2024 NFC South Division Champions Tampa Bay Buccaneers Schedule Review - Season 48 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL Bucs Fan TEAM ZONE, Season Highlights, Scores and Stats 2024 BuccaneersFan Sunday, December 01, 2024

2024 Tampa Bay Buccaneers Season 49 Brief

Our 2024 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season is the franchise's 49th in the National Football League, the 27th season playing home games at Raymond James Stadium and third season under the coaching leadership of head coach Todd Bowles. The Buccaneers enter the season as the three-time defending National Football Conference South champions.

2023 Stats Brief VS. OPPONENTS

286. TOTAL FIRST DOWNS TOTAL 1ST DOWNS.
71 182 33. 1ST DOWNS Rushing Passing By Penalty.
92 / 220. THIRD DOWN CONVERSIONS 3RD DOWN CONVERSIONS.
12 / 18. FOURTH DOWN CONVERSIONS 4TH DOWN CONVERSIONS.
5093. TOTAL OFFENSIVE YARDS.
983 5.2. OFFENSE Plays Average Yards.
1396. TOTAL RUSHING YARDS.
410 3.4.

2024 Draft Notes

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were the team no one saw coming in 2023. Expectations were exceeded as Baker Mayfield led the franchise to a NFC South division title, and a playoff win. They now head into the off-season hoping to build on that success with additions through the draft. With what could be some big time veteran departures, they will need to maximize every pick..

Round 1 - Selection 26: T Graham Barton, Duke.
Round 2 - Selection 57: EDGE Chris Braswell, Alabama
Round 3 - Selection 89: S Tykee Smith, Georgia
Round 3 - Selection 92: WR Jalen McMillian, Washington
Round 4 - Selection 125: RB Bucky Irving, Oregon
Round 6 - Selection 220: G Elijah Klien, UTEP
Round 7 - Selection 246: TE Devin Culp, Washington
Notes:
Barton — Tampa Bay is set at tackle with Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke, so Barton is sure to play inside. He has experience at center and enough athleticism to play anywhere up front. Barton earned an 88.7 overall PFF grade across the last two seasons, which stands as the fifth-best among all FBS tackles in that span.
Braswell — The Buccaneers pick up a consistent power-based outside linebacker in Chris Braswell. He isn’t as explosive as his Alabama teammate Dallas Turner, but he led the SEC in pressures in 2023 and provides a solid anchor on the edge in the run game. He is likely to be an immediate starter for the Buccaneers.
Smith — The second Georgia safety to come off the board, Smith is the perfect player to stack the box and add aggressiveness to a defense. Smith will have no problem setting the edge in the run game and graded well in the SEC, earning the third-best run-defense grade among safeties (84.0). He lacks the long speed to be a deep coverage player but has a role in the Buccaneers' secondary.
McMillan — McMillan is the 15th receiver off the board and finds himself in a great situation in Tampa Bay. A weapon out of the slot, he recorded 14 touchdowns since 2022, most among Power Five receivers. In an offense with big-time playmakers, McMillan was prioritized in Washington. A nuanced route runner, he’ll need to lean into that strength, as he doesn’t have the top-end speed to take the top off defenses
Irving — The Buccaneers add one of the toughest running backs to tackle in this draft, as Irving forced 136 missed tackles over the past two seasons to rank second among Power Five running backs. His 96.1 PFF rushing grade in that span also ranks second.
Klein — Klein wasn’t on the PFF big board or consensus board, but he did post some impressive numbers as a pass blocker in his final season at UTEP. He earned a 93.5 PFF pass-blocking grade in 2023, allowing just three total pressures from 372 pass-blocking snaps.
Culp — Culp was limited as a receiver, catching 16 passes for 208 yards on 23 targets. He was solid as a run blocker, though, earning a 73.2 PFF run-blocking grade in 2023.

2024 SEASON Gameday Notes

Week 1: Home vs. Washington Commanders

The Buccaneers won on opening day for the fourth consecutive season, the longest such streak in franchise history . Baker Mayfield threw for 289 yards and four touchdown passes as Tampa Bay defeated Washington 37–20. Mike Evans caught two of the touchdown passes, while rookie Jalen McMillan caught his first touchdown in his first career NFL game. Washington rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels led all rushers on the day with 88 yards and two touchdowns, but the Buccaneers defense for the most part stymied the Commanders offense throughout the game, the Buccaneers started off the season 1-0.

Week 2: Away vs. Detroit Lions

Tampa Bay visited Detroit in a rematch of the previous season's Divisional round playoff game. Quarterback Baker Mayfield threw a 41-yard touchdown pass to Chris Godwin in the first half. Mayfield then scored on an 11-yard designed quarterback run in the third quarter. The Buccaneers defeated the Lions 20–16, and started the season 2-0 for the fourth consecutive season. Aidan Hutchinson compiled 41⁄2 sacks for the Lions, and Mayfield threw one interception. But miscues by the Lions ruined their chances to win. With less than 10 seconds left and counting in the first half, the Lions were trying to spike the ball to set up a field goal attempt. However, the kicking unit had come out onto the field prematurely, and the Lions were penalized for too many men on the field. The drive came up empty. During the fourth quarter, Detroit was in Tampa Bay territory three times, but all three drives failed to produce any points.

