The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets will do battle on Sunday, September 1 at Raymond James Stadium in the 2025 home opener for the Buccaneers, with kickoff scheduled for 1:00 p.m. Tampa Bay is one of 10 undefeated teams left in the NFL and is seeking its first 3-0 start since the 2005 season. The Jets are off to an 0-2 start under new Head Coach Aaron Glenn and will be playing their first road game of the season. The Jets lead the all-time series, 10-3, but the Buccaneers have won the last two contests: 15-10 in Tampa in 2017 and 28-24 in the Meadowlands in 2021.
Neither team's offense has hit its stride yet in 2025, with the Bucs averaging 21.5 points per game, just ahead of the Jets' 21.0-point average. However, both teams rank in the top 10 in rushing yards per game and both have been very good in the red zone, albeit in an as-yet small sample size. In addition, neither team's defense has yet to create a turnover through two games. Here's how the Buccaneers and Jets stack up against each other for their Week Three showdown in Tampa:
When Tampa Bay Has the Ball :
| Buccaneers Offense | Category | Jets Defense |
|---|---|---|
| 21st (310.0) | Net Yards Per Game | 23rd (337.0) |
| 23rd (4.84) | Yards Per Play | 21st (5.39) |
| t-18th (21.5) | Points Per Game | 30th (32.0) |
| 9th (135.0) | Rushing Yards Per Game | 24th (138.5) |
| 26th (175.0) | Passing Yards Per Game | t-13th (198.5) |
| t-6th (46.4%) | Third Down Percentage | 12th (37.5%) |
| 18th (7.14%) | Sacks Per Pass Play | 12th (8.77%) |
| t-1st (0.00%) | Interception Percentage | t-21st (0.00%) |
| 8th (75.0%) | Red Zone Touchdown Pct. | t-24th (71.4%) |
When New York Has the Ball :
| Falcons Offense | Category | Buccaneers Defense |
|---|---|---|
| 6th (369.8) | Net Yards Per Game | 18th (341.8) |
| 8th (5.79) | Yards Per Play | 18th (5.46) |
| 14th (22.9) | Points Per Game | 16th (22.6) |
| 10th (130.5) | Rushing Yards Per Game | 4th (97.8) |
| 5th (239.3) | Passing Yards Per Game | 29th (243.9) |
| 17th (39.2%) | Third Down Percentage | 14th (38.1%) |
| 7th (5.72%) | Sacks Per Pass Play | 16th (7.30%) |
| 29th (3.40%) | Interception Percentage | 29th (1.11%) |
| 20th (54.7%) | Red Zone Touchdown Pct. | 14th (54.4%) |
Advantage Buccaneers: Rushing Offense
Specifically, while both teams have run the ball well through two weeks, the Buccaneers' defense has done a better job of stopping opposing rushing attacks than has the Jets' defense. Primarily due to a 169-yard outing led by Bucky Irving (71 yards) and Rachaad White (65) against Houston on Monday night, the Buccaneers are picking up 135.0 rushing yards per game and 5.09 yards per carry. A total of 72 scramble yards by quarterback Baker Mayfield hasn't hurt, either. Led by a big game from James Cook, the Buffalo Bills were able to run over the Jets' defense for 224 yards in Week Two. New York's rushing attack has also been helped by getting 97 yards from its quarterback, Justin Fields, though Fields has been ruled out for Sunday's game due to a concussion. New York is averaging 141.0 rushing yards per game but will face a Buccaneers' defense that is once again stout against the run, allowing 76.5 yards per game and 3.26 yards per carry, both good for fifth in the league.
Advantage Jets: Quarterback Pressure
The Buccaneers have allowed five sacks of Baker Mayfield through two games, which is not ideal but also not among the worst in the league, and the team's sacks allowed per pass play figure of 7.14% ranks 18th overall. However, the team just placed two of its starting offensive linemen, guard Cody Mauch and tackle Luke Goedeke, on injured reserve and is not expected to have All-Pro left tackle back for Sunday's game. That could make pass protection a trickier situation for the home team on Sunday against a Jets defense that has also tallied five sacks in two games and ranks 12th in sacks per pass play rate at 8.77%. New York may be without edge rusher Jermaine Johnson due to an ankle sprain but still has Will McDonald, who broke out with 10.5 sacks last season and already has two so far in 2025.
X-Factor: Sauce Gardner's Assignment
When the Buccaneers played the Texans on Monday night, Houston chose to use Derek Stingley, one of the NFL's top cornerbacks, as a shadow on Mike Evans, following him around the formation. Evans still caught five passes for 56 yards but Stingley did record two pass break-ups on quick throws intended for the Bucs' top receiver. The Jets also employ one of the NFL's top cover corners in fourth-year man Sauce Gardner; will they choose the same strategy in regards to Evans that the Texans did? The absence of Chris Godwin and the injury status of rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka could push them in that direction. If so, the Bucs will need Evans to win some of the battles and they'll also need some other receivers to step up, particularly if Egbuka can't play.
