The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be at a significant disadvantage compared to other teams next season because of the way the NFL structured their schedule, and head coach Bruce Arians is not hiding the fact that he is unhappy about it.
While certain teams will have easier schedules than others because of the divisions they play in, the NFL is doing the Bucs no favors by sending them on the road for seven consecutive weeks in the middle of the year, including a trip to London. On Tuesday, Arians called the scheduled “ridiculous.”
#Bucs coach Bruce Arians on their long stretch away from home: “Am I happy about it? Hell no. I think it’s ridiculous.” Says he has voiced that to New York but gotta play them when they’re scheduled.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) April 23, 2019
The Bucs have a home game against the New York Giants in Week 3 on Sept. 22. From there, they travel to Los Angeles to face the Rams, New Orleans to face the Saints, and then all the way to London to take on the Carolina Panthers. They have their bye week after the London game, but they then have back-to-back road games against the Tennessee Titans and Seattle Seahawks in Week 8 and Week 9.
How much of a gauntlet is that? One NFL schedule-maker already admitted that the league messed up, though that won’t help the Buccaneers now. The team lured Arians out of retirement because they believe he is one of the better coaches in football, and the 66-year-old is going to have to do some of his best work during that brutal two-month stretch.
