The 2020 season is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 45th in the National Football League and their second under head coachBruce Arians. They will attempt to improve upon their 7–9 record from the previous season and make the playoffs for the first time since 2007. They will also attempt to become the first NFL club to play in the Super Bowl in their home stadium. With their Week 14 win against the Vikings, they improved upon their record from the previous season.
On March 20, 2020, the team agreed to terms with former New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady.[1] The Buccaneers also traded for Brady's former Patriots teammate, tight end Rob Gronkowski. On October 23, 2020, the Buccaneers signed former All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown, marking his return to the NFL after a one-year hiatus.
The team unveiled new uniforms on April 7, 2020, their first uniform change since 2014. The new uniforms are similar in design to the ones they wore from 1997 to 2013.[2]
Roster changes
Free agency
The Buccaneers entered free agency with the following:[3]
The Buccaneers traded their 2020 first-round and 2020 fourth-round selections to the San Francisco 49ers in exchange for San Francisco's 2020 first-round (via Indianapolis) and 2020 seventh-round selections.[24]
The Buccaneers traded their 2020 seventh-round selection and wide receiver DeSean Jackson to the Philadelphia Eagles in exchange for Philadelphia's sixth-round 2019 selection.[25]
Tom Brady made his debut at quarterback with the Buccaneers against division rival New Orleans on opening day. Due to COVID-19, the game was played at the Superdomewithout spectators. Brady faced Drew Brees, the first game in NFL history where both starting quarterbacks were over the age of 40. Brady led the Buccaneers on a 9-play, 85-yard opening drive, which was capped off by a 2-yard QB keeper, and an early 7–0 lead. Turnovers and miscues by the Buccaneers, however, were the prevailing story of the day. Brady threw two interceptions, one returned for a touchdown, and the Saints won 34–23.[27]
Week 2: vs. Carolina Panthers
Week Two: Carolina Panthers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
Tom Brady threw for 217 yards and one touchdown pass, as Tampa Bay defeated Carolina in their home opener, their first win of the season. Due to COVID-19, the game was played at Raymond James Stadiumwithout spectators. Leonard Fournette rushed for 103 yards and two touchdowns, while Mike Evans, who saw limited play in week 1 due to a hamstring injury, rebounded with 104 yards receiving and one touchdown. The Buccaneers jumped out to a 21–0 lead at halftime and held on for a 31–17 victory. The Tampa Bay defense forced four turnovers, and stuffed one fake punt attempt by the Panthers.[28] The victory marked Brady's first victory over Carolina since 2009, and the first win for Brady and Rob Gronkowski in Tampa Bay.
Week 3: at Denver Broncos
Week Three: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Denver Broncos – Game summary
Tom Brady threw for 297 yards and three touchdown passes, and the Buccaneers defense recorded six sacks and two interceptions in a blowout win over the Broncos. It was Tampa Bay's first win over the Broncos since 1999, and first win in Denver since 1993.
Week 4: vs. Los Angeles Chargers
Week Four: Los Angeles Chargers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
The Chargers jumped out to a 24–7 lead in the second quarter, but the Buccaneers rallied in the second half to win by the score of 38–31. Quarterback Tom Brady, who threw a Pick 6 in the first quarter, rebounded to pass for 369 yards, and 5 touchdown passes (to five different receivers). The Chargers were up by 17 with less than one minute left in the first half. Ndamukong Suh forced a fumble on Joshua Kelley, and the Buccaneers recovered at the Chargers 6 yard line. Brady's touchdown pass to Mike Evans with 28 second left before halftime made the score 24–14, and was the turning point of the game. Tampa Bay scored touchdowns on the first three drives of the second half, and led 38–31 with 2:44 left in the fourth quarter. With 2:35 remaining in regulation, Justin Herbert's pass was intercepted by Carlton Davis near midfield. Tampa Bay ran out the clock, and it was their biggest comeback win since 2008.
