2021 Buccaneers season opener projection will be against the Dallas Cowboys...

Which team will the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers open the 2021 regular season against in the annual Kickoff Game? BuccaneersFan.com favor the Dallas Cowboys.

In 2003 when the Tampa Buccaneers won its first championship title following the 2002 season, the NFL hadn't started the tradition of the defending Super Bowl champion hosting the Kickoff Game to begin the following season. Assuming the NFL continues this tradition, and there's no reason to assume it won't, BuccaneersFan.com favors the Buccaneers opening the 2021 NFL season against the Dallas Cowboys on September 9th, 2021.

Scheduled for release in late April we may see a leak of the actual schedule of everyone the Bucs will face well before that. Another anticapated twist the league is expected to add a 17th game for ALL teams next season and it's not clear who that might be for the BUCS or whether it would be home or away. So, BuccaneersFan are not claiming to know the NFL's plans, were just making an assumption using information well known among the BUCS' eight scheduled home opponents.

CONGRATULATIONS JOHN LYNCH

Named to Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2021

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected John Lynch out of Stanford in the third round, 82nd choice overall, of the 1993 NFL Draft. A hard-hitting and smart playmaking safety, Lynch was a vital addition to the Buccaneers defense that soon dominated the NFL.

He worked hard to earn a permanent starting role in 1996, his fourth pro season. Lynch made the most of his opportunity as he racked up more than 100 tackles and tied his career-high with three interceptions. From that point forward, he was the anchor of Tampa Bay’s secondary on a defense that perennially ranked among the NFL’s best.

Lynch was voted to the Pro Bowl for the first time following the 1997 season. It was the first of nine Pro Bowls to which he was elected. He earned first-team All-Pro recognition three straight years from 1999 to 2001.

In 2002, he was an integral part of the Buccaneers’ championship season that was capped with the franchise’s first Super Bowl title. Lynch contributed 96 tackles (50 solo), three interceptions, and 12 passes defensed as Tampa Bay finished 12-4. His strong play continued through the postseason when he added five tackles in the divisional playoff, six more tackles in the championship game and registered one tackle and pass defensed in the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl XXXVII victory.

Lynch signed as a free agent with the Denver Broncos in 2004 where he played the final four seasons of his 15-year career. He helped lead the Broncos to a conference championship game appearance in his second season in Denver. That year he recorded a career-high four sacks, intercepted two passes, forced four fumbles, and racked up 69 tackles. He added three solo tackles, one assist and one pass defensed in the 1995 AFC Championship Game against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

In all, Lynch played in 224 regular season games, recorded 26 interceptions returned for 204 yards, added 13 sacks, and registered more than 1,000 tackles. He was credited with 90 or more tackles in a season nine times during his career.

"WE'RE COMING BACK" - Tom Brady

Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady capped the 2020 season with a 31-9 victory in Super Bowl 55 over the Kansas City Chiefs.

His performance on Sunday earned Tom Brady his fifth Super Bowl MVP.

Brady finished the game 21-of-29 for 201 yards, three touchdowns, with a quarterback rating of 125.8. He connected with tight end Rob Gronkowski twice in the end zone as well as wide receiver Antonio Brown. He also extended his Super Bowl records for the most career completions (277), passing yards (3,039) and passing touchdowns (21).

After the initial field goal by Kansas City, the touchdown strike to Gronkowski put them up 7-3 and Brady and the offense never looked back.

Brady orchestrated several drives that dominated the play clock and keep the Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes off the field and on the bench. Hugh first down compleations to Mike Evans, Leonard Fournette, and Gronkowski extended drives which led to scores. But Brady took advantage of defensive weaknesses on their scoring drive near the end of the first half where they got two pass interference calls that led to the second touchdown from Gronkowski.

When a news broadcaster asked Brady on the podium after the game during the acceptance of the MVP award about how his team came together for the win, the future Hall of Fame quarterback credited his teammates acknowledging that it was a team effort saying to them, “Thank you, thank you all.”

When asked if there would be a return, Brady emphatically responded by saying, “We’re coming back!”

NFL' 2021 Season Draft

With the 2020 NFL season officially in the books, the order for the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft is set. Now the work of figuring out who will fill those slots takes center stage in an unusual offseason that includes a different format for the NFL Scouting Combine. Trades will alter the board, but in the immediate aftermath of the Super Bowl LV, here's the current order for Round 1 of the 2021 draft, which kicks off on April 29, 2021 in Cleveland.

