It may not be the most celebrated rivalry in the NFL, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Kansas City Chiefs have become appointment viewing for the league at large in recent years. They're scheduled to meet again in in Kansas City Week Nine of the 2024 season, and of course the game will be staged on Monday Night Football in front of a national audience. The same was true two years ago when the Chiefs came to Tampa for a Sunday Night Football showdown between Patrick Mahomes and Tom Brady, and the two teams didn't disappoint, with nearly 800 yards of total offense in a 41-31 win for the visitors.

This all stems, of course, from one of the most glorious nights in Buccaneers franchise history. This was another Brady-Mahomes showdown, and it was on the biggest stage imaginable. The Buccaneers stunned Kansas City, 31-9, in Super Bowl LV to conclude the 2020 season, one of only two out of the last five that didn't end with the Chiefs hoisting the Lombardi Trophy. Mahomes was held out of the end zone in an NFL start for the first time in his career, but he still dazzled with some of the most remarkable off-platform throws while under heavy and constant pressure.

There's no more Brady in this Bucs-Chiefs series, but there's plenty of drama. The Chiefs are the NFL's last undefeated team as they seek to became the first franchise ever to three-peat in the Super Bowl. The Buccaneers remain contenders and have one of the NFL's most explosive offenses but two straight losses have dropped them to .500 and put them in need of a course correction, particularly on defense.

Mahomes is still around, of course, and he's doing what it takes to get victories for his team despite some uncharacteristic passing numbers, most notably eight touchdowns and nine interceptions through seven games. Mahomes continues to make the plays with both his arm and his legs that his team needs in the most crucial moments.

"I think he sees the game so much better," said Buccaneers Head Coach of how Mahomes has continued to evolve throughout his magnificent career. "Obviously, since he's older, he'll see it a lot better, but he sees stunts at the line, he knows when he can take off, he knows where the line of scrimmage is, when to dump the ball off. He knows what to do to win the game. He's not really looking for stats, he's looking to win the ballgame. That's very rare as a quarterback. That's a winning formula. The ability – the athletic ability – he has is unquestioned with his arm and his legs. He can see the game. It comes easy to him. He makes all 11 guys play honest and be on their A-game to beat him."

The Buccaneers' defense has been stung by some communication breakdowns and injury-forced lineup changes, dropping to 29th in the league against the pass and 30th overall, but it is looking forward to the entertaining challenge of facing Mahomes, Travis Kelce and company.

"Anytime you play Patrick Mahomes it's going to be a battle and it's going to be fun, because he throws the ball a lot," said safety Jordan Whitehead. "So it's fun for the DBs. The things he can do on his feet, and then his arm, throwing it…I think he threw like a 70-yard pass in the air the other day. We were watching it on film. When you're deep, you've got to stay deep. When you're in man-to-man you've got to make sure you plaster. It's going to be a fun one."

The national spotlight takes that challenge up another notch.

"It's always fun playing them," said safety Antoine Winfield Jr. "They're a great team. Monday night – what a perfect time to go out there and face them."

The Buccaneers believe they can fix the issues that have led to the high number of yards and points allowed in recent games and resulted in a 1-3 stretch after a 3-1 start.

"We're making strides," said Bowles. "We can make 62 good plays and five bad plays, and it goes haywire. We've got to cut out the bad plays. We understand that. We're working on it daily. If we cut out the bad plays and play the rest of the game, we'll be okay. We've just got to cut out the bad ones."

After the Buccaneers' 31-26 loss to the Atlanta Falcons in Week Eight, Bowles said that 26 points should be enough to win, and the Buccaneers are averaging 29.4 points per game, the fourth-most in the NFL. Baker Mayfield leads the NFL with 21 touchdown passes, the Bucs' rushing attack is as healthy as it has been in years and the team is converting a league-high 52.5% of its third-down attempts. The offense kept right on moving the ball at will in Week Eight despite the losses of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin to injury. If the Buccaneers can tighten up on defense in Week Nine in the hostile Arrowhead Stadium atmosphere, they should be able to join the Chiefs in putting on another very entertaining show for the whole league.

