Revenge games will be plentiful in the upcoming NFL season. Oddly enough the Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be the ones on the receiving end in a couple of these games.
Instantly the week 10 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals comes to mind. The Cardinals hold an 11-9 series lead against the Buccaneers. With the Cardinals winning the last 3 matchups, this could be a revenge game for the Buccaneers. But will it?
Arizona’s fan base may have a different viewpoint of this game, claiming revenge for Arians leaving them to retire because of health reasons and then taking the Buccaneers coaching job a short time later.
The week 1 matchup with the San Francisco 49ers has plenty of history behind it, some old and some recent. While the 49ers hold a 17-7 series lead, the two teams have split the last 10 matchups. Former Buccaneers LB Kwon Alexander signed a 4-year, 54 million-dollar contract with the 49ers this year. Alexander leaving the Buccaneers to chase the big payday could be construed as a reason for revenge. San Francisco 49ers faithful still remember the Buccaneers taking out their 2 HOF players (Steve Young and Jerry Rice) that Sunday in 1997. That still doesn’t sit well with their fan base. Even though the 49ers have the overall series lead, the memories of what Warren Sapp and the Buccaneers’ defense did to them back in the ’97 season still lingers. Factor in current 49ers GM John Lynch being cut by the Buccaneers in 2004, and this could very well be spun as a revenge game for the 49ers.
The 2019 NFL schedule for the Buccaneers is by no means an easy one. With the Buccaneers only playing 7 home games and being on the road for a month straight, you’d think that makes for one of the toughest schedules in the league. When you add in these revenge scenarios, it really shows you just how hard a road the Buccaneers have to travel.
Written by: Johnny Dean
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