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2024 Game Preview: Commanders-Buccaneers, Week 1

The Bucs open their 2024 campaign with a visit from the Washington Commanders, who feature a new coaching staff, an electric rookie quarterback and a reworked defense

Sep 06, 2024 at 04:45 PM

Scott Smith

Senior Writer/Editor

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers enter the 2024 season with designs on a fourth straight NFC South crown, and the Washington Commanders will be the first team to try to knock them off that path. The Commanders visit Raymond James Stadium on Sunday to renew a series that has seen Washington win three in a row in the regular season, dating back to 2015. The Buccaneers did counter with a Wild Card round victory in 2020 on their way to the Super Bowl LV championship.

The Buccaneers have chosen to pursue their goals by keeping the gang together after surprising pundits by winning the division last year following the retirement of Tom Brady. Baker Mayfield stepped in with a career year, earning a long-term contract to stay in Tampa, and the Buccaneers spent the offseason re-signing a long list of potential free agent defections. The Bucs also had to replace first-year Offensive Coordinator Dave Canales after he left to become the Carolina Panthers' head coach, but they are excited about the potential of a new scheme with Rams influences under new coordinator Liam Coen. Coen intends to employ pre-snap movement on a much larger scale than the Bucs did last year, and he also will be giving Mayfield the ability to switch plays in the huddle or at the line for better matchups against what the defense is presenting.

One year after gaining new ownership, the Commanders are starting over following a 4-13 season with new Head Coach Dan Quinn, rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and a defense that was largely overhauled after finishing last in both yards allowed (388.9 per game) and points allowed (30.5 per game) in 2023. They also imported some steadying veteran influence with the likes of Bobby Wagner, Austin Ekeler, Zach Ertz and Tyler Biadasz. More on the Commanders additions and organizational changes can be found below.

The Buccaneers started fast last season, winning three of their last four, and with upcoming dates against Detroit and Philadelphia in the campaign's first quarter, they would be well-served to start 2024 with a win. In fact, Tampa Bay's schedule includes all four teams that were in the Conference Championship contests last January, so there is very little margin for error for the Bucs as they try to take an early lead in the division.

"Not to steal Coach Bowles' line, but it is exciting, because of all the prep work" he said. "The long months waiting for it, you finally get into game week, dialed in on what you want to attack, how you want to scheme it up. You prep all year, and then obviously each week you prep all week, just for that 60 minutes of game time. So you've got to go out and you've got to relax and have fun. You've prepared for this moment. Our guys are going to be ready by that time, so just have fun and enjoy that. But it's a really exciting moment. Week One energy is always really special."

GAME AND BROADCAST DETAILS

Washington Commanders (0-0) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-0)

Sunday, September 8, 4:25 p.m. ET

Raymond James Stadium (capacity: 65,844)

Tampa, Florida

Television: FOX (Local WTVT Channel 13)

TV Broadcast Team: Kevin Kugler (play-by-play), Daryl Johnston (analyst), Laura Okmin (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)

GAMEDAY INFORMATION

Coming to the game or enjoying pregame festivities? Check out our Buccaneers Gameday Page for everything you need to know about getting ready for the game, Tailgate Packages, Bucs Beach and more!

TICKETING INFORMATION

The 2024 season is underway and there are a limited number of Single Game Tickets on sale now! Visit Buccaneers.com to purchase tickets.

ALL-TIME HEAD-TO-HEAD SERIES

Prior to the 2018 season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Washington Football Team were dead even all time, not only in their 20 regular-season dates but also in the postseason. Then Washington surged ahead with victories in 2018 and 2021, the first a 16-3 decision in Tampa and the second a 29-19 outcome at FedExField. However, in between those two games, Tampa Bay took the lead in the more important postseason history with a 31-23 Wild Card road win that launched the Bucs' run to the Super Bowl LV title at the end of the 2020 campaign. The Bucs have now taken two of the three postseason meetings between the two teams, with another Divisional Round victory in 1999 and a Wild Card loss in 2005. Those latter two games were both played at Raymond James Stadium.

Quarterback Taylor Heinicke was pushed into the starting role for that Wild Card game by an injury to Alex Smith and he performed quite well to keep the game close to the very end, passing for 306 yards and rushing for another 46 and a touchdown. However, Tom Brady topped him with 381 yards and two touchdowns (one each to Chris Godwin and Antonio Brown) and Lavonte David sealed the game late with a third-down sack of Heinicke on Washington's final drive.

