing for 95 yards to improve his MNF record to 5-1.
Look for him to bring his best to this one as well. Record: 10-4
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 23, vs. Atlanta
Falcons, 1 p.m. ET
Newton has one of the best records in the NFL in December
since he entered the league in 2011. He also has a short history of losing big
December games to the Falcons, none bigger than the one in 2015 that ended
Carolina’s run at a perfect record. Record: 10-5
Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 30, at New Orleans Saints, 1
p.m. ET
For the second straight year, the Panthers will have a
chance to win the division with a victory on the road. They didn’t do it at
Atlanta last season and they won’t do it again in the Mercedes-Benz
Superdome. Drew Brees got
that big contract extension for a reason. Record: 10-6
NEW ORLEAN SAINTS
The New Orleans
Saints are bona fide Super Bowl contenders again after they
finally ended a three-year playoff drought last season. But if they're going to
make a serious run in 2018, they'd better start fast.
After being plagued by slow starts over the past four years
(1-3, 0-3, 0-3 and 0-2), the Saints can't afford a repeat with the schedule
looking much more favorable in the first five weeks than the final 11.
The Saints open with back-to-back home games for the first
time since 2004, and four of their first five opponents had losing records last
year. On the flip side, nine of their final 11 opponents had winning records
last year.
Here's how I see things playing out:
Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 9, vs. Tampa Bay
Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET
Tampa Bay's disappointing 2017 season reached its boiling
point in New Orleans last year when a fight broke out on the sidelines after
quarterback Jameis
Winston and receiver Mike Evans got
overly frustrated by cornerback Marshon Lattimore's shut-down performance. The Buccaneers
failed to live up to lofty expectations, finishing last in the NFC South at
5-11 -- and the Saints can’t afford to let them start off on the right foot
this season. Record: 1-0
Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 16, vs. Cleveland
Browns, 1 p.m. ET
Likewise, the long-suffering Browns are bound to start
turning things around soon after amassing so many premium draft picks in recent
years (including the No. 1 and No. 4 overall picks next week). But the Saints
can't let that turnaround begin just yet. Record: 2-0
Week 3: Sunday, Sept. 23, at Atlanta
Falcons, 1 p.m. ET
The Saints can absolutely go into Atlanta and win -- like
they’ve done in five of their past eight trips there and should have done again
last season. But this rivalry is always close to a pick 'em. So if the Saints
aren't going to start 5-0 heading into their bye week, this is the game that's
mostly likely to trip them up. Record: 2-1
Week 4: Sunday, Sept. 30, at New York
Giants, 4:25 p.m. ET
I don’t expect this to be an easy road trip, either, despite
the Giants' stunning 3-13 flop last season. Remember, New York is just one year
removed from a playoff season -- and native New Orleanais Eli Manning and Odell Beckham
Jr. are bound to bounce back. (Get your popcorn ready for that
Beckham-Lattimore matchup, by the way.) Record: 3-1
Week 5: Monday, Oct. 8, vs. Washington
Redskins, 8:15 p.m. ET
Surely, the NFL and ESPN must have planned this, right? If
Saints quarterback Drew Brees starts
hot, he could be on pace to break Peyton Manning’s career passing yardage
record inside the Superdome on Monday Night Football. Brees will need to
average just a shade less than 300 yards per game in the first five games to
surpass Manning's mark of 71,940. Record: 4-1
Week 6: Bye
Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 21, at Baltimore
Ravens, 4:05 p.m. ET
Speaking of Brees, here's a trivia question for you: Name
the only team he has yet to beat in his future Hall of Fame career. (How'd you
guess?) Brees is 0-4 all-time against the Ravens, and this could be his last
crack at them since they play only once every four years. (Coach Sean Payton
has beaten every team but Baltimore and Denver.) I say they get it done this
time, despite this being a tough opponent to face on the road. The bye week
should help. Record: 5-1
Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 28, at Minnesota
Vikings, 8:20 p.m. ET
This figures to be one of the must-see matchups of the
season, with two of the NFC's top teams squaring off in a rematch of their
unforgettable playoff game from January. And the Saints are obviously overdue
for a win in Minnesota after their season ended in crushing fashion in that
game, courtesy of Stefon Diggs'
miracle 61-yard touchdown catch. But I'll give Minnesota the win here. The
Vikings are even more loaded now after signing quarterback Cousins and
defensive tackle Sheldon
Richardson in free agency. Record: 5-2
Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 4, vs. Los Angeles
Rams, 4:25 p.m. ET
