Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2025 Season Preview: Star Players, Key Matchups & Where to Watch
After falling short in their home playoff game against the Commanders, Todd Bowles and his team had to regroup ahead of Year 4 in Tampa.
The areas for improvement were clear: the Bucs needed reinforcements in the secondary and more pressure off the edge.
While they didn’t go all in on fixing those issues this offseason, their position in the NFC South, a division they’ve won four years in a row, gives them some breathing room. Tampa can afford to be patient, making strategic moves that build toward a strong long-term future.
📺 Top 5 Must-Watch Bucs Games in 2025
🏈 Week 1 (Sept 7) - @ Atlanta Falcons
FOX, 1:00 PM ET
The Falcons' midseason slump hurt in 2024, but with Michael Penix under center and flashes of late-season promise, they look like the top threat to Tampa's NFC South reign.
🏈 Week 4 (Sept 28) - vs Philadelphia Eagles
FOX, 1:00 PM ET
Tampa has had Philly’s number in recent seasons, winning 6 of their last 7 meetings. Even with the momentum of a Super Bowl win behind them, Philly may find success hard to come by in South Florida.
🏈 Week 7 (Oct 20) - @ Detroit Lions
ESPN/ABC, 7:00 PM ET
The NFC South vs North champions should be quite the contest. With the Lions' defense back and healthier than last season, this could be an even tougher matchup than it was for the Bucs back in 2024.
🏈 Week 11 (Nov 16) - @ Buffalo Bills
CBS/Paramount+, 1:00 PM ET
A Buffalo road game in November is never fun, not least for a Floridian team. Mayfield will get to duel his draft classmate and reigning MVP, Josh Allen, in a major inter-conference matchup.
🏈 Week 12 (Nov 23) - @ Los Angeles Rams
NBC, 8:20 PM ET
Tampa visit LA for a late-season NFC showdown against a tough Rams squad. McVay and Stafford’s high-powered passing attack will challenge a Bucs defense that struggled against the pass in 2024.
🌙 Bucs in Prime Time: When to Tune In
- Monday Night (MNF) Games
- Week 2 @ Houston
- Week 7 @ Detroit
- Sunday Night (SNF) Games
- Week 12 @ LA Rams
- Thursday Night (TNF) Games
- Week 15 vs Atlanta
This is the sixth consecutive season in which Tampa has been scheduled for four or more primetime games, a testament to the continued excellence and entertainment value of Buccaneers football. While that sounds great in theory, the reality is quite harrowing: the Bucs haven’t won a primetime game since 2022. Even worse, last season two of their losses came to teams that finished below .500. Something will have to change this year if they are to sustain their dominance atop an ever-improving AFC South.
⭐️ 2025 Star Players to Watch
🔥 On OffenseBaker Mayfield – A gunslinger who is playing the best football of his career. Mike Evans – Timeless, in pursuit of his 12th straight season of 1000+ receiving yards.Cade Otton – A crucial piece as both Godwin and McMillan will miss time to start 2025.
Emeka Egbuka – Due to the aforementioned injury crisis, he could see time early this season.
🛡️ On DefenseLavonte David – A stalwart of the franchise, aged 35, leading the team in tackles last year.Vita Vea – Size and power up the middle, he’s near unstoppable at the line. Calijah Kancey – Third-year DE who needs to find more consistency.Haason Reddick – Proven edge who is desperate to bounce back from a disastrous 2024.
How to Watch the Buccaneers in 2025
It varies game to game. For the best, most in-depth access, NFL Network offers the most complete coverage. Nationally broadcast games are available on major networks such as Fox, CBS, and NBC, with other offerings on Prime Video as well.
💡 Pro Tip: For full schedule and TV listings, visit our Tampa Bay Buccaneers Subpage.
🧠 Final Thought: Can they be an NFC threat?
As the Bucs look to gradually transition away from the old guard, they’re still holding onto their vets as long as humanly possible. While it may provide stability to the roster, there are real questions to be asked about their overreliance on youth in resolving their issues in the secondary, given just how weak the unit was in 2024. One thing's for sure, we’re in store for some more shootouts in Tampa!
📲 Don’t miss a moment — bookmark our Tampa Bay Buccaneers Team Page to stay up-to-date all season long.
Written by: Venuse, Inc. (Sports Content Creator)
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