For the fourth time in three years, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions will be clashing in a high stakes game. It'll be the third time that it's one of the marquee games in a given week and the first time since the 2023 NFC Divisional Round that the game is on national television.
It's the first time since 1998 that they'll meet under the bright lights of Monday Night Football.
Earlier this year the Bucs mercifully snapped a long-standing primetime curse, on that extended back to Tom Brady's final year in Tampa Bay. Before beating the Texans in Week 2, the Bucs hadn't won a regular season primetime game since December 2022 -- so it had been a while.
READ: Is Mike Evans playing for the Bucs in Week 7 vs. Lions?
Ending that curse is a microcosm of the Good Vibes that have been building all season. At seemingly every turn, the Bucs have subverted our expectations and pleasantly surprised fans with an outcome we're not used to seeing.
Beating the Texans on MNF, three straight last-minute comebacks in the first three games, and surviving a shootout in Seattle have all been situations we've watched the Bucs be on the wrong side of for decades.
That's why the vibes are high heading into a game against a very good Lions team on national television isn't giving fans the sort of anxiety it once did. The Bucs have an MVP candidate in Baker Mayfield, a slew of offensive weapons, and a will that has powered them to unexpected victories.
Anything can happen, but for the first time in a long time the expectation isn't that it'll be something bad.
What channel is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers game on today? (October 20th)
Here's everything you need to know to catch tonight's Monday Night Football game between the Bucs and Lions:
- Date: Monday, October 20th
- Start Time: 7:00 pm ET
- Location: Ford Field | Detroit, MI
- TV Channel: ABC
- Announcers: Joe Buck, Troy Aikman
- Radio: WXTB 97.9 FM
- Live Stream: NFL+ | Fubo
Keep in mind there are two Monday Night Football games tonight, thanks to ESPN having yet another doubleheader. It's the final doubleheader of the season, so there's that, but it means the Bucs won't be on in the traditional way they otherwise might.
The good news is the other game features the Seahawks hosting the Texans, which means a later start time than usual. As a result of that, and the Bucs-Lions game being far more attractive, the action will be on ABC with the A-Team of Joe Buck and Troy Aikman on the call.
It'll essentially be the exact same as the way things were back in Week 2 when the Bucs split a doubleheader slate when they beat Houston. The game is on ABC, it's the same start time, so plan accordingly to make sure you don't miss the action.