The Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2023 regular season schedule was released today by the National Football League. After winning the NFC South division title for the second consecutive year, the Buccaneers will face five division winners from the 2022 season – the maximum number a team can play in the 17-game format.
The Buccaneers will kick off their season on the road against the Minnesota Vikings, making just their second trip to U.S. Bank Stadium since it opened in 2016. Since joining the NFC South in 2002, the Buccaneers are 6-2 against the Vikings, who they will play on Sunday, Sept. 10 at 1 p.m. ET on CBS. It will mark the fifth time that the two teams have met in Week 1, and the first since 2005. Tampa Bay will be looking to win its third consecutive season opener after defeating the Dallas Cowboys in Week 1 each of the last two seasons.
“The release of the schedule is exciting for the entire organization as we embark on our 48th season and continue preparations for another memorable slate of home games in our 26th year at Raymond James Stadium,” said Buccaneers Chief Operating Officer Brian Ford. “This season marks the highly anticipated return of our beloved Bucco Bruce orange uniform throwback game for the first time since 2012, as well as the celebration of Rondé Barber’s induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, among a list of other special game themes that will be announced in the coming weeks. Our season pass members have grown accustomed to enjoying the best gameday experience in the NFL and we are hard at work to ensure we once again exceed their expectations.”
In Week 2, Tampa Bay will host the Chicago Bears in the team’s home opener at Raymond James Stadium, on Sept. 17 at 1 p.m. on FOX. The Buccaneers have won three consecutive home openers vs. Chicago dating back to 1998, with a combined 75-point winning margin in those three contests.
The Buccaneers will appear in primetime for the first time in Week 3, as they host the Philadelphia Eagles on Monday Night Football at 7:15 p.m. ET (ABC). Tampa Bay has won three of its last four Monday Night Football contests dating back to 2020. In addition, with the defending NFC champion Eagles coming to Raymond James Stadium in 2023, the Buccaneers have now hosted three defending conference champions over the past two seasons.
Tampa Bay’s first divisional matchup of the year will take place in Week 4 when the Buccaneers visit the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, Oct. 1, at 1 p.m. ET on FOX. Tampa Bay swept the season series vs. New Orleans in 2022.
Following a Week 5 Bye, the Buccaneers will host the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Oct. 15, at 1 p.m. ET on FOX. Since 2019, Tampa Bay is 2-0 vs. Detroit, outscoring the Lions 85-24 and outgaining them 1,083-481 in total yards of offense.
Tampa Bay will remain at home for a Week 7 matchup vs. the Atlanta Falcons, which is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. ET (FOX). Tampa Bay is 6-2 vs. Atlanta since 2019, including wins in five of the past six meetings.
The Buccaneers will hit the road in Week 8 to square off against the Buffalo Bills on Thursday Night Football at 8:15 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime. The Oct. 26 matchup will mark the Buccaneers’ first trip to Orchard Park since 2017 and just their third all-time.
From Week 8 through Week 15, Tampa Bay will be on the road six times in eight weeks, marking only the third-such occurrence in franchise history (also 1978, 2017).
In Weeks 9-10, the Buccaneers will face a pair of AFC South opponents, paying a visit to the Houston Texans on Nov. 5, for the first time since 2015, and hosting the Tennessee Titans on Nov. 12. The kickoff time for both games is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on CBS.
For the second consecutive season, Tampa Bay will head to the West Coast to battle the San Francisco 49ers, as the two teams face off on Nov. 19 at 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX). The Buccaneers will go back on the road to play the Indianapolis Colts in Week 12 at 1 p.m. ET (CBS) in search of their third consecutive win in the series.
The Buccaneers will get their first look at 2023 No. 1 overall pick, Bryce Young, on Dec. 3, when the Carolina Panthers make their annual visit to Tampa in Week 13 at 1p.m. ET (CBS). Since 2019, Tampa Bay is 6-2 vs. Carolina, and the Buccaneers have swept the season series in two of the past three seasons. In Week 14, the Buccaneers will travel to Atlanta for their second meeting with the Falcons. Kickoff on Dec. 10 is set for 1 p.m. ET on CBS.
In Week 15, Tampa Bay will return to Lambeau Field for the first time since defeating the Green Bay Packers, 31-26, in the 2020 NFC Championship Game to advance to Super Bowl LV. The Dec. 17 visit will mark Tampa Bay’s fifth trip all-time to Lambeau Field in the month of December. The rematch will kick off at 1 p.m. ET on FOX.
Opening up a slate of back-to-back home games to finish the calendar year, the Buccaneers will host the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 16 in an intrastate showdown on Sunday, Dec. 24 at 4:05 p.m. ET (FOX). It will mark just the eighth meeting all-time between these two teams, as Tampa Bay attempts to log its third consecutive victory over the Jaguars.
Tampa Bay will close out its season with back-to-back NFC South divisional games in Week 17 and Week 18. The Saints will come to Tampa for a New Years Eve kickoff at 1 p.m. ET (FOX), marking the fourth time in team history that the Buccaneers have played on Dec. 31, with the most recent occurrence coming at home in a 31-24 victory over the Saints in 2017. The Buccaneers will conclude their season in Carolina for a Week 18 matchup with the Panthers. Tampa Bay’s win over Carolina in Week 17 of the 2022 season secured the Buccaneers’ second consecutive NFC South division title. The day and time for Tampa Bay’s Week 18 contest will be announced at a later date.
The NFL will again utilize flexible scheduling in Weeks 5-18, but with the added option to flex games for Monday Night Football in Weeks 13-17.
All games will feature a radio broadcast on 98Rock (WXTB-97.9 FM), as well as stations throughout Florida that are part of the Buccaneers Radio Network. Fans can also listen to every Buccaneers Radio broadcast online on Buccaneers.com and the Buccaneers mobile app.