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BUCS 2008 SCHEDULE

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 7, 2008

Sunday, Sept. 7

New Orleans Saints

• Louisiana Superdome
• 1 p.m.

• WTVT, Channel 13

• The battle for the NFC South begins with a bang as one of the league's better and more consistent defenses tries to slow a Saints offense that has the potential to be one of the most explosive in the league.

Sunday, Sept. 14

Atlanta Falcons

• Raymond James Stadium
• 1 p.m.

• WTVT, Channel 13

• Michael Vick is just a bad memory now. Same goes for Bobby Petrino and most hope of competing for the playoffs. With rookie Matt Ryan at quarterback, the best the Falcons can hope for is to play the role of spoiler.

Sunday, Sept. 21

Chicago Bears

• Soldier Field

• 1 p.m.

• WTVT, Channel 13

• The Bears have faded a bit since going to the Super Bowl two years ago. Their defense still can cause some problems, but an offense run by either Kyle Orton or Rex Grossman doesn't scare anyone.

Sunday, Sept. 28

Green Bay Packers

• Raymond James Stadium
• 1 p.m.

• WTVT, Channel 13

• The Bucs get their first look at the Aaron Rodgers-run Packers. Here's the chance for Gaines Adams to start a rivalry like the one Warren Sapp had with Brett Favre.

Sunday, Oct. 5

Denver Broncos

• Invesco Field at Mile High

• 4:05 p.m.

• WTVT, Channel 13

• Coming off his first losing season as Broncos coach, Mike Shanahan has shaken his team up yet again. One thing that hasn't changed is the Broncos' ability to run the ball. That and solid QB Jay Cutler make them formidable.

Sunday, Oct. 12

Carolina Panthers

• Raymond James Stadium
• 1 p.m.

• WTVT, Channel 13

• Many see the Panthers as a dark horse in the battle for the NFC South title this season. If QB Jake Delhomme, WR Steve Smith and DE Julius Peppers are still standing when this game ends, Carolina could be.

Sunday, Oct. 19

Seattle Seahawks

• Raymond James Stadium
• 8:15 p.m.

• WFLA, Channel 8

• Could this be a preview of things to come? The Seahawks are expected to win the NFC West while the Bucs are favored by some to win the NFC South. This game could indicate who is truly playoff worthy.

Sunday, Oct. 26

Dallas Cowboys

• Texas Stadium

• 1 p.m.

• WTVT, Channel 13

• Barring a playoff rematch, which is entirely possible, this will mark the Bucs' last trip to Texas Stadium. They may throw a party when it's over. The Bucs are 1-8 all-time at this storied venue.

Sunday, Nov. 2

Kansas City Chiefs

• Arrowhead Stadium

• 1 p.m.

• WTVT, Channel 13

• This matchup against former Bucs secondary coach Herm Edwards is a big game for the likes of RB Michael Bennett, DT Ryan Sims and DE Jimmy Wilkerson. All came to Tampa Bay as part of the Chiefs' ongoing rebuilding project.

Sunday, Nov. 16

Minnesota Vikings

• Raymond James Stadium
• 1 p.m.

• WTVT, Channel 13

• Another potential playoff preview. The Vikings are considered a favorite to win the NFC North, but with Tavaris Jackson at quarterback the Bucs could make Minnesota wish it had somehow landed Brett Favre.

Sunday, Nov. 23

Detroit Lions

• Ford Field

• 1 p.m.

• WTVT, Channel 13

• The Bucs wrap up their tour of the NFC North with a rematch against the still lowly Lions. Don't take this one for granted. The Bucs got sloppy in this matchup a year ago and went down because of it.

Sunday, Nov. 30

New Orleans Saints

• Raymond James Stadium
• 1 p.m.

• WTVT, Channel 13

• The first of three straight against NFC South rivals. This one comes too soon to clinch the division for either team, but the winner figures to have a significant leg up on the competition.

Monday, Dec. 8

Carolina Panthers

• Bank of America Stadium

• 8:30 p.m.

• ESPN

• This figures to be a must-win game for the Bucs. Even if they beat the Saints the week before, they still have to find a way to knock the Panthers out of the race. A win here could do it.

Sunday, Dec. 14

Atlanta Falcons

• Georgia Dome

• 1 p.m.

• WTVT, Channel 13

• The Bucs played the Falcons this same week last year. If history repeats, the Bucs should walk away feeling good about themselves. They won this game handily in 2007, pounding the Falcons 37-3.

Sunday, Dec. 21

San Diego Chargers

• Raymond James Stadium
• 8:15 p.m.

• WFLA, Channel 8

• The Chargers are the third-winningest team in the NFL over the last four seasons and bring 20 players back from a team that came within one win of the reaching the Super Bowl. Can you say tough test?

Sunday, Dec. 28

Oakland Raiders

• Raymond James Stadium
• 1 p.m.

• WTSP, Channel 10

• Don't confuse these Raiders with the pushovers who stumbled their way through a miserable 4-12 campaign a year ago. This team has some talent, and if Al Davis leaves Lane Kiffin alone it will have direction.

Roy Cummings

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