Speaking of top NFC title contenders, here comes another one
into the Superdome a week later. The Rams also loaded up this offseason,
acquiring defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh,
former Saints receiver Brandin Cooks and
cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Marcus Peters,
among others. The Rams' defensive line, which already features all-world
DT Aaron Donald,
is downright frightening now. If any team can handle that front, it’s Payton,
Brees and the Saints' loaded offensive line. But I'll give New Orleans the loss
here, since they’re bound to face a little adversity at some point. Record:
5-3
Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 11, at Cincinnati
Bengals, 1 p.m. ET
This is exactly the kind of "letdown" game against
a solid, unfamiliar AFC opponent that I could see the Saints losing in the
middle of an intense stretch that includes so many huge NFC matchups. But since
I just hit them with the losses against Minnesota and L.A., I'll give them the
win here against a Bengals team whose arrow is not pointing up right now. Record:
6-3
Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 18, vs. Philadelphia
Eagles, 1 p.m. ET
Rest assured I don't expect the Saints to lose against all
of the other top NFC contenders this season -- so I'll give them the win in
this one against an Eagles team that is bound to be battling a bit of a Super
Bowl hangover. The Eagles, however, proved to be one of the NFL's most balanced
teams last season and should have rising star quarterback Carson Wentz back
healthy by this time. Record: 7-3
Week 12: Thursday, Nov. 22, vs. Atlanta Falcons,
8:20 p.m. ET
Finally. The Saints get to play a Thursday night game at
home after they had to play four of their past five Thursday night games on the
road. And this one comes on Thanksgiving night -- a first in Superdome history.
Let the "roasted Falcon for Thanksgiving" jokes commence. Record:
8-3
Week 13: Thursday, Nov. 29, at Dallas
Cowboys, 8:20 p.m. ET
Ummm ... forget what I said about those Thursday night games
at home. I guess it was too good to be true. This streak of NFC contenders the
Saints will be facing throughout November and December is remarkable -- and I
think Dallas will be back among the conference's best teams with a bounce-back
season from QB Dak Prescott,
RB Ezekiel
Elliott and a loaded offensive line. Record: 8-4
Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 9, at Tampa Bay
Buccaneers, 1 p.m. ET
Perhaps the Buccaneers finally will start tapping into their
potential as a rising young team by December -- but for now it still feels like
the Saints have their number a little bit. Record: 9-4
Week 15: Monday, Dec. 17, at Carolina
Panthers, 8:15 p.m. ET
Speaking of having a team's number ... the Saints went a
perfect 3-0 against the rival Panthers last season, including the playoffs --
which led to that unforgettable scene where Payton and players danced with a
broom in the locker room. It won't be easy for them to pull off another sweep
this season, especially considering their first rematch will come on a Monday
night in possibly frigid mid-December weather conditions. But this is a road
game the Saints have proved they can win in the past, and Carolina could take a
step back this year after losing guard Andrew
Norwell and defensive tackle Star
Lotulelei(though they did add DT Dontari Poe and
receivers Torrey Smith and Jarius Wright,
among others). Record: 10-4
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 23, vs. Pittsburgh
Steelers, 4:25 p.m. ET
What a way to follow up a tough Monday night road game -- a
date with the Steelers six days later. Since I gave the Saints a big win at
Carolina, I'll give them the letdown loss in this one. If you prefer to
flip-flop those two results, I won't quibble. Record: 10-5
Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 30, vs. Carolina Panthers,
1 p.m. ET
If I picked the Saints to win at Carolina, I've got to pick
them to finish off another sweep at home, too, right? This doesn't feel fair to
the Panthers, who have proved to be a more than worthy adversary for the Saints
during the Cam Newton/Luke Kuechly era.
Before last season's sweep, the Saints lost three straight games to Carolina
(and six out of eight). One way or another, these two games over the final
three weeks should have huge playoff implications. Record: 11-5
TAMPA BAY
BUCCANEERS
TAMPA, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay
Buccaneers' 2018 schedule features a tough opening three-game
stretch featuring two divisional champs and the defending Super Bowl champions.
There is a Week 3 Monday Night Football game, an early Week
5 bye week and yet another odd scheduling quirk this year that will mean the
NFC South title will come down to the wire in Week 17. It should be noted that
there is no Thursday Night Football game on the Bucs' schedule for the first
time since 2011, and every single Sunday game will be played at 1:00 p.m. ET
unless it's flexed.