GAME AND BROADCAST DETAILS

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4) at Kansas City Chiefs (7-0)

Monday, November 4, 8:15 p.m. ET

Arrowhead Stadium (capacity: 73,426)

Tampa, Florida

Television: ESPN

TV Broadcast Team: Joe Buck (play-by-play), Troy Aikman (analyst), Lisa Salters (reporter)

Radio: 98Rock (WXTB, 97.9 FM), Flagship Station

Radio Broadcast Team: Gene Deckerhoff (play-by-play), Dave Moore (analyst), T.J. Rives (reporter)

Spanish Radio: 96.1 Caliente

Spanish Radio Broadcast Team: Carlos Bohorquez (play-by-play), Martin Gramática (analyst), Santiago Gramatica (reporter)

ALL-TIME HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES

The Buccaneers and Chiefs have met 14 times previously in the regular season and have, to this point, played to a 7-7 tie. However, Tampa Bay holds one very exquisite tiebreaker from postseason play.

That, of course, was Super Bowl LV, which the Buccaneers won by a convincing 31-9 margin over the Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium on February 7, 2021, becoming the first team in NFL history to capture a Super Bowl title on its home field. The Bucs' swarming defense, led by linebacker Devin White, held the Chiefs' high-powered offense to three field goals, marking just the third in Super Bowl annals that a team had been held without a touchdown. Tampa Bay's defense sacked Patrick Mahomes three times, pressured him relentlessly and picked him off twice, with White's goal-line interception ending the Chiefs' last bid at cracking the end zone.

That was a particularly fine time to exact revenge over a 27-24 win by the Chiefs at Raymond James Stadium earlier that season. That outcome snapped a five-game head-to-head winning streak for Tampa Bay and gave Kansas City its first victory in the series since 1993. Joe Montana was the Chiefs quarterback in that last win; Mahomes was two years and 12 days from being born.

The most recent meeting between the two teams occurred in October of 2022, when the Chiefs came to Raymond James Stadium and rolled to a 41-31 victory on the strength of three Mahomes touchdown passes, including one to tight end Travis Kelce. Tom Brady did his best to keep the Bucs in it, throwing for 385 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions on 52 passes, but the home team couldn't climb back from a 38-17 deficit in the third quarter.

The aforementioned Chiefs win in November of 2020 saw the visitors race out to a quick 17-0 lead, with Tyreek Hill scoring two long touchdowns early and finishing with a career-best line of 13 catches for 269 yards and three touchdowns. The Buccaneers mounted a comeback in the second half and scored on their last two drives with Tom Brady touchdown passes to Mike Evans, pulling to within three with four minutes left, but Mahomes engineered three first downs to run out the rest of the clock.

Even though the Bucs and Chiefs have met just 15 times (postseason included) in 49 years, their shared history has some rather interesting moments. For instance, Tampa Bay's 3-0 victory in the 1979 regular-season finale, which clinched the team's first division title, remains the lowest-scoring contest in franchise history. Contrastingly, the year prior to that the Buccaneers scored big in a 30-13 win at Arrowhead Stadium that was the franchise's first-ever win against an AFC team.

The Buccaneers' five-game winning streak from 1999 to 2016 included three straight contests from 2004-12 in which Tampa Bay's offense was in high gear, leading to final scores of 34-31, 30-27 and 38-10. The middle game in that run went to overtime in Kansas City as the Buccaneers stormed back from a 21-point deficit to win, marking what is still the biggest comeback win in team annals. The Bucs' most recent trip to Kansas City was in 2016, when they upset a 7-2 Chiefs team in Kansas City, 19-17, thanks in large part to a fourth-quarter interception in the end zone by safety Chris Conte.

The Bucs-Chiefs series also featured the notable debut of Montana in Kansas City after he had left the 49ers, who were going with former Buccaneer Steve Young under center. Opposing Montana at quarterback for the Buccaneers was former Chief Steve DeBerg, who had led Kansas City to the AFC Championship Game in 1991, though by the end of Kansas City's 27-3 win he had been relieved by Craig Erickson.

