2021 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season

2021 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
Owner	The Glazer family
Head coach	Bruce Arians
General manager	Jason Licht
Offensive coordinator	Byron Leftwich
Defensive coordinator	Todd Bowles
Home field	Raymond James Stadium
Results
Record	11–4
Division place	1st NFC South
Playoff finish	TBD
Pro Bowlers	QB Tom Brady OT Tristan Wirfs OG Ali Marpet C Ryan Jensen OLB Shaquil Barrett
Uniform
← 2020 Buccaneers seasons 2022 →

The 2021 season is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 46th season in the National Football League (NFL) and their third under head coach Bruce Arians. They enter the season as defending Super Bowl champions and attempt to be the first team to win back-to-back Super Bowls since the team's quarterback Tom Brady did so with the New England Patriots in 2003 and 2004. They are also attempting to reach the playoffs in consecutive seasons, which they have not accomplished since 1999–2002. They entered the season riding a franchise record eight consecutive wins (including regular season and playoffs), which they extended to ten wins until they lost against the Rams. After their Week 16 win over the Carolina Panthers, the Buccaneers clinched the NFC South for the first time since 2007.^[1]

The Buccaneers became the first team in the NFL's salary cap era to have all 22 starters from their Super Bowl championship team re-signed or under contract for the upcoming season.^[2] During the regular season, quarterback Tom Brady, in addition to extending several ongoing records, set new individual NFL records for most career starts, most career passing yards, most career pass completions, and became the first player to achieve 700 career touchdown passes^[3]

Offseason[]

Free Agents[]

Position	Player	Tag	Outcome	Date	Notes	Ref
S	Andrew Adams	UFA	Philadelphia Eagles	March 18	1-year deal worth $1.1M	[4]
TE	Antony Auclair	UFA	Houston Texans	April 7	1-year deal worth $1.1M
RB	Kenjon Barner	UFA
OLB	Shaquil Barrett	UFA	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	March 17	4-year deal worth $72M	[5]
WR	Antonio Brown	UFA	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	May 25	1 year deal worth $6.25M
ILB	Deone Bucannon	UFA
ILB	Jack Cichy	RFA
CB	Ross Cockrell	UFA	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	April 13	1-year deal worth $990K
LB	Lavonte David	UFA	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	March 12	2-year deal worth $25M	[6]
RB	Leonard Fournette	UFA	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	March 26	1-year deal worth $3.25M	[7]
QB	Blaine Gabbert	UFA	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	May 5	1-year deal worth $2.5M
WR	Chris Godwin	UFA	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	March 9	Franchise tag worth $15.9M	[8]
QB	Ryan Griffin	UFA	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	April 20	1 year deal worth $1.212M	[9]
TE	Rob Gronkowski	UFA	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	March 22	1-year deal worth $8M	[10]
OT	Joe Haeg	UFA	Pittsburgh Steelers	March 21	2-year deal worth $4.6M	[11]
TE	Tanner Hudson	ERFA	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	March 9	1-year deal worth $920K
DE	Jeremiah Ledbetter	ERFA	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	March 9	1-year deal worth $850K
RB	T. J. Logan	UFA
RB	LeSean McCoy	UFA	Retired			[12]
NT	Steve McLendon	UFA	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	April 14	1-year deal worth $1.075M
ILB	Kevin Minter	UFA	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	March 20	1-year deal worth $1.2M	[13]
NT	Rakeem Nunez-Roches	UFA	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	March 20	2-year deal worth $5M	[14]
DE	Pat O'Connor	ERFA	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	March 8	1-year deal worth $920K
CB	Ryan Smith	UFA	Los Angeles Chargers	March 31	1-year deal worth $1.5M
G	Aaron Stinnie	RFA	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	March 17	1-year deal worth $1M and roster bonus of $250K	[15]
K	Ryan Succop	UFA	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	March 17	3-year deal worth $12M	[16]
DE	Ndamukong Suh	UFA	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	March 24	1 year deal worth $9M	[17]
LS	Zach Triner	ERFA	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	March 9	1-year deal worth $850K
T	Josh Wells	UFA	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	March 25	1-year deal worth $1.1M

Player re-signed by the Buccaneers

Player not re-signed by the Buccaneers

Signings[]

Position	Player	Previous team	Date signed	Contract
RB	Giovani Bernard	Cincinnati Bengals	April 14, 2021[18]	1 year, $1.2M[18]
CB	Richard Sherman	San Francisco 49ers	September 29, 2021[19]	1 year, $2.25M[19]

Indicates that the player was a free agent at the end of his respective team's 2020 season.

