Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2012 Schedule: Predictions for All 16 Games

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a new head coach in Greg Schiano who brings with him from Rutgers a new sense of urgency and control to the franchise.

Tampa Bay also has its 2012 regular season schedule in hand. Let's predict how the Buccaneers will do.

Week 1: Sept. 9 Carolina Panthers 4:15 p.m. ET

A home game to start the season is good. Seeing Cam Newton and the up-and-coming Panthers isn't the best thing ever. A loss isn't the greatest way for Schiano to start his tenure, but this is a marathon, not a sprint. Be patient, Bucs fans. Prediction: Loss (0-1).

Week 2: Sept. 16 at New York Giants 1 p.m. ET

Quarterback Josh Freeman said he was trying to force the ball too much last year, which led to 22 interceptions. This Week 2 game against the Giants will be a big test to see if Freeman has made progress in that regard because he will be under duress a lot from New York's pass rush. Prediction: Loss (0-2).

Week 3: Sept. 23 at Dallas Cowboys 1 p.m. ET

Only six teams threw for more yards last year than Dallas, and only four tossed more touchdown passes. It's no secret that Tampa Bay is weak in its secondary. Prediction: Loss (0-3).

Week 4: Sept. 30 Washington Redskins 4:15 p.m. ET

A home game against a rookie quarterback and a Redskins team that just isn't as talented as Tampa Bay is what we'll see in Week 4. Prediction: Win (1-3).

Week 5: Bye

Week 6: Oct. 14 Kansas City Chiefs 1 p.m. ET

I see similarities in Kansas City's season last year and Tampa Bay's. I had to stretch my parameters a bit and focus more on the pre-10-game slide from Tampa Bay than the end of their season, but in all reality, each team beat similar opponents and had upsets over very good teams. This game may be where we start seeing Schiano's coaching shine through. Prediction: Win (2-3).

Week 7: Oct. 21 New Orleans Saints 1 p.m. ET

After a big win over Kansas City, the Bucs host the Saints. This will be the final game of Joe Vitt's suspension, and there could be New Orleans players in the midst of suspensions as well. The New Orleans offense will still be intact, however, and that's enough. Prediction: Loss (2-4).

Week 8: Oct. 25 at Minnesota Vikings 8:20 ET

Tampa Bay will head to Minnesota in Week 8 and play a Vikings team that runs better than it passes. The Bucs can win this type of game, even on the road. Prediction: Win (3-4).

Week 9: Nov. 4 at Oakland Raiders 4:05 p.m. ET

There was a five-week stretch of the 2011 season where Tampa Bay went 4-1 and beat both Atlanta and New Orleans. This stretch here in 2012 is beginning to look like that first part of last year. Prediction: Win (4-4).

Week 10: Nov. 11 San Diego Chargers 1 p.m. ET

If this game were occurring in December (we all know how well the Chargers have played in December in recent years) or on the road in San Diego, I think i would give the Bucs a loss. But since it's an early November home game, Schiano should be able to produce a win. Prediction: Win (5-4).

Week 11: Nov. 18 at Carolina Panthers 1 p.m. ET

Tampa, here in Week 11, will be on a three-game winning streak and will have won five of its last six games. Unfortunately, the Buccaneers still won't beat the Panthers in Charlotte here. Prediction: Loss (5-5).

Week 12: Nov. 25 Atlanta Falcons 1 p.m. ET

The Falcons traveled to Tampa last season and were beat up—physically and on the scoreboard—and sent home with a loss. Atlanta's not going to let that happen again. Prediction: Loss (5-6).

Week 13: Dec. 2 at Denver Broncos 4:05 p.m. ET

If the Buccaneers fix their secondary through the 2012 draft, their porous defensive backfield will perform better in 2012. The Bucs defense still won't be good enough to hold off Peyton Manning. Prediction: Loss (5-7).

Week 14: Dec. 9 Philadelphia Eagles 1 p.m. ET

Two games against Carolina, and especially Cam Newton, will prepare the Buccaneers for this game against the Eagles. It's especially tough to predict upsets this far in advance—especially upsets late in the season—but I'm doing it here. Prediction: Win (6-7).

Week 15: Dec. 16 at New Orleans Saints 1 p.m. ET

New Orleans is still a better team that Tampa Bay, and even though Schiano will have his Bucs looking better by this point, the Saints offense will still pick apart Tampa Bay. Prediction: Loss (6-8).

Week 16: Dec. 23 St. Louis Rams 1 p.m. ET

Finally, after weeks of top passing teams, Tampa Bay will face another run-heavy scheme in St. Louis. It will beat a road game, and a tough one, but the Bucs should win here. Prediction: Win (7-8).

Week 17: Dec. 30 at Atlanta Falcons 1 p.m. ET

Just like last year, the Bucs travel to Atlanta to finish their season. It won't be as nasty of a beating in such miserable conditions like players and coach at odds, but Tampa Bay will still lose this game. Prediction: Loss (7-9).