NOTABLE CONNECTIONS

• Buccaneers Senior Advisor to the General Manager Bruce Arians spent four seasons (1989-92) as the running backs coach on Marty Schottenheimer's staff in Kansas City.
• Kevin Ross, Tampa Bay's cornerbacks coach, had a distinguished 14-year playing career in the NFL, most of it with the Chiefs. Ross first arrived as a seventh-round draft pick in 1984 and spent a decade with the team, earning a spot in the franchise's Hall of Fame and its Ring of Honor at Arrowhead Stadium. Ross also returned to Kansas City for his final playing season in 1997.
• Chiefs WR Justin Watson was in that same Tampa Bay 2018 draft class as Jones, arriving as a fifth-round pick. He saw action in 42 games with four starts over four seasons in Tampa, catching 25 passes for 308 yards and three touchdowns and playing extensively on special teams.
• Joe Cullen, who is in his third season as the Chiefs' defensive line coach, held the same post for the Buccaneers in the 2014 and 2015 seasons on Lovie Smith's staff.
• Tampa Bay Special Teams Coordinator Thomas McGaughey broke into the NFL coaching ranks with the Chiefs in 2002, spending one season as the team's assistant special teams coach before landing the coordinator position in Houston the following year.
• Buccaneers wide receiver Cody Thompson, who is currently on the practice squad injured list, first entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Chiefs in 2019. He spent half of his rookie season on Kansas City's practice squad.

SENIOR COACHING STAFFS

Tampa Bay:

• Head Coach Todd Bowles

• Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen
• Run Game Coordinator/Defensive Line Coach Kacy Rodgers
• Pass Game Coordinator/Inside Linebackers Coach Larry Foote
• Special Teams Coordinator Thomas McGaughey

Kansas City:

• Head Coach Andy Reid

• Offensive Coordinator Matt Nagy
• Defensive Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo
• Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator Dave Toub

KEY 2024 ROSTER ADDITIONS

Buccaneers:

• C Graham Barton (1st-round draft pick)
• OLB Chris Braswell (2nd-round draft pick)
• G Ben Bredeson (UFA)
• TE Devin Culp (7th-round draft pick)
• P Trenton Gill (FA)
• CB Bryce Hall (UFA)
• RB Bucky Irving (4th-round draft pick)
• WR Kameron Johnson (UDFA)
• G Elijah Klein (6th-round draft pick)
• WR Jalen McMillan (3rd-round draft pick)
• G Royce Newman (W-GB)
• S Tykee Smith (3rd-round draft pick)
• CB Tavierre Thomas (UFA)
• S Jordan Whitehead (UFA)

Chiefs:

• P Matt Araiza (FA)
• WR Marquise Brown (UFA…on injured reserve)
• T Ethan Driskell (UDFA)
• G C.J. Hanson (7th-round draft pick)
• S Jaden Hicks (4th-round draft pick)
• WR DeAndre Hopkins (T-TEN)
• RB Kareem Hunt (FA)
• C Hunter Nourzad (5th-round draft pick)
• RB Samaje Perine (FA)
• CB Chris Roland-Wallace (UDFA)
• WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (FA)
• RB Carson Steele (UDFA)
• T Kingsley Suamataia (2nd-round draft pick)
• OLB Josh Uche (T-NE)
• QB Carson Wentz (UFA)
• TE Jared Wiley (4th-round draft pick)
• WR Xavier Worthy (1st-round draft pick)

ADDITIONAL 2024 CHANGES/DEVELOPMENTS OF NOTE

Buccaneers:

• As Todd Bowles enters his third season as the Bucs' head coach he'll be working with his third offensive coordinator in as many seasons. Last year, Bowles picked former Seattle Quarterbacks Coach Dave Canales to replace Byron Leftwich, but Canales departed this offseason to take over as the head coach of the Panthers. Bowles then turned to Liam Coen, who comes from the Sean McVay coaching tree with the Rams and most recently was the offensive coordinator at the University of Kentucky. Three members of the Bucs' 2023 staff followed Canales to Carolina – Brad Idzik, Harold Goodwin and Joe Gilbert, which led to some other new additions on Bowles staff in 2024. Those include Offensive Line Coach Kevin Carberry, Pass Game Coordinator Josh Grizzard, Wide Receivers Coach Bryan McClendon and Assistant Offensive Line Coach Brian Picucci. In addition, long-time Special Teams Coordinator Keith Armstrong retired in the offseason, so the Bucs brought in Thomas McGaughey as his replacement.
• Under Coen, the Buccaneers' offense is expected to employ quite a bit more pre-snap shifts and movement than it had in 2023, and Coen also plans to widen the variety of the types of runs the ground game employees. One of Coen's other key initiatives in an attempt to get a moribund rushing attack going is to give quarterback Baker Mayfield multiple plays to choose from in the huddle and at the line so that the offense runs into unfavorable looks less often.
• Despite having tight salary cap restrictions, the Buccaneers made it a priority to retain key players from the 2023 season who were scheduled to hit free agency. General Manager Jason Licht and his staff successfully checked off every item on their list of priorities, beginning with a new two-year deal for franchise icon Mike Evans. That helped bring the team's negotiations with quarterback Baker Mayfield to a conclusion. After Mayfield played the 2023 season on a one-year prove-it deal, his resurgence landed him a lucrative new multi-year contract. The Bucs were also able to re-sign linebacker Lavonte David and kicker Chase McLaughlin. With the other deals in the works, the Bucs used the franchise tag on safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and later inking him to a new contract making him the highest-paid defensive back in the NFL.
• All-Pro tackle Tristan Wirfs didn't need a new contract for 2024 but he was entering the final year of his rookie deal and the Buccaneers were highly motivated to lock him in to a new long-term pact. That lengthy process came to a head on August 1, when the two sides agreed on a five-year extension that runs through the 2029 campaign and makes him the highest paid offensive lineman in the NFL.
• In March, the Buccaneers traded cornerback Carlton Davis, who had started 75 games over six seasons with the team, to the Detroit Lions for a third-round pick in this year's draft. The Buccaneers eventually used that pick to select Washington wide receiver Jalen McMillan.

Chiefs:

• Kansas City cornerback L'Jarius Sneed was one of eight players to receive a franchise tag in March of 2024, a list that also included Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. But while Winfield and the Buccaneers were eventually able to work out a long-term contract, Sneed was one of two of those eight players to end up on different teams. In late March, the Chiefs traded Sneed to the Tennessee Titans in exchange for a 2025 third-round pick and a swap of 2024 seventh-rounders that benefitted the Chiefs by 31 slots.
• While the Chiefs traded Sneed, they were able to retain their biggest star on defense. Before the start of free agency, Kansas City reached agreement on a new five-year deal with defensive tackle Chris Jones to make him the highest-paid player at his position in the NFL. The Chiefs had a lot more work to do to keep their defensive front intact, though, eventually getting new deals done with Michael Danna, Tershawn Wharton, Derrick Nnadi and Mike Pennel.
• By both design and necessity, the Chiefs have lavished attention on their receiving corps since early in the offseason, following a 2023 season in which they struggled to surround Patrick Mahomes with reliable pass catchers. The efforts started with the signing of former Ravens and Cardinals receiver Hollywood Brown in free agency and was followed by the selection of Texas speedster Xavier Worthy with the 31st overall pick in the 2024 draft. However, Brown was injured on the first play of the Chiefs' preseason opener and underwent surgery on his shoulder. He is not expected to be out for at least the remainder of the regular season. Rashee Rice, who came on strong in the second half of his rookie season, was not suspended to start the season after an offseason drag-racing incident in Dallas and quickly emerged as Mahomes' top threat. Unfortunately, it was Mahomes himself who collided with Rice following an interception, leading to a knee injury that required season-ending surgery. The Chiefs brought back JuJu Smith-Schuster in April after he was cut by the Patriots but have struggled to replace Rice's contributions. Enter veteran mercenary DeAndre Hopkins. Last week, the Chiefs sent a conditional fifth-round pick that could become a fourth-rounder to the Titans for Hopkins, who had 15 receptions in six games for Tennessee this year.
• Tight end Travis Kelce landed a two-year contract extension in April that made him the highest-paid player in the NFL at his position, as well.

INJURY REPORT

Key:

DNP: Did not participate in practice

LP: Limited participation in practice

FP: Full participation in practice

NL: Not listed

Buccaneers:

• G Ben Bredeson (shoulder) – THURS: LP
• LB Lavonte David (ankle/chest) – THURS: DNP
• LS Evan Deckers* (hamstring) – THURS: FP
• WR Mike Evans (hamstring) – THURS: DNP
• DL Greg Gaines (calf) – THURS: DNP
• DL Will Gholston (knee) – THURS: LP
• RB Bucky Irving (toe) – THURS: DNP
• WR Sterling Shepard (hamstring) – THURS: DNP
• S Tykee Smith (concussion) – THURS: LP

* Deckers is in a 21-day window in which he can be activated from injured reserve.