Draft[]

2021 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Draft

Round	Selection	Player	Position	College	Notes
1	32	Joe Tryon-Shoyinka	OLB	Washington
2	64	Kyle Trask	QB	Florida
3	95	Robert Hainsey	OT	Notre Dame
4	129	Jaelon Darden	WR	North Texas	from Seattle
5	176	K. J. Britt	ILB	Auburn
7	251	Chris Wilcox	CB	BYU	from Pittsburgh
	259	Grant Stuard	OLB	Houston

Notes

• The Buccaneers were awarded a compensatory selection in the sixth round (217th overall).
• The Buccaneers traded a sixth-round selection (216th overall) to Pittsburgh for offensive tackle Jerald Hawkins and a seventh-round selection (251st overall).
• The Buccaneers traded their fourth-round (137th overall) and sixth-round (compensatory/217th overall) selections to Seattle for a fourth-round selection (129th overall)

Staff[]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers staff

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	Front office Co-chairman/executor of will – Bryan Glazer Co-chairman/executor of will – Co-chairman/executor of will – Joel Glazer General manager – Jason Licht Director of player personnel – Director of football operations – Shelton Quarles Director of college scouting – Director of pro scouting – Director of football administration – Head coaches Head coach – Bruce Arians Assistant head coach/Run game coordinator – Harold Goodwin Assistant to the head coach – Offensive coaches Offensive coordinator – Byron Leftwich Quarterbacks – Clyde Christensen Running backs – Todd McNair Wide receivers – Kevin Garver Tight ends – Rick Christophel Offensive line – Joe Gilbert Offensive assistant – Thad Lewis Offensive quality control – Offensive consultant – Tom Moore			Defensive coaches Defensive coordinator – Todd Bowles Defensive line – Kacy Rodgers Assistant defensive line – Lori Locust Outside linebackers – Larry Foote Inside linebackers – Mike Caldwell Cornerbacks – Kevin Ross Safeties – Nick Rapone Defensive/special teams assistant – Cody Grimm Defensive quality control – Special teams coaches Special teams coordinator – Keith Armstrong Assistant special teams coach – Keith Tandy Specialists – Chris Boniol Strength and conditioning Head strength and conditioning – Speed and conditioning – Roger Kingdom Assistant strength and conditioning – Assistant strength and conditioning – Assistant strength and conditioning – → Coaching staff → Management → More NFL staffs
AFC East BUF MIA NE NYJ North BAL CIN CLE PIT South HOU IND JAX TEN West DEN KC LV LAC NFC East DAL NYG PHI WAS North CHI DET GB MIN South ATL CAR NO TB West ARI LAR SF SEA

Current roster[]

Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster

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Quarterbacks 12 Tom Brady 11 Blaine Gabbert  2 Kyle Trask Running backs  6 Le'Veon Bell 27 Ronald Jones II 21 Ke'Shawn Vaughn Wide receivers 81 Antonio Brown 18 Tyler Johnson 10 Scotty Miller 16 Breshad Perriman 17 Justin Watson Tight ends 84 Cameron Brate 87 Rob Gronkowski 80 O. J. Howard

Offensive linemen 65 Alex Cappa G 70 Robert Hainsey T 66 Ryan Jensen C 60 Nick Leverett G 74 Ali Marpet G 76 Donovan Smith T 72 Josh Wells T 78 Tristan Wirfs T Defensive linemen 92 William Gholston DE 96 Steve McLendon NT 93 Ndamukong Suh DE 50 Vita Vea NT

Linebackers 58 Shaquil Barrett OLB 52 K. J. Britt ILB 49 Cam Gill OLB 51 Kevin Minter ILB 98 Anthony Nelson OLB 90 Jason Pierre-Paul OLB 28 Rashard Robinson CB 48 Grant Stuard ILB  9 Joe Tryon-Shoyinka OLB 45 Devin White ILB Defensive backs 26 Andrew Adams SS 43 Ross Cockrell CB 24 Carlton Davis CB 35 Jamel Dean CB 30 Dee Delaney CB 29 Pierre Desir CB 32 Mike Edwards FS 23 Sean Murphy-Bunting CB  5 Richard Sherman CB 33 Jordan Whitehead SS 31 Antoine Winfield Jr. FS Special teams  8 Bradley Pinion P  3 Ryan Succop K 97 Zach Triner LS

Reserve lists 25 Giovani Bernard RB (IR)  1 Jaelon Darden WR (COVID-19) 54 Lavonte David ILB (IR) 13 Mike Evans WR (COVID-19)  7 Leonard Fournette RB (IR) 14 Chris Godwin WR (IR) 61 Sadarius Hutcherson G (IR) 56 Rakeem Nuñez-Roches NT (COVID-19) 79 Pat O'Connor DE (IR) 39 Curtis Riley SS (IR) 73 C (IR) 64 Aaron Stinnie G (IR) Practice squad 38 Kenjon Barner RB (Protected) 19 José Borregales K (Protected) 39 Chris Cooper S 88 Darren Fells TE 15 Cyril Grayson WR (Protected)  4 Ryan Griffin QB  6 Sterling Hofrichter P 86 Codey McElroy TE 75 John Molchon G 91 Benning Potoa'e DE 94 DE 71 DE 34 Darwin Thompson RB 73 OT 22 S 36 Blidi Wreh-Wilson CB (Protected) Rookies in italics Roster updated December 27, 2021 Depth chart Transactions 50 active, 12 inactive, 16 practice squad → AFC rosters → NFC rosters

Preseason[]

Tampa Bay's preseason schedule was announced on May 12. With the expansion of the regular season, the preseason was reduced from four to three games.

