Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles Names 'Challenging' Commanders Unit

Opening the 2024 NFL season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers face a significant challenge as their offensive line goes up against the formidable Washington Commanders’ defense.

David Harrison | Sep 3, 2024

Jan 9, 2021; Landover, Maryland, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) is sacked by Washington Football Team nose tackle Daron Payne (94) in the fourth quarter at FedExField. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports / Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

In this story:

On paper, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are opening the 2024 NFL Season with perhaps the easiest matchup of them all — outside of hosting the Carolina Panthers.

In 2023, the Washington Commanders earned the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft with a four-win record that looked much uglier than the Buccaneers’ Week 1 opponent looked in the win-loss column.

Of course, games aren’t played on paper and the records of teams from last year don’t necessarily matter. Especially when Tampa Bay is facing a team with so much roster turnover — 62 percent of the Commanders’ initial 53-man roster is different than it was last year.

Two of the 38 percent that was kept are defensive tackles Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, two of the best in the business when they’re firing on all cylinders, which will make the play of the Bucs’ offensive line all the more important in Week 1.

“It’s going to be huge,” Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said about his offensive line’s play against their upcoming opponent. “They’ve got some talented players up there… We don’t play any scrubs anymore. Nobody is playing their three’s and four’s [like] in preseason, so it’s going to be a tough challenge. We know they’re a tough bunch. They get off the ball very well. Dan [Quinn] is a great defensive coach. It’s going to be a challenge for them.”

Quinn, the new head coach in Washington, brought Joe Whitt Jr. to bring his defensive coordinator from the Dallas Cowboys.

Together, they’ll bring an aggressive style of defense that will look familiar from the three matchups in the last three seasons the Bucs have seen it from the Cowboys, but it won’t look the same.

Neither will the Washington offense led by offensive coordinator Kliff Kingsbury, making his return to the NFL this year, and rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels. That will leave Bowles very little tape to figure out what to expect from his Week 1 opponent.

The Commanders and Buccaneers are scheduled to kickoff at 4:25 p.m. ET inside Raymond James Stadium this Sunday.

Stick with BucsGameday for more FREE coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2024 NFL Season!

Follow BucsGameday on Twitter and Facebook

More Tampa Bay Buccaneers News

• Buccaneers Rookie Running Back Poised to Make Impact in 2024

• Why The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Can Win Super Bowl LIX

• Buccaneers QB Ranks Among NFL’s Worst Backups

• Buccaneers Embracing Undrafted Talent in 2024

Published Sep 3, 2024

DAVID HARRISON

David Harrison has been in sports media since 2015 using written, audio, and video media to cover athletes, coaches, and games. In addition to covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for BucsGameday and Locked On Bucs he also covers the Washington Commanders for Commander Country and Locked On Commanders and the Washington Wizards for Inside the Wizards. David also covers the NFL as a whole as one of the Friday hosts for Locked On NFL. He is a graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism at Arizona State University and previously spent 20 years as an active member of the United States Army. Contact David via email at david.w.harrison82@gmail.com or on Twitter @DHarrison82.