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The NFL schedule is out. But will the coronavirus allow it to happen that way?

The NFL added a wrinkle or two that could offer some flexibility, if the COVID-19 pandemic requires changes.
 
Cars are lined up in the parking lot outside of Raymond James Stadium on March 25 as Tampa residents arrive for coronavirus testing. Will the current pandemic keep the stadium from opening as planned in September for the NFL season?
Cars are lined up in the parking lot outside of Raymond James Stadium on March 25 as Tampa residents arrive for coronavirus testing. Will the current pandemic keep the stadium from opening as planned in September for the NFL season? [ LUIS SANTANA | Times ]
Published May 8, 2020

The NFL spent days hyping the release of its 2020 master schedule. After it was finally released Thursday night, pundits and prognosticators spent hours dissecting every game from every angle.

But here’s something no talking head or head coach can answer: Will the season be able to play out as the NFL meticulously laid out? Or will the coronavirus pandemic force alterations or cancellations, potentially affecting the Feb. 7 Super Bowl in Tampa?

Related: Bucs open with Saints, have five prime-time games slated

“The plan is to move forward as normal, to play a full season, a full schedule, until the medical community tells us otherwise…” NFL executive vice president of football operations Troy Vincent told the NFL Network. “That’s been our approach from Day 1.

“Let’s just make sure that we’re responsible. Any guidelines as it pertains to what the governors’ orders are for the stay-at-home policies, let’s just make sure that we’re aligned, we’re following those guidelines.”

The NFL seemed to build a few possible contingency plans into its master schedule, so it can adjust to whatever guidelines are enacted between now and when the confetti falls at Raymond James Stadium.

Every team shares a bye week with its Week 2 opponent, ESPN noted. If the Bucs can’t host the Panthers on Sept. 20, they could easily meet on their mutual open date in Week 13.

Related: PRINTABLE BUCS 2020 SCHEDULE

Every team also has two home games and two away games in the first four weeks. That could allow the league to chop off four weeks of the season without creating a competitive imbalance because of travel.

And earlier in the week, the NFL announced that it canceled its five international games (four in London, one in Mexico City) to prevent travel complications and allow for consistent safety procedures.

There were, however, some potential changes the league did not include. It kept its traditional four-game preseason schedule instead of abandoning it to add more flexibility to the games that matter.

Related: A rivalry rekindled: Bucs’ Tom Brady vs. Saints’ Drew Brees

The NFL chose not to front load teams with four consecutive non-divisional games — contests that could have been scrapped entirely while still preserving the playoff race. The Bucs open with back-to-back NFC South games with the others sprinkled throughout their final 14 games.

Depending on how the pandemic evolves, the league could have one other potential option, too: Push back the end of the season by moving Super Bowl 55.

ESPN and the Sports Business Journal have both speculated that the game could be delayed until later in February, allowing more time for a full 16-game regular season plus the playoffs. Local organizers have said little about anything other than the game’s long-scheduled date.

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“The Road to #TampaBayLV” has been released!” the host committee tweeted Thursday night. “Who will we see invade Tampa Bay on February 7, 2021?”

Other professional leagues have already had to readjust their already adjusted schedules because of the pandemic.

The PGA Tour pushed back its return from mid-May to June. NASCAR reset its schedule in April, then delayed its restart another week to May 17 at Darlington. IndyCar has updated its plans twice, too, and still hasn’t officially announced a date for its expected season finale, the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg.

But Vincent told the NFL Network: “There’s no other schedule.”

Will he and the rest of the league still be saying that in July, or September, or November?