The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ staff discussed on May 18 what they would change about the team’s recently released 2026 NFL schedule. The conversation comes after the National Football League announced its full slate of games for the upcoming season.
While the staff found much to like in this year’s arrangement, including no extended road trips and only one Thursday night game, they examined possible adjustments that could improve the team’s experience. Staff Writer Brianna Dix suggested switching Week Three’s home game against the Minnesota Vikings with Week Eighteen’s away matchup at the New Orleans Saints. “For the purposes of this exercise and if I had the power to, in order to break up three straight home games at Raymond James Stadium in September/early October with the Browns, Vikings and Packers, I would flip the Bucs’ Week Three home game against the Vikings with the club’s Week 18 road battle with the Saints,” Dix said.
Contributor Gabriel Kahaian focused on homefield advantage late in the season. He proposed swapping Tampa Bay’s matchups against New Orleans so that a potentially pivotal NFC South showdown would be played at home rather than away. “Swapping our Saints matchups in Week 15 (home) and Week 18 (away) seems like the best option,” Kahaian said. He acknowledged that this adjustment would create one instance of back-to-back road games but felt ending at home could provide an important edge if playoff implications are involved.
Senior writer Scott Smith brought up another recurring topic: playing Detroit on Thanksgiving Day. Smith pointed out that although Tampa Bay faces Detroit just four days before Thanksgiving this year, they have never played there during Thanksgiving itself. “If I keep trying this, maybe someday I will be able to speak it into existence,” Smith said regarding his hope for a future Thanksgiving appearance for Tampa Bay.
These discussions are part of a series where team writers debate aspects of each new schedule release and consider how small changes might benefit both players and fans alike.