Week 5: at Chicago Bears
Week Five: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Chicago Bears – Game summary
On Thursday Night Football, the Buccaneers jumped out to a 10–0 lead in the first quarter, but it was thwarted as the Bears scored two touchdowns in the final 1:48 of the first half, including a one-handed 12-yard touchdown reception by Jimmy Graham. In the third quarter, the Buccaneers responded with a long field goal, but Bears kicker Cairo Santos countered with a long field goal of his own. The two teams then traded a field goals. Trailing 20–19 in the final minute of regulation, Tampa Bay was driving near midfield. Quarterback Tom Brady threw an incomplete pass, not realizing it was 4th down, which effectively ended the game. Bears quarterback Nick Foles finished with 243 yards, a touchdown, as well as an interception. Tom Brady finished with 253 yards and one touchdown pass to Mike Evans.
With the loss, the Buccaneers dropped to 3–2.
Week 6: vs. Green Bay Packers
Week Six: Green Bay Packers at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
Packers
10
0
0
0
10
Buccaneers
0
28
10
0
38
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Date: October 18
Game time: 4:25 p.m. EDT
Game weather: Cloudy, 88 °F (31 °C)
Game attendance: 15,540
Referee: Jerome Boger
TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
Tampa Bay soundly beat previously undefeated Green Bay by the score of 38–10 at Raymond James Stadium, in front of a limited crowd of approximately 25% capacity. Aaron Jones scored a 1-yard touchdown run in the first quarter, as the Packers built a 10–0 lead. But the remainder of the game was dominated by the Buccaneers. Early in the second quarter, Aaron Rodgers' pass was intercepted by Jamel Dean who returned it for a 32-yard touchdown. Three plays later, Rodgers was intercepted again. An incomplete pass fell into the hands of Mike Edwards, who ran it back 37 yards to the 2 yard line. Ronald Jones scored the first of two rushing touchdowns, as Tampa Bay took a 14–10 lead. Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes in the second quarter, including his 79th regular season touchdown pass to Rob Gronkowski. The Tampa Bay defense shut out Rodgers and the Packers offense for the rest of the game. Rodgers was sacked five times, and the Packers never crossed midfield in the second half. The Buccaneers also tied a team record with zero penalties, a feat accomplished only once by the club in 1983. This is also their first 4-2 start since 2011.
Week 7: at Las Vegas Raiders
Week Seven: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Las Vegas Raiders – Game summary
Tampa Bay made their first-ever trip to Las Vegas to face the Raiders. The game was played without spectators. They faced former head coach Jon Gruden for the first time since 1999 and for the first time since Gruden (who was the Buccaneers head coach from 2002 to 2008, winning Super Bowl XXXVIII) was fired from the club. Quarterback Tom Brady threw for 369 yards, four touchdown passes, and ran for a touchdown, as the Buccaneers defeated the Raiders 45–20. Derek Carr was sacked three times and intercepted once, as the Tampa Bay defense continued to excel. The Raiders were held to only 76 yard rushing, and the Buccaneers lead the NFL in fewest rushing yards per game allowed. The game was originally scheduled for Sunday Night Football but was moved to 4:05 p.m. after four starting offensive linemen for the Raiders were placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Week 8: at New York Giants
Week Eight: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New York Giants – Game summary
Tampa Bay defeated the Giants on Monday Night Football to improve to a record of 6-2, the club's best start since their 2002 Super Bowl-winning season. After a shaky first half for the team, Tom Brady rallied the Buccaneers in the second half for a 25–23 victory. The Giants led 14–6 at halftime, and received the opening kickoff of the second half. On the second play from scrimmage in the third quarter, quarterback Daniel Jones was intercepted by Carlton Davis, which led to a Tampa Bay field goal. After a three-and-out by the Giants, Brady connected with Rob Gronkowski for a 3-yard touchdown pass, and a 15–14 lead. With just over 12 minutes left in regulation, Jones threw his second interception. Hurried and pressured, his pass was picked off by a diving Sean Murphy-Bunting. The turnover led to Brady's second touchdown pass, an 8-yard fingertip grab to a diving Mike Evans in the right corner of the endzone.
