Buccaneers' rising star identifies Tampa Bay's biggest rival

Rivalries are one of the best parts of sports — every fan loves to have a nemesis. But things can change over time as teams get better or worse and the landscape of the league shifts, and that may have happened recently with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Buccaneers have had plenty of rivals over the years. Some of them come from outside their NFC South division, like the Philadelphia Eagles and the Los Angeles Rams, while the Bucs have had many spats with their division rivals in the Carolina Panthers, Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints. In recent history, the Saints had been a thorn in Tampa Bay's side, winning the division four years in a row from 2017-2020 and taking the season series in the 2010s 14-6 — but per a rising Buccaneers star, that dynamic might be shifting.

Bucs outside linebacker Yaya Diaby was recently on MrBucsNation's YouTube channel for an interview on Memorial Day, and he was asked who the Bucs' biggest rival was. He didn't say the Saints, but instead chose the Falcons after the team's tilts in recent years.

"I'm starting to think that it's Atlanta," Diaby said. "It's always something with Atlanta that just gives us a hard time. Last year, we didn't get one win — the year before, we split a win. I'm starting to lean more with Atlanta."

The 2010s weren't kind to Tampa Bay's rivalry with the Falcons, with the Falcons going up in the series 13-7 during that decade. But just like with the Saints — the Bucs are 6-5 against New Orleans in the 2020s — Tampa Bay has had the upper hand this decade, up 6-4. But the Falcons have had Tampa Bay's number in the last two seasons, going up 3-1 against the Bucs and sweeping them entirely during the 2024 campaign.

Diaby's answer makes sense in that respect, and it will likely still be true in 2025. The Falcons appear to be the biggest contender for Tampa Bay's NFC South crown with the Carolina Panthers still rebuilding and the New Orleans Saints dealing with an aging roster and a new regime. The Bucs will have to stave off head coach Raheem Morris and quarterback Michael Penix Jr. twice next year, and this time, they'll look to definitively beat the Falcons and secure a fifth-straight NFC South title.

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