The most recent meeting came three years ago, when a visiting Washington team that was 2-6 at the team upset the Tom Brady-led Buccaneers, 29-19, giving Tampa Bay one of only four regular-season losses in 2021. Brady was uncharacteristically picked off twice but his 40-yard touchdown pass made it a four-point game with 11 minutes left in the fourth quarter. Stunningly, Washington responded with a 19-play drive that ran all but 30 seconds off the clock and ended in Antonio Gibson's game-clinching one-yard touchdown run.

The 2018 regular-season game was also memorable for the Buccaneers in a less than pleasing way. Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Bucs' offense racked up 501 yards and 29 first downs and averaged 7.5 yards per play…and scored just three points, as noted above. Fitzpatrick was picked off twice, the Bucs lost two fumbles and the offense incredibly went 0-5 in the red zone, with just one field goal. That's the only game in NFL history in which a team has gained 500-plus yards but scored three or fewer points. Fitzpatrick, coincidentally, now plays for Washington, though he is currently on injured reserve.

Maybe that outcome shouldn't have been a surprise. Weird things tend to happen when Tampa Bay and Washington get together. Weird things like a two-point conversion gamble winning a 2005 shootout against Washington when Mike Alstott willed the ball over the line for a 36-35 win. Or like the playoff rematch later that same year when Washington won, 17-10, despite being held to only 120 yards of offense.

There was also a 17-16 Tampa Bay win in Washington in 2010 in which Donovan McNabb rallied the home team with a fourth-and-goal touchdown pass to Santana Moss with nine seconds left only to see the snap on the extra point go through the holder's hands. Washington won a contest in Tampa, 24-22, after Connor Barth made fields of 50, 57 and 47 yards. The visiting kicker, Billy Cundiff, meanwhile, missed his first three field goals but then drilled a 41-yarder to win it at the end.

And, of course, there was the 2015 game in Washington that turned quarterback Kirk Cousins into a meme. The Buccaneers led that game, 24-0, before Cousins engineered an incredible comeback in a 31-30 Washington win, prompting him to repeatedly yell, "You like that?" in front of a camera in the corridor as he ran back to the locker room.

As for the Bucs' biggest win in the series, it was that 1999 playoff game that looked for much of way like it was going to send 11-5 Tampa Bay and it's fantastic defense to an early exit. Then John Lynch shifted the momentum with a third-quarter interception and Warren Sapp came up with a huge sack and forced fumble against Brad Johnson. Both of those turnovers led to touchdowns in a 14-13 comeback win.

NOTABLE CONNECTIONS

Doug Williams, currently the senior advisor to Washington General Manager Adam Peters, is a member of the Buccaneers' Ring of Honor at Raymond James Stadium. The Buccaneers drafted Williams with the 17th overall pick in the 1978 draft and in just his second season he led the team to its first playoff berth in just the fourth year of the franchise's existence. Williams played five seasons for the Buccaneers before heading to the USFL in 1983. He later returned to the Bucs organization in the front office 2004, serving five seasons as a personnel executive and one as the director of pro personnel in 2009.
Buccaneers Head Coach Todd Bowles spent most of his eight-year playing career with the Washington franchise. He made the team as an undrafted free agent in 1986 and was a full-time starter by his second season, helping Washington win Super Bowl XXII at the end of that campaign. After five seasons in Washington, Bowles left for San Francisco for one season and then returned to his original NFL home for two more campaigns before moving into coaching.
Martin Mayhew, who serves as a senior personnel executive/advisor to the GM for the Commanders, played cornerback for the Buccaneers from 1993-96. Mayhew signed with the Buccaneers in 1993, the NFL's first season of unrestricted free agency after four seasons in Washington and eventually played in 60 games with 59 starts for Tampa Bay, intercepting eight passes.
Commanders Tight Ends Coach David Raih spent one season on Bowles' staff in Tampa, working as a senior offensive analyst in 2023.
Darryl Tapp played 171 games in the NFL, playoffs included, and the very last three were in a Buccaneers' uniform. Tapp signed with Tampa Bay in October of 2017, logged those three contests with one start and two tackles, and was released in November. He is now in his first season as the Commanders' defensive line coach.
Commanders running back Jeremy McNichols first entered the NFL as a fifth-round draft pick by the Buccaneers in 2017. He did not play any games for the Bucs but has since appeared in 37 NFL contests with four other teams. He is in his first season in Washington.

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TAMPA, FL - September 04, 2024 - Quarterback Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers jersey during practice at AdventHealth Training Center. Photo By Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers