Ranking the Buccaneers NFC South rivals heading into 2024 season
By Brad Smith
On April 24, 1974, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were established as an expansion team in the American Football Conference. For the next 50 seasons, the Buccaneers have enjoyed success and failure during their time as a team in the NFL.
At the start of their existence, Tampa Bay was regarded as a perennial losing franchise after suffering 26 consecutive losses in their first two seasons, including a winless inaugural season. The Bucs would also piece together 14 consecutive losing seasons from 1983 to 1996—the most in NFL history—contributing to their league-worst overall winning percentage of .406.
Even so, Tampa Bay has found sustainable success at times, as the Bucs were the first post-merger expansion team to clinch a division title, win a playoff game, and host a conference championship, all of which they accomplished by their fourth season in 1979.
In addition, Tampa Bay won Super Bowl XXXVII and Super Bowl LVI in the 2002-2003 and 2020-2021 seasons, joining Baltimore as the only two NFL franchises that are undefeated in multiple Super Bowl appearances.
As an expansion team alongside Seattle, Tampa Bay was moved around the league's conferences and divisions at the start, as they played its first season in the AFC West division and later joined the NFC Central prior to the 1997 season.
Due to the league's realignment before the 2002 season, the Buccaneers joined three former NFC West teams to form the NFC South, and have remained there since then. With over 20 years in the NFC South, the Bucs have developed notable rivalries with their three division foes, which are ranked below.
No. 1 Rivalry: Buccaneers vs Falcons
While Tampa Bay and Atlanta first played each first time in 1977, one year after the Buccaneers joined the NFL as the newest expansion team, it wasn't until 2002 when a true rivalry formed. At that point, the Buccaneers and Falcons were two of the four teams that formed the NFC South, along with the Saints and the Panthers.
Dating back to the 2002 season, their first as division rivals, Tampa Bay has played Atlanta 61 times in their rivalry. Entering 2024, the Buccaneers have the slight edge over the Falcons in the rivalry, winning 31 of the 61 meetings, a one-game edge over Atlanta.
Recently, Tampa Bay has owned Atlanta, winning seven of the last ten meetings dating back to November of 2019. In addition, the Bucs lead the Falcons in NFC South division titles, NFC Championships, and Super Bowl Championships, showing just how one-sided of a rilvary it's been recently.
That said, the Falcons haven't gone down without a fight to the Bucs, finishing second or third in the division in 14 of the 22 seasons as part of the NFC South. This season, Atlanta is in a prime spot to knock off the Bucs' three-year streak of NFC South division titles after a busy offseason.
Following three straight 7-10 seasons under head coach Arthur Smith and Desmond Ridder, Atlanta parted ways with both this offseason and landed home-run replacements at both spots. Not only did the Falcons hire former Rams' assistant Raheem Morris as their head coach, but signed four-time Pro Bowl quarterback Kirk Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract in free agency.
With Cousins coming off a torn Achilles in 2023, Atlanta added insurance in the draft, selecting Washington's Michael Penix with the No. 8 pick in the draft. Elsewhere, Atlanta signed Darnell Mooney to a three-year, $30 million deal and traded Ridder for Rondale Moore from Arizona. With Drake London, Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, and Kyle Pitts all returning in 2024, along with offensive linemen Jake Matthews and Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta's offense may clear Tampa Bay's offense as the best in the division.
Defensively, the Falcons may be just as explosive as on offense, with having seven returning players total 3.0+ sacks from last season. Similarly, Atlanta will enter 2024 with one of the best secondary duos in corner AJ Terrell and Jessie Bates. Coupled with second-and-third round rookies Ruke Orhorhoro and Bralen Trice, and Atlanta has one of the more well-rounded rosters in the league.
This season, the Bucs will play the Falcons on Thursday Night Football on October 3 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium at 7:15 for their first matchup of the season. Three weeks later, Tampa Bay returns to Raymond James Stadium to face Atlanta at home for their final matchup of 2024.