With the NFL’s official schedule release Thursday night, we now know exactly when and where each Detroit Lions regular season game will be for 2026. (Aside from Week 18)
The Lions will of course be renewing their biannual rivalries with the Minnesota Vikings, Green Bay Packers and Chicago Bears. But there’s another matchup on there that has become something of an understated rivalry lately.
That would be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, whom the Lions have played four times in the past three seasons, including once in the divisional round of the playoffs.
The Lions will be hosting the Buccaneers in Week 11 of the 2026 season at 1pm EST, and the game is sandwiched between their international bout against the New England Patriots and their huge Thanksgiving game against the Chicago Bears.
Lions set for some sweet revenge against Tampa Bay
Since the Lions-Cowboys rivalry that had been played every year from 2022-2025 is not renewing in the 2026 regular season, the Lions have now played the Bucs in more consecutive years than any other team not in their division.
This will be the Lions’ and Bucs’ fifth time playing each other in four seasons. You don’t always see that between non-divisional opponents in the NFL, even with two teams in the same conference.
Detroit is 3-1 against Tampa Bay since 2023. The Lions beat the Bucs 20-6 in the 2023 regular season in a game that included Craig Reynolds’ vicious block on an Amon-Ra St. Brown touchdown that has become a fan favorite play of the Dan Campbell era.
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One of the biggest plays in franchise history came in their divisional round matchup that year, with Derrick Barnes’ late interception sending Detroit to its first NFC title game since 1991.
The Buccaneers got one back in Week 2 of 2024, beating Detroit at home 20-16 in what turned out to be one of just two losses for the Lions that regular season. That game is probably best remembered for the play Baker Mayfield juked Malcolm Rodriguez out of his shoes. Oddly enough, the Lions haven’t worn blue jerseys on silver pants in a real game since. (Can we bring that back, please?)
Their latest matchup was on Monday Night Football in 2025, known to Lions fans as the “Legion of Whom” game. Mayfield came into that game with some MVP hype and was facing a patchwork Lions secondary that had been ravaged with injury. But Arthur Maulet, Nick Whiteside, Rock Ya-Sin and company locked Tampa Bay down as Jahmyr Gibbs went nuclear, and the Lions won 24-9.
These teams have produced some fun moments, and while there hasn’t been a ton of on-field vitriol in this unofficial rivalry just yet, one would have to think they’re not all too fond of one another.
Here’s hoping 2026 can deliver another exciting matchups between two teams who have often stood in each other’s way in recent years.
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