Ranking the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 5 Best Games on Their 2024 Schedule

Tampa Bay plays some marquee opponents in 2024, and we've ranked some of the best.

Jan 15, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a first-place schedule, and as a result, plenty of great games for football fans to watch. It will likely be a tough road for the Bucs, but coach Todd Bowles and his squad are likely jumping at the chance to prove that they can play with the league's best.

READ MORE: Tampa Bay Buccaneers and NFC South Snubbed in MVP Candidate Rankings?

It was tough to choose, but here are our five games to watch for Bucs fans in 2024, ranked:

5. Atlanta Falcons, Week 5 (Thursday Night Football)

Dec 10, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Falcons cornerback Clark Phillips III (34) breaks up a / Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

The Falcons are set to be Tampa Bay's biggest rivals in 2024 for the NFC South, and their first matchup with each other is under the lights in Atlanta. This will be a big matchup for the NFC South, and it should be a good way to get a look at how the battle between the two teams will go going forward. Tampa Bay plays Atlanta at home again in Week 8, so the NFC South could have a frontrunner sooner than later.

4. New Orleans Saints, Week 18 (TBA)

Dec 31, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws the / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

The Bucs and the Saints have developed quite the rivalry over the years (despite what some Saints fans may tell you). Just like that Week 5 game in primetime will be an indicator, this game could decide the NFC South much like Tampa Bay's last two games in 2023. This one will be played at home just like last year's Week 17 game, but the Bucs will hope to win this time around.

READ MORE: The Toughest Stretch of Games for Each NFC South Team in 2024

3. Philadelphia Eagles, Week 4

Jan 15, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Chase Edmonds (22) is tackled / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

The Bucs and the Eagles also go way back, although you don't have to go too far for the last meeting when Tampa Bay obliterated them in the first round of the playoffs in 2023. The Eagles are trying to get back on track after a massive collapse at the end of the year, and Tampa Bay will look to prove that they can still hang with top teams. The Bucs lost their regular season matchup against Philadelphia last year, but they'll hope to establish themselves early with a win over them this year.

2. Baltimore Ravens, Week 7 (Monday Night Football)

Aug 26, 2023; Tampa, Florida, USA; Baltimore Ravens running back Justice Hill (43) tackles Tampa Bay / Kim Klement Neitzel-USA TODAY Sports

Lamar Jackson is one of the NFL's best quarterbacks, coming off an MVP bid in 2023. The Ravens have a dynamic offense and a tough defense, making them a perfect test for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — the game is also on primetime in Monday Night Football, so it will be another opportunity to show the NFL world what they're made of. This game will be a tough win, but if the Bucs do it, they'll be a true NFL contender.

1. Kansas City Chiefs, Week 9 (Monday Night Football)

To be the best, you gotta beat the best, and the Chiefs are definitively the best team in the NFL. This is one of Tampa Bay's two Monday night games, but unlike the Ravens game, they'll have to go into the heart of Chiefs Kingdom in Arrowhead Stadium to try and eke out a win. Tampa Bay hasn't beaten the Chiefs in the regular season since 2016, though fans of both teams will remember when Tom Brady led the Bucs to a Super Bowl in 2021 over Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the offseason.

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