Week	Date	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	Recap
1	August 14	Cincinnati Bengals	L 14–19	0–1	Raymond James Stadium	Recap
2	August 21	Tennessee Titans	L 3–34	0–2	Raymond James Stadium	Recap
3	August 28	at Houston Texans	W 23–16	1–2	NRG Stadium	Recap

Regular season[]

Schedule[]

The Buccaneers' 2021 schedule was announced on May 12. As defending Super Bowl champions, the Buccaneers hosted the 2021 NFL Kickoff Game at Raymond James Stadium against the Dallas Cowboys.^[20][21]

Week	Date	Time (ET)	Opponent	Result	Record	Venue	TV	Recap
1	September 9	8:20 p.m.	Dallas Cowboys	W 31–29	1–0	Raymond James Stadium	NBC/Peacock	Recap
2	September 19	4:05 p.m.	Atlanta Falcons	W 48–25	2–0	Raymond James Stadium	Fox	Recap
3	September 26	4:25 p.m.	at Los Angeles Rams	L 24–34	2–1	SoFi Stadium	Fox	Recap
4	October 3	8:20 p.m.	at New England Patriots	W 19–17	3–1	Gillette Stadium	NBC	Recap
5	October 10	1:00 p.m.	Miami Dolphins	W 45–17	4–1	Raymond James Stadium	CBS	Recap
6	October 14	8:20 p.m.	at Philadelphia Eagles	W 28–22	5–1	Lincoln Financial Field	Fox/NFLN/Prime	Recap
7	October 24	4:25 p.m.	Chicago Bears	W 38–3	6–1	Raymond James Stadium	CBS	Recap
8	October 31	4:25 p.m.	at New Orleans Saints	L 27–36	6–2	Caesars Superdome	Fox	Recap
9	Bye
10	November 14	1:00 p.m.	at Washington Football Team	L 19–29	6–3	FedExField	Fox	Recap
11	November 22	8:15 p.m.	New York Giants	W 30–10	7–3	Raymond James Stadium	ESPN	Recap
12	November 28	1:00 p.m.	at Indianapolis Colts	W 38–31	8–3	Lucas Oil Stadium	Fox	Recap
13	December 5	1:00 p.m.	at Atlanta Falcons	W 30–17	9–3	Mercedes-Benz Stadium	Fox	Recap
14	December 12	4:25 p.m.	Buffalo Bills	W 33–27 (OT)	10–3	Raymond James Stadium	CBS	Recap
15	December 19	8:20 p.m.	New Orleans Saints	L 0–9	10–4	Raymond James Stadium	NBC	Recap
16	December 26	1:00 p.m.	at Carolina Panthers	W 32–6	11–4	Bank of America Stadium	Fox	Recap
17	January 2	1:00 p.m.	at New York Jets			MetLife Stadium	Fox
18	January 9	1:00 p.m.	Carolina Panthers			Raymond James Stadium	Fox

Notes:

• Intra-division opponents are in bold text.
• All remaining games are subject to change—either due to flexible scheduling or COVID-19 issues.
• Week 18 is subject to being flexed to Saturday, January 8.

Game summaries[]

Week 1: vs. Dallas Cowboys[]

NFL Kickoff Game

Tampa Bay hosted Dallas in the Thursday night Kickoff Game. The Buccaneers overcame four turnovers to defeat the Cowboys 31–29. Quarterback Tom Brady threw for 379 yards and four touchdown passes in his NFL record 300th career regular season start. During pregame ceremonies, the Buccaneers unveiled new stadium decorations celebrating their victories in Super Bowl XXXVII and Super Bowl LV.

Tampa Bay received the opening kickoff, but went three-and-out to start the game. Bradley Pinion executed a coffin corner punt, pinning the Cowboys back at their own 2-yard line. Tampa Bay got the ball back after a Dallas punt. Tom Brady connected with passes to Mike Evans, Rob Gronkowski and Antonio Brown, and capped off the drive with a 5-yard touchdown pass to Chris Godwin for a 7–0 early lead.

Tampa Bay broke a 7–7 tie with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Gronkowski. The drive was set up after a long punt return by Jaydon Mickens. Dallas trimmed the score to 14–13 after a touchdown from Dak Prescott to Amari Cooper. Tom Brady's first interception of the night led to a Cowboys field goal. But on their next drive, Brady connected with a wide open Antonio Brown for a 47-yard touchdown, and a 21–16 halftime lead.

The Cowboys opened up the second half with a lengthy field goal drive, to make the score 21–19. Carlton Davis intercepted Dak Prescott, which set up Gronkowski's second touchdown catch. But the Cowboys responded with a 10-play, 75-yard drive, culminating in a 21-yard touchdown catch by Amari Cooper, his second of the day as well.

Tampa Bay clung to a 28–26 lead entering the fourth quarter. With 5:04 left, the Buccaneers were driving at the Dallas 13 yard line. Brady's short pass to Chris Godwin was caught but subsequently fumbled at the 2 yard line and recovered by the Cowboys. The Cowboys drove down the field for a 48-yard go-ahead field goal by Greg Zuerlein. With only one timeout left, trailing 29–28 with 1:24 remaining in regulation, Brady drove the Buccaneers 57 yards in eleven plays, down to the Cowboys 18 yard line. Ryan Succop kicked a game-winning 36-yard field goal with 7 seconds left. The Buccaneers extended their franchise-record winning streak (including postseason) to 9 games.