In the final three minutes, the Giants were driving for a potential game-tying score. Twice Jones converted on fourth down and long, and connected with Golden Tate for a touchdown with 33 seconds left in regulation. With the score 25–23, the Giants attempted a two-point conversion to tie the game and force overtime. Jones' pass attempt to Dion Lewis was broken up by Antoine Winfield Jr. A flag for pass interference was initially thrown by one of the officials, but after a conference, the flag was picked up and the conversion failed. Tampa Bay held on to win 25–23, their first win at Met Life Stadium, and first win at the Meadowlands since 1997.
Week 9: vs. New Orleans Saints
Week Nine: New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
Tampa Bay hosted New Orleans on Sunday Night Football. The Saints routed the Buccaneers 38–3 to sweep the season series. Tom Brady threw three interceptions in the loss. Tampa Bay snapped a streak of 22 touchdowns scored when facing a "Goal to Go" situation. Early in the third quarter, Tampa Bay recovered a Drew Brees fumble, and subsequently faced a 1st & Goal at the New Orleans 1 yard line. In four plays the Buccaneers could not punch the ball in for a score, and failed to score a touchdown in a game for the first time in two years (Week 10 of 2018). This was the first time in Tom Brady's career that he was swept in two meetings by a division rival in the regular season; it was also the team's worst margin of defeat since Week 4 of 2018 and the largest margin of defeat for Brady in his career as a starter.
Antonio Brown, signed by Tampa Bay on October 27, made his first appearance with the team. He made three receptions for 31 yards.
Week 10: at Carolina Panthers
Week Ten: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Carolina Panthers – Game summary
Ronald Jones II scored on a 98-yard touchdown run, the longest rush and longest play from scrimmage in team history, as Tampa Bay swept the season series against Carolina. The Buccaneers rebounded after their lopsided loss to the Saints the previous week. Quarterback Tom Brady threw for 341 yards and three touchdown passes, and ran for a touchdown, as Tampa Bay racked up 544 yards of total offense. Carolina led 17–10 late in the second quarter, but Mike Evans made a leaping touchdown catch at the back of the endzone with 27 seconds left in the half to tie the game at 17–17. Miscues then began piling up for the Panthers. Teddy Bridgewater threw an apparent 42-yard catch to D. J. Moore, giving the Panthers a chance for a field goal attempt before halftime. But with seconds left, a delay of game penalty on the Buccaneers, followed by a timeout, allowed officials to review the play. The play was overturned, and the half ended. After the Jones touchdown run midway through the third quarter, Bridgewater threw an interception, which led to a Buccaneers field goal. Bridgewater would later leave the game with a knee injury. Tampa Bay scored points on nine straight drives, including a touchdown run by Brady and a touchdown catch by Rob Gronkowski, both in the fourth quarter, to seal the victory.
Week 11: vs. Los Angeles Rams
Week Eleven: Los Angeles Rams at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
Rams
7
10
7
3
27
Buccaneers
0
14
3
7
24
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Date: November 23
Game time: 8:15 p.m. EST
Game weather: Clear, 69 °F (21 °C)
Game attendance: 15,730
Referee: Jerome Boger
TV announcers (ESPN): Steve Levy, Brian Griese, Louis Riddick, Lisa Salters and John Parry
Quarterbacks Tom Brady and Jared Goff met for the first time since Super Bowl LIII. On Monday Night Football, Goff threw for 376 yards and three touchdown passes, as the Rams held off the Buccaneers to win 27–24. Brady finished the game with only 216 yards passing, and threw two interceptions. After a prolific ground performance the week before, Ronald Jones II was held to only 10 carries for 24 yards rushing. With the game tied 24–24, Matt Gay kicked a 40-yard go-ahead field goal with 2:36 left in regulation. Brady and the Buccanners then took over, looking to score to win or force overtime. Brady's deep pass was intercepted at the 31 yard line, and the Rams secured the victory. It was the third loss in four primetime appearances for the Buccaneers.
The game was significant in NFL history as it featured the first all-African American officiating crew.
