TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially kick off their season at 1 p.m. Sunday in Atlanta against their division rivals, the Falcons.

What You Need To Know

The Buccaneers start their 2025 NFL season at 1 p.m. Sunday against the Falcons

Tampa Bay is vying for its fifth NFC South Division title in a row

Despite that success, Atlanta beat Tampa Bay in both meetings last season

Fans will get to see most of the Bucs’ starters on offense for the first time this season because many of them did not play in the preseason games

Even though the Bucs won the NFC South Division title last season, the Falcons swept them in their two meetings.

Tampa Bay is seeking its fifth consecutive NFC South Division title this season.

That is the standard. But the goal? The Bucs want to win it all. They have their sights set on a Super Bowl title.

Since the majority of the starters sat out all three preseason games, fans will see the Tampa Bay starting offense for the first time this season in Sunday’s game. Last year, the Bucs were third in the league in overall offense, averaging 399.5 yards and 29.5 points per game.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield is coming off a career year when he passed for 4,500 yards. But that was last year, and the Bucs are excited about taking this offense to the next level.

“They know us, we know them. It’s about who executes and does the little things right,” Mayfield said. “I can’t imagine a better Week 1 than on the road against an opponent that knows you, and divisional at that.”

Linebacker Yaya Diaby said the Bucs are not focusing on the past.

“We just looking forward,” Diaby said. “And you know it’s going to be a great chip, especially being a division game and season opener. It’s going to be a great task.”

Last year, the Falcons were favored to take back the NFC South Division title from the Bucs.

This season, Tampa Bay native and Atlanta starting quarterback Michael Penix, Jr. is working with a new scheme and some new weapons that make them a darling pick to win the division.

But as Mayfield likes to say, the NFC South has to go through Tampa Bay.