The Buccaneers finished 7-9 last season after two-straight 5-11 campaigns, but for a franchise that hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2007, that’s not good enough.

Fortunately, the addition of quarterback Tom Brady and the acquisition of tight end Rob Gronkowski should help add some much-needed championship experience to a roster bursting with talent and ready to take that next step in 2020.

And with Super Bowl LV set to be played at Raymond James Stadium next year in Tampa, it seems like the script is set for Brady to add another distinction to his already-impressive resume by becoming the first quarterback ever to play a Super Bowl in his home stadium.

But the road to Super Bowl LV won’t be an easy one for the Bucs, who will not only have to deal with tough divisional matchups against NFC South foes like the New Orleans Saints, but will have to face quarterbacks like Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes, too.

So, what can we expect from the Bucs this season in terms of their record?

Adam Rank over at NFL.com broke it down for us in his latest video, where he goes through Tampa Bay’s schedule and makes a prediction on how things will shape up in Year 1 of the Brady era. Rank believes things will get off to a bumpy start, with the Bucs starting out just 3-5. The good news? He has them going on a tear the second-half of the season, finishing 7-1 down the stretch.

I don’t think Rank’s logic is completely off. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Bucs and this new offense took some time to gel before hitting their stride. The unconventional offseason that’s resulted from the coronavirus pandemic has made things a little more challenging for veterans switching teams, although Brady has done his best to get in workouts with his new teammates when possible.

You can check out Rank’s entire analysis here.

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