Week 12: vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Week Twelve: Kansas City Chiefs at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
Tyreek Hill racked up 269 yards receiving and three touchdown passes, much of it in the first half, as the defending Super Bowl champions Kansas City outlasted Tampa Bay by the score of 27–24. The Buccaneers lost their second straight game, and third game in four weeks heading into their bye week.
After trailing 20–7 at halftime, the Buccaneers narrowed the deficit. Tom Brady connected with Rob Gronkowski for a 48-yard completion to the Kansas City 5 yard line. They had to settle, however, for a Ryan Succop field goal. Brady connected with Mike Evans for two fourth quarter touchdowns, and closed to within 3 points with 4:14 remaining in regulation. Needing a defensive stop to get the ball back, the Buccaneers could not contain Patrick Mahomes, who first scrambled for a first down, and then moments later connected with Hill for a game-clinching first down with 1:15 to go. This was the Buccaneers' first loss to the Chiefs since 1993.
Week 14: vs. Minnesota Vikings
Week Fourteen: Minnesota Vikings at Tampa Bay Buccaneers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3
4
Total
Vikings
0
6
8
0
14
Buccaneers
0
17
6
3
26
at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Date: December 13
Game time: 1:00 p.m. EST
Referee: Brad Allen
TV announcers (Fox): Joe Buck, Troy Aikman and Erin Andrews
Coming off their bye week, and after dropping three of their previous four games, Tampa Bay defeated Minnesota 26–14 to improve to 8–5 and bolster their playoff hopes. Quarterback Tom Brady threw for 196 yards and two touchdown passes, but the stories of the day were the miscues and kicking woes by the Vikings. Kicker Dan Bailey missed three field goals and an extra point. Kirk Cousins was sacked six times and had two fumbles (one lost). Three critical defensive penalties on the Vikings also aided the Buccaneers.
The first quarter was dominated by the Vikings, as Dalvin Cook rushed for 78 yards and one touchdown in the first half alone. But the Vikings could not capitalize on the strong start. After Cook's touchdown run, Bailey missed the extra point. Then the next two Vikings drives ended with missed field goal attempts. Midway through the second quarter, Brady connected to Scotty Miller with a 48-yard touchdown bomb and a 7–6 Tampa Bay lead. With 44 seconds left in the half, a 1-yard touchdown run by Ronald Jones II gave Tampa Bay a 14–6 lead. The Vikings went three-and-out, and punted the ball back to Tampa Bay with 21 seconds to go. Brady's deep pass intended for Rob Gronkowski fell incomplete in the endzone as time expired, but the Vikings were called for Pass Interference. With one untimed play, Ryan Succop kicked a chip-shot field goal, and Tampa Bay led 17–6 at halftime.
On the first drive of the third quarter, Brady and Gronkowski connected for a 2-yard touchdown pass, and a 23–6 lead. Late in the fourth quarter, with Tampa Bay leading 26–14, the Vikings were attempting to rally. On 4th down & 13 with 2:13 left in regulation, Jason Pierre-Paul sacked Kirk Cousins, and stripped the ball away for a turnover. The sack thwarted any chance of a comeback, and the Buccaneers ran out the clock to secure the victory.
Leonard Fournette was inactive (coach's decision) for the game, while Ronald Jones II rushed for 80 yards on 18 carries, including the one touchdown.
Week 15: at Atlanta Falcons
Week Fifteen: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons – Game summary
^ abNew Orleans finished ahead of Seattle based on conference record.
^ abChicago finished and clinched the 7th and final playoff spot ahead of Arizona based on better win percentage in common games (against Detroit, the NY Giants, Carolina, and the LA Rams, Chicago finished 3–2, while Arizona finished 1–4).
^ abSan Francisco finished ahead of the NY Giants based on head-to-head victory. Division tie break was initially used to eliminate Dallas (see below).
^ abNY Giants won tiebreaker over Dallas based on division record.
^ abCarolina finished ahead of Detroit based on head-to-head victory.
^When breaking ties for three or more teams under the NFL's rules, they are first broken within divisions, then comparing only the highest-ranked remaining team from each division.