Here’s a game-by-game prediction of how the year will go:
Week 1: Sunday, Sept. 10, at New Orleans
Saints, 1:00 p.m. ET
The Bucs may be 11-18 all-time in New Orleans and the Superdome
can be a particularly tough place to play, but since 2015, the Saints have gone
0-4 at home during the month of September. They're just not a good September
team, period. In the last four years, they've gone 2-11 in September, the worst
mark of any team in the league during that time frame. They'll get an early
test from running back Alvin Kamara,
who had 280 all-purpose yards in two games against the Bucs last year. Quarterback Jameis
Winston and wide receiver Mike Evans should
also get a pretty warm reception after that Lattimore altercation they had
in the Superdome last year.
Record: 1-0
Week 2: Sunday, Sept. 16, vs. Philadelphia
Eagles, 1:00 p.m. ET
The Bucs have faced the reigning Super Bowl champion 21 times.
They are 4-17 in those games, according to ESPN Stats & Info. This will
actually be the third-straight season that the Bucs play the defending champs.
They lost to the New England
Patriots 19-14 at home in 2017 and they lost to the Denver
Broncos 27-7 at home in 2016. The Eagles are 9-6 on the road in
the month of September since 2010, second-best of any team in the league for
that time period. Also, because the Eagles play on Thursday night the previous
week, they'll have three extra days to prepare.
Record: 1-1
Week 3: Monday, Sept. 24, vs. Pittsburgh
Steelers, 8:15 p.m. ET
The Steelers are 45-24 all-time on Monday nights, the best
record by any AFC team and third-best of any NFL team, according to ESPN Stats
& Info. The Seattle
Seahawks and San Francisco 49ers are the only NFL teams with
better records in those games. With the secondary expected to be addressed in
next week's NFL draft, this will provide an early test. In the last five
seasons, no team has completed more passes of 20 or more air yards downfield
than the Steelers. Since 2016, the Bucs are 27th in the league (39 percent) in
completion percentage surrendered on passes of 20-plus air yards.
Record: 1-2
Week 4: Sunday, Sept. 30, at Chicago Bears,
1:00 p.m. ET
The Bucs’ first three opponents had a .771 average win
percentage from last season, which is the highest in the league when comparing
teams’ first three opponents. They'll catch a little bit of a break in Chicago
against a Bears squad that has finished 14-34 the last three seasons. The Bucs’
all-time record in Chicago is 6-21 -- going back to the old NFC Central days,
but they've gone 2-0 against the Bears the last two years. They won't be able
to push the tempo in sweltering Tampa heat, though, but possibly on the
inexperience of young Mitch Trubisky.
Record: 2-2
Week 5: BYE
Week 6: Sunday, Oct. 14, at Atlanta
Falcons, 1:00 p.m. ET
If Winston can build off of what he was able to do on Monday
Night Football last season against Atlanta -- throwing three touchdowns and
zero interceptions in arguably his best-ever game, despite a 24-21 loss -- it
could be a real tone-setter for the rest of the season. On the other hand, the
Bucs' defense gave up 926 all-purpose yards in two games against the Falcons
last year, more than any other team in the league.
Record: 2-3
Week 7: Sunday, Oct. 21, vs. Cleveland
Browns, 1:00 p.m. ET
The Bucs are 2-0 at home against the Browns since 2002. They
have faced the team scheduled to pick first-overall in the draft 15 times.
Interestingly enough, those haven't been "gimme games." As a matter
of fact, they are 5-10 in them, according to ESPN Stats & Info. Still, they
should be able to win this, even with a revamped Browns' front office, top free
agents in Jarvis Landry, Taylor
and Damarious
Randall and some quality draft picks getting ready to blossom
-- it will take some time for those pieces to jell.
Record: 3-3
Week 8: Sunday, Oct. 28, at Cincinnati
Bengals, 1:00 p.m. ET
You can always expect a punishing defense from Marvin Lewis'
group, but last season, they struggled stopping the run at home, surrendering
4.55 yards per carry, third-most of any team in the league. Their 137.8 rushing
yards allowed per game at home was also tops in the league. It should be noted,
though, that they only gave up, on-average, 190 passing yards per game at home,
fourth-best in the league, and their 36-percent red zone efficiency defense was
third-best in the league. The Bucs could use a heavy dose of Peyton Barber here.
Record: 4-3
Week 9: Sunday, Nov. 4, at Carolina
Panthers, 1:00 p.m. ET
Since 2015, the Panthers are 6-1 at Bank of America Stadium
in November, tied for the best home record in the NFL during that span. In
October of last year at Raymond James Stadium, the Panthers' defense completely
annihilated Winston, picking him off twice and preventing him from scoring a
touchdown. With Winston healthy, things should be a lot closer, the way they
were in Week 15, when the Bucs lost 22-19. Five of the last eight games between
these two teams have been decided by one score or less.
