Home field advantage is extremely important in the NFL.at least That’s how it should be. There’s a reason the point spread is affected by the home team, right? Having the home fans in your own corner should help you late in the game, right? But for the Bucks, that won’t be the case until now in 2023.
Instead, Tampa Bay is 1-3 in four of its eight scheduled home games. Their only win came in Week 2 against the Bears, 2-5, but even that was more difficult than expected. And since then, the Bucks have lost three straight home games.
“You never want to lose, especially at home,” wide receiver Mike Evans said after the game. Sunday’s game against Atlanta was a 16-13 loss.. “I think all of our losses are at home. We’ve got to do a better job of defending our home ground.”
Evans is right. The Bucks are 3-3 with all three losses coming at Raymond James Stadium and are 2-0 on the road with wins over Minnesota and New Orleans. Does that bode well for the next few weeks as the team heads to Buffalo and then Houston? Maybe not.
But one thing is for sure: the Bucks need to get things right and play better football in their final four home games of the season. If they don’t, they’ll be bidding farewell to their hopes of a third straight NFC South title and a fourth consecutive playoff appearance.
So far, sledding in Tampa Bay at home has been tough.
Eagles DT Fletcher Cox and Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo courtesy of USA Today
What was the root cause of the Bucks’ home struggles in 2023? This doesn’t mean visiting fans will fill the lower bowl (although that’s certainly not ideal). It’s more about how Tampa Bay has been an average and inconsistent football team at best so far this season. It is also true that the home schedule is much tougher than previous road slates.
The Bucks have lost to the Eagles 5-1, the Lions 5-2 and the Falcons 4-3 this season at Raymond James Stadium. On the road, they defeated the Vikings (2-4) and the Saints (3-4). It is therefore noteworthy that tougher matches at home led to a tougher record. But it also road The team played at home.
Against Philadelphia, Tampa Bay was unable to be competitive and lost 25-11. This attack gave fans little cheer. The same could be said for the 20-6 loss to the Lions in Week 6. And that was true in the Week 7 loss to the Falcons, where pre-snap penalties and overall lack of discipline were perhaps the most concerning aspects of the game. Pre-snap penalties are never nice, but they are at least understandable on the road where the environment can be harsh. Those don’t happen if you have a crowd surrounding you at home.
Bucks’ home schedule will be lightened in the short term
If there’s any good news for the Bucks, it’s this home schedule The rest is a little lighter. After playing away games against the Bills and Texans, they will return home and face the Titans, who are 2-4 at home, on November 12th. Their next home game will be Dec. 3 against the Panthers, who are 0-6. The only remaining home game where the Bucks are unlikely to be the favorites will be on Christmas Eve, when the 5-2 Jaguars come to town.
Bucks S. Antwan Winfield Jr. – Photo courtesy of USA Today
But a week later, on New Year’s Eve, the Saints will be at Raymond James Stadium. Tampa Bay already had the difficult task of defeating New Orleans in the Superdome in Week 4. They need to win their return game against New Orleans in Week 17 to become the team they wanted to be at the beginning of the year. Saints!
All of this will be important in the final standings. The Bucks will likely need to go 8-10 to win the NFC South title again. They missed a big chance against the Falcons and currently have three points. Therefore, they will need to win at least three of their remaining four home games. To do that, they need to steal games from the likes of the Texans, Colts, Packers, Falcons and Panthers and win two to four more games on the road.
That will still be a tough challenge for Tampa Bay. But that’s why we’re so disappointed in Sunday’s loss in a winnable game and overall poor start at home. Bucs fans aren’t getting what they paid for so far, but Todd Bowles and his team may end up paying the price by the end of the season.