Week 3: Home vs. Denver Broncos

Just when the Buccaneers felt like they were finally getting the respect they deserved, they fell flat on their face in a home game they needed to win. Tampa Bay picked up their first loss of the season, falling to 2-1. There’s no question that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — coming off two very impressive victories to start the season — were expected to dominate the struggling Denver Broncos. Were the Buccaneers beat up coming into this game? Yes, very much so. But as they proved in Week 2 vs. the powerhouse Detroit Lions, the Bucs have more depth than most people gave them credit for coming into the year.

Week 4: Away vs. Philadelphia Eagles

The Buccaneers dominated the Eagles 33-16 in Week Four. The Buccaneers dominated the Eagles in a 33-16 rousing victory in Week Four and advance to a 3-1 record. Baker Mayfield completed 30-of-47 attempts for 347 yards and two touchdowns for a 100.2 quarterback rating.

X-Factor of the game was Tom Brady Returns (In the Booth). Brady will be a special gameday commentator for this clash. After retiring from his illustrious playing career, Brady was set to add his expert insight to the broadcast. His knowledge of the game, especially having led the Bucs to a Super Bowl victory, added a new personalized dynamic to the gameday commentary, giving us BUCS fans a unique perspective on the team's strategies. The battle proved Tampa Bay is still among the elite teams in the NFC. Thank you GOAT, for providing your creative swag. Let’s get ready for another exciting NFL showdown next week GO BUCS!

Week 5: Away vs. Atlanta Falcons

As a Buccaneers fan, this Thursday Night Football game was a disappointment. The defense struggled to contain the Falcons' offense, allowing key drives that cost us points. Baker Mayfield's passing lacked consistency, and the offensive line couldn't protect him from pressure. Missed tackles and penalties further added to the frustration, while the lack of a strong running game made it tough to control the clock. This was a game we should have won, but the team fell short in critical moments, leaving a sour taste heading into the weekend.

Week 6: Away vs. New Orleans Saints

Tampa Bay faced rival New Orleans, just three days after Hurricane Milton made landfall just south of the Tampa Bay area. The team evacuated their headquarters in Tampa on Tuesday, and spent most of the week in New Orleans. They practiced at Tulane in preparations for the game. With Saints quarterback Derek Carr out with an oblique injury, rookie Spencer Rattler would make his first career NFL start for New Orleans.

The Buccaneers jumped out to a 17–0 lead in the first quarter. However, the Saints stormed into the lead scoring 20 unanswered points. After three interceptions and a punt return touchdown, the Saints took a 27–24 lead into halftime. After the wild first half, Tampa Bay took over the game in the second half. The Buccaneers pulled away for a 51–27 victory, shutting out the Saints in the second half. Spencer Rattler was intercepted twice, and Baker Mayfield rebounded to finish with 325 yards and 4 touchdown passes.

Tampa Bay racked up a franchise record 594 net offensive yards, and their 51 points was the second-highest total in team history. The Buccaneers became the fifth team in NFL history to achieve 300+ yards passing and 275+ yards rushing in the same game. After the game, the players dedicated their performance to "everyone back home" recovering from the storm.

Week 7: Home vs. Baltimore Ravens

On the opening drive, Mike Evans caught a 25-yard touchdown pass from Baker Mayfield. As a result, Evans became the 11th player in NFL history with 100 career touchdown receptions. Evans, however, left the game early in the second quarter with a hamstring injury.

Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson threw five touchdown passes, as the Ravens defeated the Buccaneers 41–31. Down by 10 points in the final minute, wide receiver Chris Godwin was lost for the season, after suffering a dislocated ankle.

Week 8: Home vs. Atlanta Falcons

Quarterback Baker Mayfield threw two interceptions, and a fumble on the opening drive by Rachaad White cost Tampa Bay dearly, as they fell to Atlanta 31–26. The Falcon swept the season series, and took over sole possession of first place in the NFC South. With 6 seconds left in regulation, Mayfield's hail mary pass to the endzone was caught by Rakim Jarrett - but out of bounds - as time expired.

Week 9: Away vs. Kansas City Chiefs

In a rematch of Super Bowl LV, Tampa Bay faced Kansas City on Monday Night Football. Quarterback Baker Mayfield found Ryan Miller for a 1-yard touchdown pass with 27 seconds left in regulation, instead of going for the Two-Point conversion coaching decided to tie the game at 24–24 with a field goal. The game went to overtime, and Kansas City won the toss with HEADS taking possesion and scoring a touchdown on their first possession winning 24-31.

Week 10: Home vs. San Francisco 49ers

Quarterback Baker Mayfield was held to just 116 yards passing, however, he drove the Buccaneers to a game-tying field goal with 41 seconds remaining in regulation. With the score tied 20–20, Jake Moody - who had missed three field goals on the day - kicked a 44-yard field goal as time expired. San Francisco won 23–20, and Tampa Bay lost their fourth straight.

Week 11: * BYE *

Week 12: Away vs. New York Giants

After a bye week, Buccaneers traveled to the New York Giants. The Giants had released Daniel Jones during the week, and Tommy DeVito started for them at quarterback. The BUCS dominated the Giants, stretching out to a 30–0 lead after three quarters, and finished with a 30–7 victory. Baker Mayfield threw for 294 yards, and ran for a touchdown, as the Tampa Bay offense racked up 450 total yards. The Buccaneers defense sacked DeVito four times, forced one turnover (fumble), plus two turnovers on downs. The win snapped a four-game losing streak for Tampa Bay.
After missing three games with a hamstring injury, Mike Evans was back in the starting lineup. Evans caught 5 passes for 68 yards.