Week 1 is less than two days away from kicking off for Philadelphia Eagles and Dallas Cowboys fans. For Bucs fans, they have to wait a few extra days, but the wait will be worth it as they kick off against a division rival of their own, the Atlanta Falcons. The season as a whole is one big mystery that no one can predict, though some will do their best to do so.
The latest to play out a simulation of the season is ESPN, and in their running of the 2025 season, they had some interesting things happen.
First up, they have the Atlanta Falcons winning the NFC South and breaking the streak the Bucs are on in doing the same feat. However, the Bucs do secure a wild-card spot and face the Detroit Lions in a seven-seed vs. two-seed matchup. They predict the Bucs pull the upset on the Lions and advance to play the one-seed Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round, with whom they pull another upset.
At this point, the Bucs have achieved a deep playoff run that the roster is capable of. Will it keep going?
ESPN’s simulation predicts they will face the Minnesota Vikings in the NFC Championship game and pull one final upset before heading to Santa Clara to play the team of destiny, the Buffalo Bills. In Super Bowl LX, they predict the Bills to defeat the Bucs by a whopping 55 to 23.
Is that the outcome anyone wants? Of course not. Is it one that seems feasible? The score seems a bit over the top, but facing the Bills in the Super Bowl will be a stiff test for the Bucs, even with the talent they have.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: ESPN 2025 NFL season simulation has Buccaneers going on unlikely playoff run
Reporting by Andrew Harbaugh, Buccaneers Wire / Bucs Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
