The Tampa Bay Buccaneers full 2018 schedule has leaked ahead of the NFL's planned release Thursday night. With half of the 16 games against playoff teams from 2017, it looks like a difficult slate, especially to start and especially if they have to play any of them without Jameis Winston.
The Bucs will open the 2018 NFL season in the Superdome against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, September 9. The Saints were NFC South champions last year, but they're merely a warmup for Tampa Bay's home opener against the Super Bowl Champion Philadelphia Eagles on September 16.
The following week the Bucs make their only scheduled primetime appearance on Monday Night Football September 24. Unfortunately the opponent is the defending AFC North winners, the Pittsburgh Steelers (13-3 last year). On top of being another tough matchup, their loud swarms of fans will probably show up by the thousands to Raymond James Stadium and embarrass the city in front of a national TV audience.
The Bucs then have a relative lull in the schedule with trips to Chicago (September 30) and Atlanta (October 14) on either side of their bye week. The Cleveland Browns, who were 0-16 last year, come to Tampa on October 21.
After two more road games at Cincinnati and Carolina, the Bucs get a stretch of four games out of five at Raymond James Stadium. Washington visits Tampa Bay on November 11. An away date at the New York Giants on November 18 is followed by three straight home games against San Francisco (November 25), Carolina (December 2), and New Orleans (December 9).
The last two road games of the season are at Baltimore December 16 and at Dallas December 23. The regular season ends with the Falcons visiting Tampa December 30.
In a departure from past years, the Bucs will begin selling single-game tickets as soon as the schedule is officially released. We suggest moving quickly or else the entire cities of Clearwater and Palm Harbor will show up to root for the Eagles and Steelers, respectively.
Here's the entire 2018 Tampa Bay Buccaneers schedule in list form. Kickoff times will be added when we learn them (most should be at 1:00 p.m., subject to be flexed later for TV purposes).
Sun., Sept. 9 - at New Orleans
Sun., Sept. 16 - vs. Philadelphia
Mon., Sept. 24 - vs. Pittsburgh
Sun., Sept. 30 - at Chicago
Sun., Oct. 7 - BYE
Sun., Oct. 14 - at Atlanta
Sun., Oct. 21 - vs. Cleveland
Sun., Oct. 28 - at Cincinnati
Sun., Nov. 4 - at Carolina
Sun. Nov. 11 - vs. Washington
Sun., Nov. 18 - at NY Giants
Sun., Nov. 25 - vs. San Francisco
Sun., Dec. 2 - vs. Carolina
Sun., Dec. 9 - vs. New Orleans
Sun., Dec. 16 - at Baltimore
Sun., Dec. 23 - at Dallas
Sun., Dec. 30 - vs. Atlanta
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