The first game of the season is already set for the defending Super Bowl champions. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be hosting the Dallas Cowboys in the NFL Kickoff game on September 9, at Raymond James Stadium.
The team announced their NFL schedule for the upcoming season.
It will mark the first time that the Bucs will play in the league’s season-opening contest that was introduced in 2002. When the Bucs won Super Bowl XXXVII, the team opened the next season on Monday Night Football, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles at Lincoln Financial Field in 2003.
Historically, defending Super Bowl champions have a high chance of winning their season opener games. Since 2004, 16 defending Super Bowl champions who played in the season opener have gone 13-3.
Tampa’s season opener will also be the second meeting between Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott and Tampa quarterback Tom Brady. The two previously faced one another when Brady was still with the New England Patriots. In that meeting, it was Brady who came out with a 13-9 win over Prescott.
On the other hand, the Bucs as a team have not beaten Prescott in their previous two meetings. Tampa faced off against Prescott in 2016 and 2018. Luckily for Tampa, Brady has beaten the Dallas quarterback before. Furthermore, the Pro Bowler has compiled a 10-1 record in season openers at home. The only time Brady lost a season opener at home was against the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017.
The NFL announced schedules for all 32 teams yesterday. The upcoming season will also mark the implementation of the 17-game regular season.