Two of Brady's touchdown passes were to Rob Gronkowski, bringing the duo's career total to 100 touchdown connections in the regular season and playoffs combined.^[22]

Week 2: vs. Atlanta Falcons[]

Quarterback Tom Brady threw for 276 yards and 5 touchdown passes (tying a franchise best) as Tampa Bay defeated Atlanta 48–25. The Buccaneers extended their franchise record winning streak to ten games, and became the first NFL team to score 30+ points in a victorious performance in nine consecutive games.

The Buccaneers won the coin toss and elected to receive. With potential rain in the forecast for the second half, coach Bruce Arians indicated he wanted the offense to hit the field first. Tampa Bay built a 14–0 lead in the first half after two touchdown passes to Rob Gronkowski. A touchdown pass to Mike Evans late in the second quarter set Tampa Bay up for a 21–10 lead.

Atlanta received the kickoff for the second half. On the second play of the third quarter, Matt Ryan was intercepted by Shaquil Barrett, setting the Buccaneers up at the Atlanta 18 yard line. Five plays later, Evans caught his second touchdown pass, and Tampa Bay pulled out to a 28–10 lead. Atlanta rallied, scoring two touchdowns and trimmed the deficit to 28–25 by the end of the third quarter.

Tampa Bay pinned the Falcons back at their own 4 yard line. The defense forced a three-and-out, and the resulting punt gave the Buccaneers excellent field position. Brady threw three straight passes, and Chris Godwin's touchdown grab put the Buccaneers up 35–25 with 9 minutes left in regulation. The Buccaneers defense sealed the game as Mike Edwards twice picked off Matt Ryan and returned both interceptions for touchdowns.

Week 3: at Los Angeles Rams[]

Tampa Bay snapped a ten-game winning streak, losing their first game of the 2021 season at the Los Angeles Rams. Quarterback Tom Brady, in his first ever game in the city of Los Angeles, threw for 432 yards, one touchdown pass, and ran for a touchdown, but the Buccaneers defense could not contain Matthew Stafford and the high-powered Rams offense. Despite the loss, Brady became the second player in NFL history to pass for over 80,000 career yards.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Rams led 14–7 late in the first half. Tampa Bay drove into Rams territory, but had to settle for a field goal attempt. Ryan Succop's 55-yard attempt sailed wide right, and the Rams led at halftime 14–7. The Buccaneers rushing offense was ineffective in the first half, producing only 18 yards on 9 carries.

The Rams put the game out of reach in the second half. They scored on four straight drives to build a 34–17 lead. Brady's second touchdown pass trimmed the deficit to 34–24 with just over one minute left in regulation. The ensuing onside kick attempt failed, and the Rams held on for the win.

Week 4: at New England Patriots[]

Tampa Bay faced New England on Sunday Night Football in a game dubbed "The Return" by NBC Sports.^[23] The game marked Tom Brady's first game at Gillette Stadium since leaving the Patriots as a free agent after the 2019 season. Brady passed Drew Brees as the league's all-time career passing yardage leader, and Tampa Bay pulled off a come-from-behind victory to improve to 3–1 on the season. On a rainy night, Brady was warmly welcomed by the Patriots fanbase, but quickly their attention turned to rookie quarterback Mac Jones. Jones would throw for 275 yards and two touchdown passes, and nearly led the Patriots to an upset victory. In a back and forth game, turnovers, the lack of a rushing attack, and ultimately a missed field goal, cost New England a chance to win.

The Buccaneers offense was average in the first half, outgaining the Patriots 227 yards to 129, but managed only six points. With Rob Gronkowski inactive due to a rib injury suffered the previous week, Tampa Bay struggled in the red zone. Ryan Succop gave Tampa Bay an early 3–0 lead, but missed another field goal attempt to start the second quarter. Jones then led the Patriots on a 11-play, 74-yard drive for the game's first touchdown. After trading punts, Brady drove the Buccaneers to the New England 26 yard line just before halftime. Dropped passes due to the wet conditions stalled the drive. Succop kicked a 44-yard field goal with 18 seconds left to make the score 7–6 at halftime.

Tampa Bay received the second half kickoff, but went three-and-out. The Patriots took over near midfield, but three plays into the drive, J. J. Taylor fumbled at the Tampa Bay 28 yard line, and it was recovered by the Buccaneers. Though they failed to score any points, they were able to punt and pin New England deep in their own territory. On the ensuring drive, with excellent field position, Tampa Bay took the lead with a 8-yard touchdown run by Ronald Jones.

Mac Jones drove the Patriots down the field swiftly, eventually achieving 19 consecutive pass completions, and the Patriots re-took the lead 14–13. Jones threw a 1-yard touchdown pass to Jonnu Smith on the first play of the fourth quarter. With Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones the leading rushers on the night, Tampa Bay's more balanced offense again drove into the red zone, but had to again settle for a field goal. With under 8 minutes left in regulation, Tampa Bay led 16–14.

Jakobi Meyers caught a 21-yard reception, then executed a Flea flicker pass to Nelson Agholor, setting the Patriots up at the Tampa Bay 8 yard line. The Buccaneers defense stiffened, and the Patriots had to settle for a field goal, and a 17–16 lead. Tampa Bay took over with 4:34 remaining in regulation. A costly Pass interference penalty on the Patriots advanced Tampa Bay to the New England 44 yard line. The drive stalled at the 30 yard line, and Succop kicked the go-ahead field goal as the game hit the Two-minute warning.