Record: 4-4
Week 10: Sunday, Nov. 11, vs. Washington
Redskins, 1:00 p.m. ET
The Redskins' defense allowed the third-lowest completion
percentage of opposing quarterbacks in 2017 (57.6 percent). They also yielded,
on average, an opponent passer rating of 81.0, one of the top marks in the
league. This group has some familiarity with quarterback Alex Smith,
though not in Jay Gruden's system, after the Bucs pulled off a thrilling 19-17
win at Arrowhead Stadium, thanks to a fourth-quarter interception from
safety Chris Conte.
Record: 4-5
Week 11: Sunday, Nov. 18, at New York
Giants, 1:00 p.m. ET
When defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul was introduced as the
newest member of the Buccaneers, he said this matchup was already circled on
his calendar. He spent eight seasons with the Giants, recording 58.5 sacks, 27
more than any of his teammates in that time span. On the other side of the
ball, the Bucs will face a new-look Giants' 3-4 defense, and depending on where
the chips fall, possibly one of the most electrifying running backs in years if
they wind up drafting Saquon Barkley, whom general manager Dave Gettleman
loves.
Record: 5-5
Week 12: Sunday, Nov. 25, vs. San Francisco
49ers, 1:00 p.m. ET
The Bucs know Kyle Shanahan's offenses from his time with
the Redskins and more recently, the Atlanta Falcons, but this will be their
first time seeing quarterback Jimmy
Garoppolo, whose 1,542 passing yards in his first five starts was
more than Joe Montana and Steve Young combined (1,479). He also had
seven-consecutive wins to start his career, tied for the fourth-longest streak
in the Super Bowl era.
Record: 5-6
Week 13: Sunday, Dec. 2, vs. Carolina Panthers,
1:00 p.m. ET
The Bucs most-definitely want to play the Panthers at
Raymond James Stadium in December, versus Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers
are 6-5 on the road in December (.545) versus 10-1 at home (.909), the league's
best home December record. This also marks the start of three divisional games
in the final five weeks of the season, all at home, in yet another odd
divisional schedule quirk.
Record: 6-6
Week 14: Sunday, Dec. 9, vs. New Orleans Saints,
1:00 p.m. ET
The Bucs' 31-24 win over the Saints at home to close out
last season not only helped them finish the year on a high note, but helped
salvage head coach Dirk Koetter's job. This game also marked tremendous
improvement from their rushing defense, holding Kamara and Mark Ingram to
just 79 combined rushing yards. Defensive coordinator Mike Smith always
emphasizes that the good teams run the ball well in December. It's up to the
great defenses to be able to stop them.
Record: 7-6
Week 15: Sunday, Dec. 16, at Baltimore
Ravens 1:00 p.m. ET
The Ravens are tough when they're at home, going 47-17 since
2010, the NFL’s fourth-best home record during that span. But if there's a
bright side to that for the Bucs, they've actually had a drop-off in play the
last eight years from November to December. Since 2010, they've gone 15-2 at
home in November, the best in the league, but have slipped to 12-7 in December,
12th in the league. It'll be a test for Winston though. The Ravens' defense
also notched 22 interceptions last season, more than any other team in the
league.
Record: 7-7
Week 16: Sunday, Dec. 23, at Dallas
Cowboys, 1:00 p.m. ET
The Bucs may have lost to the Cowboys 26-20 in Week 15 of
2016, but statistically, this is actually a great time for road teams to visit
AT&T Stadium. Since 2001, the Cowboys are 12-17 at home in the month of
December, 28th in the league. In the last five years, they’ve
gone 3-4 at home during that month, 27th in the league. They
had no answers for Ezekiel
Elliott, who rushed for 159 yards and a touchdown, but their
revamped defensive line, featuring three former NFC East D-linemen in
Pierre-Paul, Vinny Curry and Beau Allen,
should fare better. Still, the Bucs are just 1-11 all-time at Dallas, with
their lone victory coming in a 10-6 game in 2001.
Record: 7-8
Week 17: Sunday, Dec. 30, vs. Atlanta Falcons,
1:00 p.m. ET
This game will really be a four-ring circus, just like last
year, because the Panthers and Saints will also be playing at 1:00 and those
teams face heavily-back loaded divisional schedules too. For example, four of
the Saints' final six games are NFC South opponents, while the Panthers will
see four of their final five come from the division. The Bucs are 2-0 in season
finales played at home under Koetter.
Record: 8-8
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