2021 NFL Lineup And Tampa Bay Season Schedule Released

TAMPA, FL. -The NFL announced today its first-ever 18-week, 272-game regular-season schedule for 2021, which kicks off on Thursday night, September 9, in Tampa Bay and concludes with 16 division games in Week 18 – two on Saturday, January 8, and 14 on Sunday, January 9.

The 2021 NFL schedule will feature each team playing 17 regular-season games and three preseason games for the first time, providing fans an extra week of regular-season action. It marks the first change to the season structure since the 1978 campaign ushered in an era of 16 regular-season and four preseason games.

The 17th game will feature teams from opposing conferences that finished in the same standing within their respective divisions the previous season. The AFC was determined to be the home conference for the 17th game in 2021.

The NFL’s 102nd season begins with the league’s annual primetime kickoff game, as the defending Super Bowl Champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Dallas Cowboys at Raymond James Stadium on Thursday, September 9 (8:20 PM ET, NBC).

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers full regular season schedule is:

• WEEK 1: vs Cowboys – Sep. 9 8:20 p.m.
• WEEK 2: vs. Falcons Sep.19 4.05 p.m.
• WEEK 3: at Rams Sep.26 4:25 p.m.
• WEEK 4: at. Patriots (SNF) Oct.3 8:20 p.m.
• WEEK 5: vs Dolphins Oct.10 1:00 p.m.
• WEEK 6: at Eagles Oct.14 8:20 p.m.
• WEEK 7: vs Bears Oct.24 4:25 p.m.
• WEEK 8: at Saints Oct.31 4:25 p.m.
• WEEK 9: Bye
• WEEK 10: at Washington Nov.14 1:00 p.m.
• WEEK 11: vs Giants Nov.22 8:15 p.m.
• WEEK 12: at Colts Nov. 28 1:00 p.m.
• WEEK 13: at Falcons Dec.5 1:00 p.m.
• WEEK 14: vs. Bills Dec.12 4:25 p.m.
• WEEK 15: vs. Saints (SNF) Dec.19 8:20 p.m.
• WEEK 16: at Panthers Dec.26 1:00 p.m.
• WEEK 17: at Jets Jan.2 1:00 p.m.
• WEEK 18: vs Panthers Jan.9 1:00 p.m.

Thursday Night Football will air exclusively on NFL Network in Weeks 2-4 and in Week 16, while FOX kicks off its Thursday night slate in Week 5. FOX will broadcast 10 Thursday Night Football games between Weeks 5- 15 (excluding Thanksgiving night) as well as the Saturday, December 25, game between the Cleveland Browns and Green Bay Packers (4:30 PM ET). Those FOX games are slated to be simulcast via NFL Network, distributed in Spanish on FOX Deportes, and streamed on Amazon Prime Video, beginning with the Los Angeles Rams at Seattle Seahawks game on October 7.

In total, NFL Network will exclusively televise eight games (four on Thursday night, one game in London, both games in Week 15 on Saturday, December 18 and one of the December 25 games, the Indianapolis Colts visiting the Arizona Cardinals [8:15 PM ET]). Kickoff times for primetime games will remain unchanged this season.

Monday and Saturday night games will kick off at 8:15 ET. Sunday and Thursday night games will kick at 8:20 ET. Once again this season, all 32 clubs will have at least one nationally televised game. A select number of games will be “cross-flexed,” moving between CBS and FOX to bring potentially underdistributed games to wider audiences. Some of those contests were announced today and other “cross-flexed” games will be decided during the season.

The NFL’s International Series will return in 2021, as the schedule features two games from London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. The Atlanta Falcons will play host to the New York Jets in Week 5, airing exclusively on NFL Network (9:30 AM ET), while the Jacksonville Jaguars will play host to the Miami Dolphins in Week 6 (9:30 AM ET, CBS).

Thanksgiving will feature a tripleheader on Thursday, November 25. The first game will match two NFC North division rivals, as the Chicago Bears travel to Detroit to face the Lions (12:30 PM ET, FOX). The late afternoon game will feature the Las Vegas Raiders visiting the Dallas Cowboys (4:30 PM ET, CBS).

The Thanksgiving Day festivities conclude with an interconference matchup between two 2020 playoff teams, as the Bills travel to New Orleans to face the Saints on NBC (8:20 PM ET).

The regular season will conclude with Week 18 on Saturday, January 8, and Sunday, January 9. For the 12th consecutive year, all 16 games scheduled for the final week of the season are division contests, enhancing the potential for more games with playoff ramifications. For the first time ever, the NFL’s 32 teams will each play 17 games over 18 weeks. Byes will begin in Week 6 and end in Week 14.