Trailing 19–17, Mac Jones drove the Patriots into Tampa Bay territory, aided by a Pass Interference call on Jordan Whitehead. With heavy rain now falling, New England faced a 3rd & 3 at the Tampa Bay 37. Jones' pass was batted down at the line of scrimmage by Lavonte David, bringing up fourth down. With 59 seconds left in regulation, in a driving rain, Nick Folk's 56-yard field attempt hit the left upright and fell no good. Tampa Bay ran out the clock, and beat the Patriots for the first time since 2000.

Week 5: vs. Miami Dolphins[]

Quarterback Tom Brady threw for 411 yards and five touchdown passes, as Tampa Bay defeated in-state rival Miami 45–17. Antonio Brown was the standout receiver, with two touchdown receptions, and 124 total yards. Midway through the second quarter, Brown caught a short, 8-yard pass from Brady, then broke free untouched for a 62-yard touchdown. It was the longest play of the game, and the longest play of the Buccaneers' season thus far.

Just before halftime, Miami drove to the Tampa Bay 30 yard line, but Jacoby Brissett was sacked and fumbled, snuffing out the drive. Brissett was already hobbling with a hamstring injury suffered in the first quarter. Bradley Pinion attempted a 60-yard field as time expired, but missed wide left. Tampa Bay led 24–10 at halftime.

The Dolphins trimmed the deficit to seven points, making the score 24–17 late in the third quarter. But Tampa Bay dominated the fourth quarter. Brady connected with Mike Evans for two touchdowns, as the Buccaneers pulled away for a 45–17 victory, and improved to 4–1 on the season, their best start since 2005. It was the most points Tampa Bay ever scored against their in-state rival Miami, and their largest margin of victory in the series history. Tom Brady also recorded his first game with 400+ yards passing and five or more touchdown passes in the same game.

Week 6: at Philadelphia Eagles[]

Tampa Bay traveled to Philadelphia for a Thursday night matchup. The Buccaneers defeated the Eagles 28–22 to improve to 5–1 on the season. Leonard Fournette carried the ball 22 times for 81 yards and two touchdowns, and quarterback Tom Brady threw two touchdown passes. The Buccaneers built a 21-point lead, then held off an Eagles rally for a 6-point victory.

The Buccaneers defense held Jalen Hurts to only 20 yards passing in the first half. The Eagles offense in total was held to under 100 scrimmage yards through three quarters. However, two costly defensive Pass interference penalties against Tampa Bay paved the way for two Eagles touchdowns.

With 9:04 left in regulation, the Tampa Bay offense elected to go for it on a 4th & 2 at the Philadelphia 46 yard line. Brady's pass was incomplete intended for O. J. Howard, turning the ball over on downs. The Eagles took advantage of the field position driving for a touchdown, and trimmed the score to 28–22 with six minutes left in regulation. The Buccaneers, however, were able to control the ball for the rest of the game. Twice they converted on third down and managed to run the clock out to secure the victory.

Tampa Bay's 5–1 start matches the franchise's best record after six games (1979, 1997, 2002, 2005).

Week 7: vs. Chicago Bears[]

Quarterback Tom Brady became the first player in NFL history to throw 600 career touchdown passes (regular season). Brady reached the historic career milestone with a 9-yard touchdown pass to Mike Evans late in the first quarter. The Buccaneers routed the Bears by the score of 38–3. Brady threw a total of four touchdown passes, three to Evans, as Tampa Bay took an unsurmountable 35–3 lead into halftime.

Despite missing Lavonte David and Richard Sherman, the Tampa Bay defense still dominated the Bears. Quarterback Justin Fields was sacked four times, lost two fumbles, and was intercepted three times. The Buccaneers improved to 6–1 on the season, and 4–0 at home. It is the team's first 6–1 start in franchise history.

Week 8: at New Orleans Saints[]

Quarterback Tom Brady threw four touchdown passes, but lost a fumble and threw two interceptions (one of which was returned for a touchdown), as Tampa Bay fell to division rival New Orleans. It was the fourth consecutive regular season victory by the Saints in the rivalry, although Tampa Bay had won the previous meeting, which was during the 2020 season playoffs.

Tampa Bay faced former quarterback Jameis Winston for the first time since Winston was named the starting quarterback for the Saints. Winston departed Tampa following the 2019 season. Early in the second quarter, at the Saints own 9 yard line, Winston scrambled for 3 yards, but was taken down by Devin White's Horse-collar tackle. Winston suffered a torn ACL and damaged MCL, and was replaced by back up quarterback Trevor Siemian for the remainder of the game. Penalties by the Buccaneers (11 for 99 yards) were the story of the day. One interception in the endzone was negated by penalty, and multiple Saints drives were extended by penalties on the Tampa Bay defense.

Brady rallied the Buccaneers from a 23–7 deficit. Tampa Bay took a 27–26 lead with a 50-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Cyril Grayson. The Saints then added a go-ahead field goal with 1:41 left in regulation. Trailing 29–27, Brady's pick-six with 1:36 left secured the win for New Orleans.

