The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will play on Monday Night Football in Week Nine when they take on their Super Bowl LV foes, the Kansas City Chiefs, at Arrowhead Stadium on Nov. 4 at 8:15 p.m ET on ESPN. The defending champion Chiefs have advanced to four of the last five Super Bowls, with their lone Super Bowl defeat coming after the 2020 season when they lost to the Buccaneers, 31-9. The Chiefs are currently the only unbeaten team left in the NFL and the Bucs will strive to snap their streak. Tampa Bay enters the matchup with an offense that ranks top five in points per game, total yards per game, third-down percentage, and red-zone touchdown percentage while Kansas City boasts a defense that is ranked top five in points per game allowed, total yards per game allowed and yards per play allowed in 2024. Here are five Buccaneers to observe following kickoff at Arrowhead Stadium:

Lavonte David

Travis Kelce has accumulated seven-plus receptions and 70-plus receiving yards in three of his last four games. Kelce's 8.5 receptions per game against Tampa Bay (including playoffs) are the most by any tight end versus a single opponent in NFL history and his 103.8 receiving yards per game against the Bucs (including playoffs) are the second-most by any tight end versus a single opponent in league annals. Kelce has a wide catch radius and can stretch the field vertically. He plays with strength and leverage and can adjust to haul in grabs. Kelce is the safety blanket for Patrick Mahomes and is one of the toughest covers in football. He quickly gets in and out of breaks like a receiver, and he is proficient at picking up YAC yards with the ball in his hands. Kelce is one of the best at making defenders think he is going one way, then he goes the opposite direction for explosive gains. Bucs' Lavonte David is highly touted as one of the best off-ball linebackers in the NFL. In five career games against Kansas City, David has racked up 36 tackles, 28 solo tackles, three passes defensed and a forced fumble. He is the tone-setter in the middle of Tampa Bay's defense with speed to quickly get from Point-A to Point-B and he possesses rare instincts. David did not participate in practice on Thursday with an ankle/chest injury he sustained against the Falcons on Sunday but the team hopes he can play against the Chiefs following an extended week and gradual rev-up. David is fluid in transition and is one of the league's best at covering tight ends in man.

Cade Otton

The Chiefs are allowing an NFL-worst 7.0 receptions per game and 80.9 receiving yards per game to tight ends in 2024 with three tight ends posting over 90 receiving yards in a game against Kansas City in 2024 including Isaiah Likely, George Kittle and Mike Gesicki. Cade Otton leads Tampa Bay with 17 receptions and 181 receiving yards in Weeks 7-8 and ranks second among tight ends in targets, receptions, receiving yards and receiving touchdowns since Week Seven. The every-down tight end is effective as an in-line blocker and as a receiving threat. With the absence of Chris Godwin (injured reserve) in the lineup, Otton has taken on a retooled role and has become Baker Mayfield's go-to target on third down. Against the Falcons on Sunday, Otton ran a variety of receiver routes to help supplement Godwin's production, and he did so with precision, whether it was choice routes underneath, out-breakers or seven (corner) routes. With an understanding of soft spots in zone and how to bait defensive backs with leverage, Otton set the tone. Monday could provide opportunities for Otton in the passing game as the Bucs vie to continue their offensive surge.

Vita Vea

Creed Humphrey, the Chiefs' Pro Bowl center, allowed a pressure rate of 3.5% last season – the lowest mark among all NFL centers with at least 300 pass blocking snaps per Next Gen Stats. Humphrey constantly stonewalls defenders at the point of attack and his wrestling background shows up in his ability to generate leverage and in his core strength. On Monday, he will try and contain Vita Vea from getting penetration in the interior. Vea, a 350-pound wrecking ball, consistently commands double teams and is the enforcer against the run. He overpowers centers and guards when isolated with power and pairs a quick pursuit with a near-unstoppable bull rush. Vea can occupy multiple gaps and is quick off the snap to collapse the pocket.

Zyon McCollum

Xavier Worthy's speed has impacted the Chiefs' offense. Defenses have to account for it and opposing units have begun using a two-high shell coverage to try and limit big plays to Worthy over the top, which creates opportunities for Travis Kelce underneath to exploit. He ran a record-setting 4.21 40-yard dash at the Combine and maximizes his acceleration off the line to sell deep routes and then Worthy is able to work other things of it, like comeback routes. If given a free release, he has the ability to burn right past coverage. Bucs' cornerback Zyon McCollum mentioned during his press conference this week that Worthy has struggled when corners play him more physically and that is something Tampa Bay's secondary will emphasize in facing the young receiver in Week Nine. McCollum leads the Bucs with two interceptions and has tallied 10 passes defensed, 38 tackles and a fumble recovery in 2024 and coaches routinely praise his athleticism. McCollum has fluid footwork to match releases and phases routes well with elite balance. The Sam Houston State product ran a 4.33-second 40 at the 2022 Combine and possesses the recovery speed to stay with deep threats and it will undoubtedly be tested on Monday night.

Antoine Winfield Jr.

In three career games against the Kansas City Chiefs, Antoine Winfield Jr. has amassed 18 tackles, 12 solo tackles, two passes defensed and one interception. Against the Falcons on Sunday, Winfield Jr. flew downhill and appeared to punch the ball out of Kyle Pitts' hand before it crossed the plane. With inconclusive evidence and no goal-line camera with the broadcast crew, the touchdown stood. Regardless of the ruling, that effort play was a microcosm of Winfield Jr.'s impact when he is on the field. He defends every blade of grass, and the All-Pro safety will be tasked with a variety of roles on Monday night, whether limiting Travis Kelce underneath, filling gaps against the run, blitzing and containing Patrick Mahomes if he breaks contain. Winfield Jr. is an interchangeable safety that is both adept at covering tight ends, disrupting the run in the box and manning the post with above-average range and awareness. With effective angles to the ball, Winfield Jr. will be a key component of the Bucs' defense on Monday.