The Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally got dates for the games against their 2025 opponents, and have a clear path to either another Super Bowl boat parade or another offseason of "what if?"
It all starts with the preseason beginning at home on Aug. 9 against the Tennessee Titans as the team will start rounding out its final 53-man final roster ahead of the Aug. 27 deadline. Then the real season starts on Sept. 7 on the road against division rival Atlanta.
In between the Atlanta opener and the season finale against another South rival, Carolina on Jan. 4, there are several interesting matchups, but Buccaneers.com staff writer Breanna Dix picked one that stands out above all others, and with a good reason. She believes the Week 7 road matchup with the Detroit Lions is one of the more important on the calendar for 2025.
"This is a marquee matchup for the Buccaneers that will undoubtedly feel like a playoff game," Dix wrote. "The Bucs will play on Monday Night Football when they visit the Lions in Week Seven. Including playoffs, the Bucs will be embarking on their fifth trip to Detroit since 2019, which is two more trips than they have made to any other non-divisional opponent during that span. A rivalry has sparked between the two teams and this clash will be on a national stage on Oct. 20. For any football fanatic, it does not get any better than this.
"This matchup, that pits two No. 1 overall picks against one another in Baker Mayfield and Jared Goff, along with two power NFC teams, is poised to be a riveting battle for four quarters inside Ford Field. For me personally, I love the hostile environment inside their stadium. The press box is open air, which means while typing and analyzing, I get to experience the palpable excitement and roar of the crowd from my seat. With a cast of explosive skill players on both sidelines, this contest is one I will have circled on the calendar."
Non-division rivals in the NFL are usually established when two teams meet frequently with postseason implications on the line or in the playoffs. Think Bills vs. Chiefs and Cowboys vs. 49ers.
This new Lions vs. Bucs rivalry could be one of the new "must-watch" contests in the NFL.