Week 10: at Washington Football Team[]

This was a rematch of the 2020 Wild Card Round in which Tampa Bay defeated Washington 31–23 on their way to a Super Bowl victory. The Washington Football Team ended up the better team this game, as the defending champions were given a 29–19 upset loss.

Two first quarter interceptions thrown by Tom Brady led to field goals; Washington's lead increased to 13 points with a DeAndre Carter pass from Washington quarterback Taylor Heinicke. The Buccaneers were able to close the lead to 16–13, and then to 23–19 after a 40-yard touchdown pass to Mike Evans with 10:55 remaining in regulation. But a 19-play, 80-yard touchdown drive lasting over ten minutes by Washington effectively closed the fourth quarter sealing Tampa Bay's fate as Washington won 29–19.

Week 11: vs. New York Giants[]

Tampa Bay hosted the Giants on Monday Night Football. The Buccaneers snapped a two-game losing streak and won by the score of 30–10. With a touchdown reception in the third quarter, Mike Evans became the franchise's all-time leader in total touchdowns with 72. He came into the game tied with Mike Alstott (71), who had held that distinction since 2001.

The Buccaneers set the tone for the night early, taking the opening kickoff, and driving 73 yards in eight plays (never facing a third down). Tom Brady connected to Chris Godwin for a 13-yard touchdown pass, and a 7–0 early score. The Buccaneers defense then forced a turnover on downs. Both teams traded field goals, and the score was 10–3 in favor of the Buccaneers. On a 1st & 10 at their own 15 yard line, Brady's short pass attempt to Evans was bobbled and intercepted by Adoree' Jackson, who was tackled at the Tampa Bay 5 yard line. Two plays later, Daniel Jones lofted a pass to linebacker Andrew Thomas for a 2-yard touchdown, and a 10–10 tie.

Trailing 17–10, the Giants received the second half kickoff. Once again, the Giants offense turned the ball over on downs in Tampa Bay territory. After Evans' record-setting touchdown, the Buccaneers were up 24–10. Ryan Succop tacked on two more field goals, and the Buccaneers cruised to a 30–10 victory.

Tom Brady threw for 307 yards and two touchdown passes. After missing several weeks recuperating from injury, Rob Gronkowski returned to the lineup, making 8 catches for 71 yards. The Buccaneers defense held Jones to only 167 yards passing, two interceptions, and two sacks. The Giants were held scoreless in the second half, and outside of the first drive of the third quarter, had only four plays in Tampa Bay territory in the second half.

Week 12: at Indianapolis Colts[]

Leonard Fournette had 17 rushes for 100 yards and three touchdowns, along with one receiving touchdown, as Tampa Bay defeated Indianapolis by the score of 38–31. The Buccaneers erased a ten-point halftime deficit, scoring 17 points off of turnovers in the second half. Fournette reportedly gave an impassioned halftime speech in the locker room to help motivate his teammates.^[24]

The Buccaneers took a 7–3 lead early in the second quarter with a 1-yard touchdown run by Leonard Fournette, his first of the game. The touchdown drive was set up by a Colts fumble. Indianapolis, however, jumped ahead with a 62-yard bomb from Carson Wentz to Ashton Dulin. Three plays later, Tom Brady's deep pass intended for Scotty Miller was intercepted by Isaiah Rodgers at the Indianapolis 10 yard line. Wentz drove the Colts 90 yards in 9 plays, capped off by a 15-yard touchdown pass to Jack Doyle. The Buccaneers answered with a touchdown catch by Fournette, but the Colts were not done. Inside the two-minute warning, Wentz and the Colts swiftly moved down the field, twice converting on 3rd-and-long. Facing a 4th & 1 at the Tampa Bay 4, head coach Frank Reich elected to go for it, and T. Y. Hilton made the catch for a touchdown. The Colts took a 24–14 lead into halftime.

The Colts received the ball to start the second half, but the third quarter would belong to the Buccaneers. Driving at the Tampa Bay 20 yard line, Wentz was sacked by Shaquil Barrett and fumbled. Brady's second deep pass attempt to Scotty Miller was incomplete, but this time drew a pass interference penalty. Three plays later, Fournette scored his second rushing touchdown. The Colts crossed midfield, and Wentz threw a deep bomb to Michael Pittman Jr., but this time he was intercepted by Antoine Winfield Jr. The Buccaneers would turn that turnover into points as well. After a key 32-yard reception by Rob Gronkowski, and a pass interference penalty in the endzone, Ronald Jones II scored on a 1-yard carry.

The Buccaneers defense forced a three-and-out to start the fourth quarter. Tampa Bay received the ball, but also went three-and-out, still clinging to a 28–24 lead. Bradley Pinion's punt was muffed by Nyheim Hines, and recovered by Scotty Miller at the Colts 19 yard line. Ryan Succop kicked a 25-yard field goal to put Tampa Bay up 31–24 with 10:06 left in regulation.

