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BY IRA KAUFMAN

There’s something about those Tampa Bay uniforms that seems to bring out the best in certain opponents. Let’s single them out for what they are — pure, unadulterated Buc-killers.

Two of the four still dwell in the NFC South. One just beat up on the Bucs en route to a championship. The other villain remains a free agent, despite credentials that will undoubtedly earn him a bust in Canton.

Collectively, these traditional Buc-killers boast a lot of talent. Although they generally play very well against the entire league, they seem to take particular delight in tormenting Tampa Bay. Buc fans have seen way too much of the fab four.

Let’s start the festivities with Julio Jones, who is still available on the free-agent market.

For a decade in Atlanta, Jones was a reviled figure in Buc Nation. In 16 career games against the Bucs, Jones has 114 catches for 1,841 yards and 11 touchdowns, averaging 115 receiving yards.

It helps to actually cover Julio Jones.

That’s outrageous production, even by his lofty standards. Let’s remember that Jones ranks No. 1 all-time with a career average of 91.9 receiving yards per game. He played for the Titans last season and at age 33, Jones has been hobbled by injuries in recent years.

When Buc fans think about Jones, they usually point to a 2017 matchup that ended with a 34-20 home triumph for the Falcons. On that day, Jones was targeted 15 times, hauling in 12 passes for 253 yards and two scores. No opposing player had ever accumulated that many receiving yards against Tampa Bay.

As the game progressed, members of the Buc media in the press box couldn’t believe their eyes. The Buc coaching staff kept sending out Ryan Smith to cover Jones … without help. The results were painful to watch as Jones caught seven passes of 20 yards or more.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay’s best cornerback, Brent Grimes, was never deployed to shadow Jones.

“It’s not often that we get that many single opportunities in a game, but we got that today,” said an appreciative Matt Ryan.

Smith started that fateful day and was on the field at corner for all 64 of Tampa Bay’s defensive snaps. He has started only one game in the past three years and is currently a free agent, coming off a torn ACL.

Another big, physical receiver who has caused the Bucs annual grief is Michael Thomas of the Saints.

In nine games against Tampa Bay, Thomas has 74 receptions for 899 yards, catching 81 percent of the targets sent his way. That’s a nice, round average of 100 yards per game.

In 2018 and 2019, before an ankle injury threatened to wreck his career, Thomas was virtually unstoppable against the Bucs. In those four games, he latched onto 46 of 53 targets, averaging 11 1-2 catches and 144 receiving yards.

Will Michael Thomas be Michael Thomas again?

It’s easy to forget how Thomas destroyed the Buc secondary in the 2018 opener, when Tampa Bay won a 48-40 shootout behind Ryan Fitzpatrick at the Superdome. All Thomas did that day was catch 16 of the 17 passes sent his way for 180 yards.

But everything changed in the 2020 season opener, when Thomas suffered a high ankle sprain at New Orleans in Tom Brady’s Buc debut.

Thomas wasn’t the same player when he returned that year and he didn’t play at all last season.

Next on our list is a recent addition from the City of Angels. His name is Cooper Kupp and Todd Bowles still hasn’t figured out how to cover him.

To be fair, Kupp did it all in 2021, earning NFL Offensive Player of the Year honors with a season for the ages. But in three regular-season games against the Bucs dating back to 2019, Kupp has 29 catches for 362 yards and three touchdowns.

And who can forget the playoff matchup last January, when Kupp grabbed nine balls for 183 yards and a score. With the game on the line, it was Kupp who got open deep down the middle for the catch that set up the winning field goal.

Including the postseason, Kupp has averaged 9 1/2 catches and 136 yards against Tampa Bay, hauling in 75 percent of his targets.

Hated Saints DE Cameron Jordan

Now we come to a marauder on the other side of the ball who loves to break Buc hearts.

Defensive end Cameron Jordan has been a big reason why the Saints are 17-5 against the Bucs under his watch. In that span, he has 17 sacks,33 QB hits, 5 forced fumbles and 6 passes defended.

No matter which Buccaneer lines up across from him, Jordan usually wins the battle.

Last year, Jordan was credited with three sacks and two forced fumbles against Tampa Bay.

He dominated the line of scrimmage when New Orleans blanked the Bucs 9-0 at Raymond James Stadium. His first sack came when he lined up inside and beat Alex Cappa. Later, he came off the left edge and manhandled Tristan Wirfs, who hadn’t allowed a sack all season.

For an encore, Jordan sprinted past Wirfs and forced a fumble by Brady, who was on the move because the pocket had broken down.

Give it up for Jones, Thomas, Kupp and Jordan. When it comes to Buc-killers, these guys are Mount Rushmore.

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Ira drives a 2020 Ford Escape (cherry red).