ESPN's FPI Shows Just How Hard Buccaneers Schedule Has Been So Far

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have battled with some of the NFL's toughest opponents.

Nov 10, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) greets Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) after a game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 4-6. Naturally, that makes things look grim, but it may not be all doom and gloom in Tampa Bay — especially with how hard the schedule has been so far.

The Bucs have played plenty of marquee opponents so far this season, and although things have looked grim, the toughest part of their schedule is over. ESPN's Football Power Index, which it defines as an algorithm simulated 10,000 times to represent "how many points above or below average a team is." FPI can calculate a lot of things, and one of those things is strength of schedule — and according to FPI, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had the hardest strength of schedule so far of any team in the league.

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That certainly checks. The Bucs have won games against the Philadelphia Eagles (8-2), the Washington Commanders (7-4) and the Detroit Lions (8-1) and have played the Baltimore Ravens (7-3) and the Kansas City Chiefs (9-0) as well as the Atlanta Falcons twice (6-4). That's a murderers' row of opponents, and it means that the Bucs could end up winning a lot of games with a much easier schedule going forward.

The Buccaneers are the 10th best team in the league, per FPI, but the damage may have already been done. Per FPI, the Buccaneers have just a 24.6% chance to make the playoffs, but if they can take advantage of the very easy back stretch of their schedule that includes the Carolina Panthers, Las Vegas Raiders and New York Giants, among other bad teams, that small chance could become a reality.

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