The order for picks 1-18 is determined by record, using strength of schedule as a tiebreaker. The order for playoff teams (19-32) is determined by the results of postseason play, with SOS as the tiebreaker.

Currently the Buccaneers will be 1st Round pick #32 - 2nd Round pick #64 - 3rd Round pick #96 - 4th Round pick #128 - 5th Round pick #160 - 7th Round pick #216 #224

BUCS' 2021 Opponents

*** HOME ***
Dallas Cowboys
Atlanta Falcons
Buffalo Bills
Carolina Panthers
Chicago Bears
Miami Dolphins
New Orleans Saints
New York Giants

*** AWAY ***
Atlanta Falcons
Carolina Panthers
Los Angeles Rams
New England Patriots
New Orleans Saints
New York Jets
Philadelphia Eagles
Washington Redskins

The Buccaneers finished second in the South division so they'll get a home game against the Chicago Bears, who finished second in the North division, and includes away game against the Los Angeles Rams, who also finished second in the West division.

Tom Brady, who is entering his second year of a two-year contract with the Buccaneers in March, will have the opportunity of going head-to-head against his former team, the New England Patriots in their home stadium. Brady played 20 seasons for the Patriots and won six Super Bowl championship before joining the Buccaneers and winning his seventh ring.

Super Bowl LV Buccaneers Broken Records

Super Bowl LV was an historic life moment Buccaneersfan.com will never forget.

Yes... The BUCS dominated the Chiefs for much of the game becoming the first ever NFL team to win (or even play) in a Super Bowl in their home Raymond James Stadium. But there were also other records set at the game.

According to BuccaneersFan.com, these Super Bowl records were also set in Super Bowl LV:

Most Games – 10, Tom Brady
Most Games, Winning Team – 7, Tom Brady
Oldest Head Coach, Winning Team – 68, Bruce Arians
Oldest Player, Game – 43, Tom Brady
Most Pass Attempts, Career – 421, Tom Brady
Most Passes Completed, Career – 277, Tom Brady
Most Passing Yards, Career – 3039, Tom Brady
Most Touchdown Passes, Career – 21, Tom Brady
Most First Downs by Penalty, Team – 6, Tom Brady
Most First Downs by Penalty, Both Teams – 9, Tampa Bay (6) vs. Kansas City (3)
Most Touchdowns, QB-Receiver Tandem, Career – 5, Tom Brady-Rob Gronkowski

SUPER BOWL RECORDS TIED IN SUPER BOWL LV

Most Fumbles, Career – 5, Tom Brady
Most Fumbles Recovered, Career – 2, Patrick Mahomes
Fewest Touchdowns, Team – 0, Kansas City
Fewest Rushing Touchdowns, Team – 0, Kansas City
Fewest Passing Touchdowns, Team – 0, Kansas City
Fewest Punt Returns, Team – 0, Tampa Bay
Fewest Punt Return Yards, Both Teams – 0, Tampa Bay vs. Kansas City
Fewest Fumbles Lost, Both Teams – 0, Tampa Bay vs. Kansas City
Fewest Turnovers, Team – 0, Tampa Bay

Tampa In Consideration To Host Next Available Super Bowl

2024 - Is an opportunity we would welcome

It would make sense for NFL owners to give Tampa special consideration for the next available Super Bowl, and Commissioner Roger Goodell has officially indicated that could happen.

“Well, I never want to get into specifics on that, because it’s ultimately an ownership vote,” Goodell said. “But I think everyone knows the unique circumstances that we face this season. They also know how extraordinary Tampa has been in working through that. I think that’ll be a big consideration in their minds when they do sit down and vote. We recognize that it may not be the full extent of economic benefit, but in some ways I think this whole pandemic and this ability to work through this is really going to be a reflection on this community’s can-do attitude and how they get things down. They never wavered about moving forward with this game, and they’ve never looked forward and said, ‘We want to have a game in return.’ Those are the kind of people that make this world special, and I think the NFL will recognize that going forward.”

The next two Super Bowls are set with Super Bowl LVI scheduled for Feb. 6, 2022, at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and Super Bowl LVII scheduled for Feb. 5, 2023, at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona.

Super Bowl LVIII in 2024 is open..