After giving up 17 straight points off of turnovers, the Colts shifted their offensive attack to running back Jonathan Taylor. Taylor handled eight carries on their next drive, including a 4-yard touchdown run that tied the game at 31–31. With 3:29 left, the Buccaneers drove for the winning touchdown. Tom Brady completed four passes, and two strong runs by Leonard Fournette, set the Buccaneers up with a 1st & 10 at the Colts 28 yard line with 29 seconds left. Tampa Bay was expected to run the clock down and kick a field goal. Fournette took a handoff, but shockingly broke free and made it to the endzone for a 28-yard touchdown run, his fourth score of the day. Leading 38–31, the Buccaneers almost gave up a touchdown on the ensuing kickoff return. Isaiah Rodgers ran the ball back 72 yards to the Tampa Bay 32 yard line before Mike Edwards remarkably chased him down.^[25] After a quick incompletion, Carson Wentz's Hail Mary pass fell short of the endzone and was intercepted by Pierre Desir as time expired.

Week 13: at Atlanta Falcons[]

Tampa Bay swept the Atlanta Falcons for the second season in a row, after a 30–17 victory at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Chris Godwin set a franchise single-game record with 15 pass receptions, while Tom Brady threw for 368 yards in 51 attempts and four touchdowns. The Buccaneers defense sacked Matt Ryan five times, and the Falcons committed five fumbles (1 lost).

Despite the Falcons entering the game ranked only 23rd in the league in rushing defense, the Tampa Bay offense came out of the gate with a passing attack. On the opening drive, the Buccaneers drove 75 yards in 13 plays - all passing plays. Tom Brady capped the drive off with a 3-yard touchdown pass to the previous week's offensive standout Leonard Fournette. On their next drive, Brady completed key passes to Chris Godwin (25 yards), then with Mike Evans (36 yards), setting up a 3-yard touchdown pass to Cameron Brate.

Brady connected with Rob Gronkowski for a 27-yard touchdown catch, and a 20–10 lead mid-way through the second quarter. With under five minutes left in the half, Matt Ryan drove the Falcons across midfield. The drive stalled at the Tampa Bay 42, and Thomas Morstead's punt pinned the Buccaneers back to their own 7 yard line. With 27 seconds left in the half, Brady from his own endzone, threw a short pass left intended for Leonard Fournette. Marlon Davidson undercut the route and intercepted the ball, running it three yards to the endzone for a surprising Falcons touchdown. The Buccaneers took a 20–17 into halftime.

The Falcons got the ball to start the second half. Four plays into the drive, Ryan's pass to Russell Gage was caught at the Tampa Bay 45, but punched out by Pierre Desir and the fumble was recovered by Carlton Davis. The Falcons would subsequently be held scoreless in the second half. Brady tacked on a second touchdown pass to Gronkowski - the duo's 90th regular season touchdown - which moved them into second all-time in NFL history.^[26]

With this victory Tampa Bay recorded a season with a winning record in consecutive years for the first time since they did so in 2007 and 2008.

Week 14: vs. Buffalo Bills[]

Tampa Bay built a 24–3 halftime lead, then survived a furious Bills comeback to win 33–27 in overtime. Quarterback Tom Brady threw his 700th career touchdown pass (combined regular season & postseason), a game-winning, 58-yard catch and run to Breshad Perriman in overtime.^[27] Brady also set the NFL record for most pass completions (passing Drew Brees). The Buccaneers improved to 10–3 on the season, and 6–0 at home. It was the Buccaneers 8th consecutive win at Raymond James Stadium (including Super Bowl LV).

On the first play of the game, an errant snap was fumbled for a 14-yard loss leading to a three-and-out. But Tampa Bay otherwise dominated the first half. Leonard Fournette's 47-yard touchdown run gave the Buccaneers an early 7–0 lead. The teams traded field goals, then at the Buffalo 13 yard line, Brady dropped back under pressure. He threw up a high pass to Mike Evans, who made a leaping fingertip grab in the left corner of the endzone for the touchdown. The Bills failed to advance into Tampa Bay territory on their next drive, and punted back to the Buccaneers. Brady connected again to Evans for a lofting, 20-yard catch at the Buffalo 2 yard line. Two plays later, Brady's 1-yard quarterback sneak put Tampa Bay up 24–3. The Bills had one last chance before halftime, but the drive was snuffed out when Josh Allen's errant pass was intercepted by a diving Richard Sherman.

The Bills mounted a spirited comeback in the second half. Josh Allen had a touchdown run and two touchdown passes to trim the score to 27–24. With 3:05 left in the fourth quarter, the Bills got the ball for a potential game-winning or game-tying score. Allen drove the Bills to the Tampa Bay 7 yard line, but Buccaneers defense kept them out of the endzone. Kicker Tyler Bass's 25-yard field goal tied the game at 27–27 with 25 seconds remaining in regulation. The Bills had outscored the Buccaneers 24–3 in the second half.

In the overtime period, Buffalo won the coin toss and received. The Bills went three-and-out, and were forced to punt. Matt Haack's 63-yard punt pinned the Buccaneers back at their own 6 yard line. Facing a 3rd & 1 at their own 15 yard line, Leonard Fournette rushed up the middle for an apparent first down. The play was reviewed and upheld, giving Tampa Bay a first down. A costly pass interference penalty on Levi Wallace advanced the Buccaneers to the 35 yard line. Two plays later, Brady connected to Rob Gronkowski for a 14-yard gain to the Tampa Bay 42 yard line. Facing 3rd & 3, Brady hit Breshad Perriman on crossing route, and Perriman scurried 58 yards down the right sidelines, nearly untouched, for the game-winning touchdown.

