The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will open their season on the road as they head to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to take on the Atlanta Falcons. Tampa Bay will look to continue their dominance in the NFC South as they try to win their fifth straight division title. Atlanta has high hopes for the season entering year two with quarterback Michael Penix Jr. who showed flashes last year of being a franchise quarterback.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Tampa Bay has seen a steady turnover in offensive coordinators as former offensive coordinator Liam Coen became the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. This marks the second time in two years that the Buccaneers offensive coordinator has left Tampa for a head coaching job with Dave Canales departing in 2023 to become head coach of the division rival Carolina Panthers. Josh Grizzard will be taking over the offense that is led by quarterback Baker Mayfield who is entering year three in Tampa Bay. The offense figures to be electric once again as they return much of their supporting cast with the addition of new draft pick Emeka Egbuka out of Ohio State. Pair that with the tandem of Bucky Irving and Rachaad White that helped the team lead the league in yards per carry last year and the Bucs figure to be a high-powered offense regardless of who is calling the plays.
Atlanta Falcons
After a failed stint with quarterback Kirk Cousins last year the Falcons are turning to second year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. to compete in the NFC South. He will be backed by a top running back in Bijan Robinson and emerging stars Drake London and Kyle Pitts, a group that figures to score enough points to support a defense that struggled much of last year. Penix and Pitts had a great connection throughout camp and the preseason this year with their chemistry growing it may be time that we finally see him become the player the Falcons envisioned when they drafted him fourth overall in 2021.
Matchup Breakdown
Since Mayfield took over, he is 1-3 against Atlanta, including a season sweep last year. However, despite losing both games last year, Tampa Bay still won the division and advanced to the playoffs. Tampa’s rushing attack and stars on the outside should set them up well against a Falcons defense that struggled last season. On the other side of the ball the Bucs will have their hands full with a high-powered Falcons offense that features year two quarterback Michael Penix Jr. who will look to take the next step in his professional career.
X Factors
Bucs Ground Game: This was the focal point of the Bucs offense last year. While Mayfield and the receivers were great it was the offense’s ability to run to set up the pass that gave them the success as a top five scoring offense last year. Atlanta will have a harder time stopping this attack with game-wrecking defensive tackle Grady Jarrett leaving for Chicago in the offseason. Look for Bucky Irving to be running early and often this week against a weakened Atlanta front that already struggled last season.
Michael Penix Jr.: Penix has the weight of Atlanta’s success on his shoulders as the team has not been stable at the quarterback position since Matt Ryan’s departure in 2021. Six different quarterbacks have started games in the three seasons since Ryan moved on to Indianapolis. The hope is for Penix to become the franchise guy and he will have a chance to make his mark against a division rival who has run the division the last five years in the Bucs. Penix was average in his first three career starts, but showed flashes of what he could be at times that gave the Falcons good reason to have him start the season at the helm.
Prediction: This game should be pretty high scoring as both offenses are high-powered. However, when it comes down to it Tampa Bay’s defense should be able to get a stop when they need it and the same cannot be said for the Falcons.
Final Score Prediction: Tampa Bay 31, Atlanta 28
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers take on the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday Sept. 7 at 1 p.m. EST at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The game can be watched on FOX.
