Bucs Beat: Packers-Bucs a good way to kickoff 2011?

No sooner did Green Bay finish off Pittsburgh in Super Bowl XLV than speculation began about the Packers' next opponent.

While many seem to believe a Green Bay-Chicago or Green Bay-New Orleans matchup will kickoff the 2011 season, a Green Bay-Tampa Bay matchup also has been suggested.

Though the Bucs aren't a division rival like the Bears, or a recent Super Bowl champion like the Saints, they are hot after an impressive 2010 season and loaded with rising-star-caliber players.

The most notable of those, of course, is quarterback Josh Freeman, who just happened to beat the Packers and counterpart Aaron Rodgers in his first NFL start back in 2009. How's that for a story line? It's at least as good as the old Packers-Bears rivalry and almost as good as a Rodgers-Drew Brees matchup. But that may not be the best reason to kick off 2011 with a Bucs-Packers game.

The Bucs are all-but assured of a prime-time game this year, and by showing them out early, while their 2010 successes are still relevant and fresh in everyone's mind, is the best option. Sure, the Bucs look like a team on the rise, but what if they stumble out of the gate or Freeman gets hurt?

Their national appeal would diminish greatly under such circumstances. So, if the NFL is seriously thinking of matching the Bucs and Packers in a nationally televised game, it's best to do it early.

Strengths and weaknesses

Looking deeper into Tampa Bay's 2011 schedule, it is precisely what everyone expected, which is to say it is harder than the 2010 slate. The difference, though, isn't as great as many thought.

The Bucs' schedule ranks 18th on the strength-of-schedule table, up seven spots from a year ago. Yet, their 2010 opponents compiled a 123-133 record and .480 winning percentage in 2009 and their 2011 opponents compiled a 127-129 record and .496 winning percentage in 2010.

While the Bucs improved markedly, going from 3-13 and last in the NFC South in 2009 to 10-6 in 2010, they finished third in the division behind Atlanta and New Orleans. That means their non-division opponents include third-place finishers such as Houston, Dallas and San Francisco.

By the way, the Bucs will face five 2010 playoff teams in 2011: Atlanta, New Orleans, Chicago, Green Bay and Indianapolis. They faced four - New Orleans, Cincinnati, Baltimore and Arizona - in 2010.

Wish list

It's too soon to know how they will acquire it, but the Bucs believe they need a legitimate speed receiver who can really take the top off a defense. They have an abundance of short- and medium-range targets, but would like to add a player who can drag a safety deep downfield and create more room underneath for Mike Williams, Kellen Winslow and Arrelious Benn.

Getting better all the time

Players always want to get better as a season progresses and that's precisely what Freeman did in 2010. In the first eight games, Freeman completed 59.3 percent of his passes with 10 touchdowns, five interceptions and an 85.8 passer rating. Not bad. In the second eight games, he completed 63.6 percent of his passes with 15 touchdowns, one interception and a 106.8 passer rating.

That's what you call a clutch player.