The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have played more than twice as many preseason games against the Miami Dolphins in franchise history than against any other opponent. Those two Sunshine State teams will add to that long history of August competition this coming summer.
The Buccaneers will cap their three-game 2024 preseason slate with a game against the Dolphins at Raymond James Stadium on Friday, August 23. That will follow road trips to Cincinnati and Jacksonville as, for the fourth year in a row, the Bucs will play all AFC opponents in the leadup to the regular season.
The NFL shortened the preseason to three games in 2021 when it added a 17th contest to the regular season schedule. The AFC and NFC alternate years in which their teams get nine home games during the regular season, and this year it is the NFC with the extra home date. That means all NFC teams get two of their three preseason games on the road.
Here is Tampa Bay's 2024 preseason lineup:
| Day | Date | Opponent | Time | Network |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sat. | Aug. 10 | at Cincinnati | 7:00 PM | WTTA-TV |
| Sat. | Aug. 17 | at Jacksonville | 7:30 PM | WFLA-TV |
| Fri. | Aug. 23 | MIAMI | 7:30 PM | WFLA-TV |
The Buccaneers have been matched up with more than half of the AFC over the last four seasons, facing eight different opponents in that span. Prior to 2021, the last time the Bucs had all AFC opponents on their preseason slate was 2010. There were no preseason games in 2020 due to the COVID pandemic.
The Buccaneers and Dolphins have faced off in the preseason 33 previous times, dating all the way back to Tampa Bay's inaugural season. In fact, Miami was the first team ever to visit Tampa to play the Buccaneers, as the two teams met at Tampa Stadium on August 21, 1976. The next most common preseason opponents for the Buccaneers are Atlanta and Washington, with 16 meetings each. The Dolphins lead the all-time series with the Buccaneers, 18-15, though Tampa Bay has won three of the last four.
This is the second time in the last four seasons that the Buccaneers and Bengals have kicked off their preseason together. Cincinnati visited Raymond James Stadium in Week One of the 2021 preseason and left with a 19-14 victory. The Bucs lead the all-time series with the Bengals, 9-6, including a 2-2 split in games played in Cincinnati.
Tampa Bay and Jacksonville have played 15 preseason games against each other, but none since 2017, when the Bucs went upstate to grab a 12-8 win. That gave the Buccaneers a 9-6 edge in the all-time series.
Buccaneers single game tickets will be on sale Wednesday night at 8 p.m. If you want to capture the magic of the Bucs' 2024 season with a front row seat to the action, click here to purchase your tickets on Wednesday when the schedule is released.