Chiefs:

• DE Mike Danna (pectoral) – THURS: LP
• OL Ethan Driskell (illness) – THURS: DNP
• RB Kareem Hunt (quad) – THURS: LP
• CB Nazeeh Johnson (concussion) – THURS: DNP
• QB Patrick Mahomes (ankle) – THURS: FP
• CB Trent McDuffie (knee) – THURS: FP
• DT Derrick Nnadi (triceps) – THURS: FP
• WR JuJu Smith-Schuster (hamstring) – THURS: DNP
• LB Drue Tranquill (chest) – THURS: FP

WEATHER FORECAST

Sunny. High of 68, low of 50, 72% chance of rain, 84% humidity, winds out of the SW at 10 mph.

GAME REFEREE

Head referee: John Hussey (23rd season, 10th as referee)

BETTING LINE

• Favorite: Chiefs (-8.5)
• Over/Under: 45.5

INDIVIDUAL STAT LEADERS IN 2024

Buccaneers-

Points Scored: K Chase McLauglin, 63

Touchdowns: WR Mike Evans, 6

Passing Yards: QB Baker Mayfield, 2,189

Passer Rating: QB Baker Mayfield, 104.9

Rushing Yards: RB Bucky Irving, 395

Receptions: WR Chris Godwin, 50

Receiving Yards: WR Chris Godwin, 576

Interceptions: CB Zyon McCollum, 2

Sacks: LB Lavonte David/DL Logan Hall/DL Vita Vea, 3.0

Tackles: LB Lavonte David, 56

Chiefs-

Points Scored: K Harrison Butker, 59

Touchdowns: WR Xavier Worthy, 5

Passing Yards: QB Patrick Mahomes, 1,651

Passer Rating: QB Patrick Mahomes, 84.9

Rushing Yards: RB Kareem Hunt, 308

Receptions: TE Travis Kelce, 38

Receiving Yards: TE Travis Kelce, 335

Interceptions: CB Chamarri/S Brian Cook/S Jaden Hicks/S Justin Reid/CB Chris Roland-Wallace, 1

Sacks: DT Chris Jones, 3.0

Tackles: LB Nick Bolston, 53

TEAM STAT RANKINGS IN 2024

Buccaneers-

Scoring Offense: 4th (29.4 ppg)

Total Offense: 4th (389.5 ypg)

Rushing Offense: 10th (131.0 ypg)

Passing Offense: 2nd (258.3 ypg)

First Downs Per Game: 2nd (23.2)

Third-Down Pct.: 1st (52.5%)

Sacks Per Pass Attempt Allowed: 14th (7.04%)

Red Zone TD Pct.: 3rd (67.7%)

Scoring Defense: 28th (26.6 ppg)

Total Defense: 30th (387.0 ypg)

Rushing Defense: 20th (131.6 ypg)

Passing Defense: 29th (255.4 ypg)

First Downs Allowed Per Game: t-26th (21.4)

Third-Down Pct. Allowed: 19th (38.8%)

Sacks Per Pass Attempt: 20th (7.09%)

Red Zone TD Pct. Allowed: t-12th (54.8%)

Turnover Margin: 20th (-2)

Chiefs-

Scoring Offense: 9th (24.7 ppg)

Total Offense: 11th (348.0 ypg)

Rushing Offense: 13th (122.1 ypg)

Passing Offense: 12th (225.9 ypg)

First Downs Per Game: 6th (21.6)

Third-Down Pct.: 2nd (50.6%)

Sacks Per Pass Attempt Allowed: 6th (5.33%)

Red Zone TD Pct.: 23rd (51.9)

Scoring Defense: 5th (17.6 ppg)

Total Defense: 5th (295.0 ypg)

Rushing Defense: 2nd (82.3 ypg)

Passing Defense: 17th (212.7 ypg)

First Downs Allowed Per Game: 8th (17.4)

