
Week 8, Sun, Nov 1, 1:00 PM local
Atlanta Falconsat Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Raymond James Stadium, Tampa. Fly into TPA.
Build the questThe matchup
Form, ESPN's model and the stat leaders
- Form
The Falcons are 1-2 after 3 games, 3rd in the NFC South.
They are 1-1 on the road.
The Buccaneers are 0-3 after 3 games, 4th in the NFC South.
They have lost 3 in a row.
They are 0-2 at home.
What we know about Raymond James Stadium
Where visiting fans stay
From a specialist guide- Westshore / International Plaza. 25 min. walk (roughly 1-1. No public transport runs to Raymond James Stadium on game day. Your best bet is a short rideshare, since fares surge but stay cheap over this distance. Westshore sits about a mile from the stadium. The AC Hotel Tampa Airport is 0.9 miles away. The Renaissance International Plaza is 1.2 miles away, near a mall full of restaurants and the Boy Scout Boulevard dining strip. TPA airport is ten minutes away. Some fans walk it.
- Downtown Tampa / Channelside. rideshare only, no game-day transit service exists. Pick this if you want a city weekend, not a mall weekend. You get the riverwalk, Amalie Arena, Sparkman Wharf, and the free TECO Line streetcar to Ybor City. There is no transit link to the stadium. Budget a rideshare each way, about 5 miles, with heavy surge and long lines after the game.
Around the stadium
From a specialist guideGetting in from the airport
Checked at the sourceGetting to the stadium
From a specialist guideTailgating
Checked at the sourceGetting in
Checked at the source- Bag policy: This is the strictest bag policy in the group, a true no-bag venue. Only one small clutch bag is allowed, no larger than 4.5 by 6.5 inches. The clear 12x6x12 bag allowed at other stadiums is not admitted here. Storage lockers rent on Tom McEwen Blvd near the Suzuki Marine Gate. No medical, diaper, or breast-pump exception is published.
- Re-entry: Re-entry is not permitted except for a medical emergency. This is a stadium rule. Parking passes are separately not valid for re-entry into the parking lots.
- Prohibited items: Banned: all bags beyond one small clutch; glass and plastic bottles, cans, and hard-sided containers; coolers; aerosol sunscreen; umbrellas; professional cameras with detachable lenses, video recorders, GoPros, and tripods; noisemakers; weapons; smoking and tobacco; drones.
Touring the stadium
Checked at the sourceAfter the final whistle
From a specialist guideOne thing to avoid
From a specialist guideBars near the stadium
Checked at the sourceBucs Beach (South Plaza)
South Plaza, off Tampa Bay Blvd, Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL
Tampa has no walkable bar district, so Bucs Beach is the answer. It's free, open to the public, and needs no ticket, opening 3.5 hours before kickoff.
Away fans: mixed
La Teresita Restaurant
3248 West Columbus Drive, Tampa, FL 33607
The Capdevila family has run La Teresita since 1972. More than five decades of Cuban and Spanish cooking on Columbus Drive.
Cigar City Brewing - Tampa Taproom
3924 West Spruce Street, Tampa, FL 33607
Cigar City opened in 2009 and put Tampa on the American craft-beer map. Its Spruce Street taproom is the closest thing on the stadium's ring road to a destination room.
Sidequests in Tampa
In the order they happen. Each one earns points.
- Tour100 points
Raymond James Stadium tour
Walk the club level, a suite, the pirate ship, and both locker rooms on this 75-minute tour. Runs daily at 2 PM, $16.56 for adults, $10.35 for kids 5 to 11. No weekend or game day tours.
$. The day before. Bookable
- Eat65 points
Honey Cuban sandwich at West Tampa Sandwich Shop
Order the honey Cuban at this West Tampa counter spot, a mile east of the stadium. Open since 1992, Monday to Saturday, 6 AM to 3 PM.
$. The day before
- Outing40 points
Glazer Children's Museum
This hands-on museum sits on the Riverwalk at Gasparilla Plaza. Open Tuesday to Sunday, 9:30 AM to 5 PM during the school year. Tickets run $27.95, $22.95 for Florida residents, free under age 1.
$$. The day before
- Landmark65 points
Ybor City's 7th Avenue
Vicente Martinez Ybor founded this cigar district in 1885; its factories rolled 500 million cigars in 1929. It is now a National Historic Landmark District. Seventh Avenue made America's 10 Great Streets list in 2008.
Free. The day before
- Landmark65 points
Ride the free TECO Line streetcar
This free streetcar covers 2.7 miles between downtown Tampa, the Channel District and Ybor City. Eleven covered stations, cars every 15 minutes, seven days a week. Ride it from the Riverwalk to dinner in Ybor.
Free. The day before
- Eat65 points
Dinner at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City
Spanish-Cuban restaurant founded 1905, filling a city block with fifteen dining rooms. Known for the 1905 Salad and Cuban sandwich, flamenco shows in the El Siboney room. Sunday hours 11 AM to 9 PM.
$$$. 19 hours before kickoff
- Photo25 points
Tampa Riverwalk at Curtis Hixon Park
This paved path runs 2.6 miles along the Hillsborough River through downtown, linking parks, museums and restaurants. By Curtis Hixon Waterfront Park, you face the river and the University of Tampa minarets across the water.
Free. 19 hours before kickoff
- Drink25 points
Hattricks sports bar downtown
TVs cover every wall at this Franklin Street bar for Bucs, Lightning and Rays games. It throws pregame parties for arena events nearby. Opens 11 AM, closing time varies, so call first.
$$. 18 hours before kickoff
- Eat65 points
Cuban bread breakfast at La Segunda Bakery
Ybor City bakery open since 1915, baking more than 18,000 loaves of Cuban bread a day. Open 6:30 AM to 3 PM daily, good for an early Sunday stop before the stadium.
$. 5 hours before kickoff
- Ritual25 points
Cannon fire from the pirate ship
Built in 1998 as a scaled replica of an 1800s ship, the pirate ship fires its cannons during Bucs games. It closes to visitors on event days. You need a ticket to see it.
$$$. At kickoff
- Eat65 points
Post-game steak at Bern's Steak House
Steaks dry age five to eight weeks at this Tampa house, open since 1956. The cellar holds over half a million bottles; save room for the Harry Waugh Dessert Room. Open Sunday 5 to 10 PM, book ahead.
$$$. 5 hours after kickoff
Seats and views
Where each part of Raymond James Stadium sits, and what you see from it.