2016 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info

After finishing 6-10 in Jameis Winston's rookie season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers somewhat surprisingly decided to fire head coach Lovie Smith after just two seasons and an 8-24 record, hiring offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter to take over as head coach.

Koetter and Winson will be tasked with turning around a franchise that hasn't made the postseason since 2007. 

Winston won't have to do it alone, however. Running back Doug Martin, wide receivers Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson and tight end Austin Seferian-Jackson comprise a solid assortment of weapons for Winston to utilize. 

On defense, Lavonte David and Kwon Alexander make up one of the better young linebacker duos in the NFL, while Gerald McCoy is one of the most dominant interior defensive lineman in the league. The pairing of Jacquies Smith and offseason signing Robert Ayers should give the team a nice rush off the edge.

The team also signed veteran cornerback Brent Grimes. The addition of Ayers and Grimes should bolster a unit that gave up 26.1 points per game last season, 26th in the NFL.

Yes, the Buccaneers could still use upgrades in the secondary and depth on both lines. They'll look to add impact players at the draft in late April, when they'll have the No. 9 overall pick. This will be an important draft for the team, as surrounding Winston with young talent is vital for the team as they look to end their long playoff drought.

They won't be expected to make the postseason this year. But if they don't show improvement from last year's 6-10 finish, Koetter may find himself on the hot seat. After all, his predecessor was only given two seasons.

Schedule

Here's the link to the Buccaneers' full schedule:

Week	Date	Opponent	Time (ET)	TV
1	Sept. 11	at Atlanta Falcons	1 p.m.	Fox
2	Sept. 18	at Arizona Cardinals	4:05 p.m.	Fox
3	Sept. 25	vs. Los Angeles Rams	4:05 p.m.	Fox
4	Oct. 2	vs. Denver Broncos	4:05 p.m.	CBS
5	Oct. 10	at Carolina Panthers	8:30 p.m.	ESPN
6	BYE
7	Oct. 23	at San Francisco 49ers	4:05 p.m.	Fox
8	Oct. 30	vs. Oakland Raiders	1 p.m.	CBS
9	Nov. 3	vs. Atlanta Falcons	8:25 p.m.	NFL Network
10	Nov. 13	vs. Chicago Bears	1 p.m.	Fox
11	Nov. 20	at Kansas City Chiefs	1 p.m.	Fox
12	Nov. 27	vs. Seattle Seahawks	4:05 p.m.	Fox
13	Dec. 4	at San Diego Chargers	4:25 p.m.	Fox
14	Dec. 11	vs. New Orleans Saints	1 p.m.	Fox
15	Dec. 18	at Dallas Cowboys	1 p.m.	Fox
16	Dec. 24	at New Orleans Saints	1 p.m.	Fox
17	Jan. 1	vs. Carolina Panthers	1 p.m.	Fox

Analysis

Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images

The Bucs certainly won't have an easy schedule in Winston's second year. The team has to play the defending NFC champion Carolina Panthers twice, the Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks at home and the Arizona Cardinals and Kansas City Chiefs on the road. 

Six games against playoff teams from a season ago isn't too tough. But a few teams on their schedule seem likely to be improved next season.

Division games against Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints and Matt Ryan, Julio Jones and the Atlanta Falcons won't be easy matchups. The Dallas Cowboys with a healthy Tony Romo are playoff contenders. The Los Angeles Rams are always a tough matchup given their strong defense and running back Todd Gurley. The Oakland Raiders continue to show improvement behind Derek Carr, Amari Cooper and Khalil Mack. 

Improving upon last season's 6-10 mark won't be an easy accomplishment, in other words.

For the Bucs to get to .500 in 2016—a realistic goal for the team—they'll have to beat up on the other weaker teams on the schedule. Games against the Chicago Bears, San Diego Chargers, Rams and Raiders should also be penciled in as potential wins, though of course none of those matchups are gimmies.

If the team at least splits against the Falcons and Saints, that leaves two more wins needing to come against the tougher portion of their schedule.

Familiarity against the Panthers might give them an advantage in one of those two matchups, while the Cowboys and Chiefs are certainly beatable and the Broncos currently have Mark Sanchez as their starting quarterback, so it's hard to know how good the defending champs will be next year. 

There are wins to be had on this schedule if the Bucs continue to improve from last season, namely on defense. But there aren't many easy matchups, either.

Pivotal Matchups

Joe Robbins/Getty Images

Few people will be surprised if the Bucs are swept by the Panthers in 2016, but how the team fares in the four games against the Falcons and Saints will be a major measuring stick for Winston and Koetter.

Last year, the Bucs went 2-0 against the Falcons and 1-1 against the Saints. Atlanta's inability to beat them was a huge factor in Ryan and company missing the postseason after starting the year 5-0.

The Falcons and Saints both have issues of their own, though of course Brees and Ryan make each team dangerous. If Tampa Bay's defense continues to struggle, that pair of quarterbacks will carve them apart. But coming into the season, it's hard to elevate any one of those three teams above the others.

In the NFC South, the Panthers are the clear favorites, and the Bucs, Falcons and Saints are off in the distance, battling for second place. Winston and Koetter will be expected to lead them there.

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