Third-Down Pct. Allowed: 12th (34.9%)

Sacks Per Pass Attempt: 23rd (6.55%)

Red Zone TD Pct. Allowed: 10th (47.8%)

Turnover Margin: t-21st (-3)

WHAT TO WATCH FOR

• Tampa Bay's offense has surpassed 300 passing yards and 100 rushing yards in each of the team's last three games. If the Bucs can extend that streak on Monday night they will become the first team since the Peyton Manning-led Denver Broncos in 2013 with four straight such outings.
• The Buccaneers have surpassed 400 total yards of offense in each of their last three contests. If they can get past 400 against the Chiefs, it will match the longest streak of 400-yard games in franchise history, and be the longest in a single season. The Bucs' other run of four straight 400-yard games occurred between Dec. 20, 2020 and Sept. 9, 2021.
• Baker Mayfield has thrown three or more touchdown passes in each of his last four games. If he gets a trio of scores against Kansas City he will become the eighth quarterback in NFL history to accomplish that feat in five straight games. The other seven are Tom Brady, Andrew Luck, Peyton Manning (twice), Dan Marino, Aaron Rodgers (twice), Russell Wilson and Steve Young. The most recent such streak was turned in by Luck in 2018.
• Rachaad White has caught three touchdown passes in the past two games and now has eight scoring grabs in his career. One more would tie Warrick Dunn and James Wilder for the second most receiving touchdowns by a running back in franchise history.

NOTABLY QUOTABLE

• Head Coach Todd Bowles on the play from the offensive line as of late, and what the additions of G Ben Bredeson and C Graham Barton have meant: "They've made a huge impact. You rarely talk about Bredeson because he's the unsung guy up there, but he came in as a free agent, put his head down, worked, and he earned the starting spot, obviously. He's been doing a heck of a job. Him and Tristan [Wirfs] communicate well. Graham – you forget he's just a rookie. He came in and started as a rookie and he makes very few mistakes up there, especially mentally, and that's what you want. We're trying to finish his blocks and he's just getting better and better. We kind of like where he's at."
• Quarterback Baker Mayfield on what he sees in Kansas City's defense: "I mean, the one thing when you just watch the tape, they fly around. It's a unit that, you can tell, plays for each other, plays for that team, and they have great players on all levels. Obviously, up front, you've got [George] Karlaftis and Chris Jones that can be your game wreckers and those linebackers are flying around and the defensive backs – I mean, a lot of them are interchangeable but that's what 'Spags' (Steve Spagnuolo) wants to do. He wants those guys to be able to do every single job, give you the same look and run a completely different scheme. They do a really good job of playing with each other, of showing you different looks and presenting it certain ways so we just have to – for me, it's reading my keys, going through it one step at a time and understanding what scheme or concept we have on and trust those reads."
• Safety Jordan Whitehead on how to get the Bucs' defense back on track: "We're going to bounce back. We had a couple slow starts, and it's just one or two plays. One or two plays make it seem like it's so much bigger than what it is. It is big, but there's only a couple of things we've got to eliminate and we'll be back on it."
• Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. on communication issues in the secondary: "It's top-down. If we're going to lead on this team, it starts with the leaders – making sure the communication is here, because that's we need for us to be who we want to be."
• Running back Bucky Irving on how he feels his rookie season has gone so far: "I think it's slowed down for me a whole lot. When I first got out there, it was going pretty fast, but I feel like the more you play, things pretty much slow down. I feel like that's on every level that you play, like when you come from high school it translates into college and then from college to the NFL. Once you get the groove on how defenses are playing, how fast things are going, you pretty much get a groove, and everything just slows down for you."
• Cornerback Zyon McCollum on how the Bucs are preparing for Kansas City's versatile offense: "For one, it starts in the film room, us as a defense watching film together, being able to call things out and be on the same page in that aspect, but it also has to do with just understanding the philosophy of what the Chiefs are trying to get done. What style of offense are they? Who is Andy Reid? What is he trying to accomplish on a series in-series out basis? If we're all on the same page and we're communicating, taking that ideology of their offensive scheme, taking the film that we watched, calling things out in practice, that's where [it] starts. [Then] in games, if they do end up switching it up, you kind of have a general understanding of who they are."