Week 15: vs. New Orleans Saints[]

Tampa Bay hosted division rival New Orleans on Sunday Night Football. With a win, the Buccaneers would clinch the NFC South division title (the club's first since 2007). The Saints shutout the Buccaneers 9–0, sweeping the regular season series for the third year in a row. It was also the first time Brady was shutout in a game since Week 14 of the 2006 season against the Miami Dolphins.^[28]

Injuries sent several Buccaneers players to the locker room.^[29] Mike Evans (strained hamstring), Chris Godwin (torn ACL), Leonard Fournette (hamstring), Lavonte David (foot), and Pat O'Connor (knee) all left the game early.^[30] Breshad Perriman was inactive on the COVID-19 list, while Antonio Brown and Mike Edwards were both serving the final game of a three-week suspension due to presenting counterfeit vaccination cards.^[31] Quarterback Tom Brady was sacked four times, threw an interception, and fumbled away the ball on a quarterback scramble. Neither team reached the endzone, and Brett Maher's three field goals were the only points of the game.

Prior to the game, Saints head coach Sean Payton tested positive for COVID-19 and was not permitted to attend.^[32] With the loss (their first home loss of the season), Tampa Bay slipped to 10–4, and failed to secure a playoff berth for at least one additional week.

Week 16: at Carolina Panthers[]

Week 17: at New York Jets[]

Standings[]

Division[]

NFC South
view talk	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	PF	PA	STK
y – Tampa Bay Buccaneers	11	4	0	.733	3–2	7–4	442	312	W1
Atlanta Falcons	7	8	0	.467	2–3	4–7	278	400	W1
New Orleans Saints	7	8	0	.467	2–2	5–5	316	305	L1
Carolina Panthers †	5	10	0	.333	2–2	3–7	277	345	L5

Conference[]

NFC v t
#	Team	Division	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	STK
Division leaders
1	y – Green Bay Packers	North	12	3	0	.800	3–1	8–2	.484	.467	W4
2[a]	y – Dallas Cowboys	East	11	4	0	.733	5–0	9–1	.480	.430	W4
3[a][b]	x – Los Angeles Rams	West	11	4	0	.733	3–2	8–3	.464	.391	W3
4[a][b]	y – Tampa Bay Buccaneers	South	11	4	0	.733	3–2	7–4	.502	.497	W1
Wild cards
5	x – Arizona Cardinals	West	10	5	0	.667	4–1	6–4	.473	.447	L3
6[c]	San Francisco 49ers	West	8	7	0	.533	1–4	6–5	.500	.429	L1
7[c]	Philadelphia Eagles	East	8	7	0	.533	2–2	6–4	.460	.354	W3
In the hunt
8[d]	Minnesota Vikings	North	7	8	0	.467	3–1	5–5	.496	.429	L1
9[d][e]	Atlanta Falcons	South	7	8	0	.467	2–3	4–7	.451	.310	W1
10[e]	New Orleans Saints	South	7	8	0	.467	2–2	5–5	.533	.552	L1
11	Washington Football Team	East	6	9	0	.400	1–3	5–5	.551	.444	L3
Eliminated from postseason contention
12[f][g]	Carolina Panthers	South	5	10	0	.333	2–2	3–7	.498	.427	L5
13[f][h]	Chicago Bears	North	5	10	0	.333	2–3	3–7	.536	.360	W1
14[g][h]	Seattle Seahawks	West	5	10	0	.333	2–3	2–8	.522	.413	L2
15	New York Giants	East	4	11	0	.267	1–4	3–7	.564	.467	L4
16	Detroit Lions	North	2	12	1	.167	1–4	2–8	.527	.567	L1
Tiebreakers[i]
^ a b c Dallas wins tiebreaker over LA Rams and Tampa Bay based on conference record. ^ a b LA Rams wins tiebreaker over Tampa Bay based on head-to-head victory. ^ a b San Francisco wins tiebreaker over Philadelphia based on head-to-head victory. ^ a b Minnesota wins tiebreaker over Atlanta based on conference record. Division tiebreaker initially used to eliminate New Orleans (see below). ^ a b Atlanta wins tiebreaker over New Orleans based on head-to-head victory. ^ a b Carolina wins tiebreaker over Chicago based on strength of victory. ^ a b Carolina wins tiebreaker over Seattle based on conference record. ^ a b Chicago wins tiebreaker over Seattle 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.
Legend
w — Clinched wild card
x — Clinched playoff berth
y — Clinched division
z — Clinched first-round bye and home-field advantage

Postseason[]

As the result of clinching the NFC South division title, the Buccaneers will host a playoff game in either the Wild Card or Divisional round.

Playoff round	Date	Time (EST)	Opponent (seed)	Result	Record	Venue	TV	Recap
Wild Card / Divisional	January TBD, 2022					Raymond James Stadium

Awards[]

• NFC Offensive Player of the Week
  • Week 5: Tom Brady
  • Week 12: Leonard Fournette
• NFC Defensive Player of the Week
  • Week 2: Mike Edwards
• NFC Special Teams Player of the Week
  • Week 1: Bradley Pinion
• FedEx Air Player of the Week
  • Week 1: Tom Brady^[33]
  • Week 2: Tom Brady^[33]

References[]

External links[]

• Official website