Buccaneers at Falcons: Biggest Challenges

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers head to Atlanta to take on the Falcons this Sunday. What are the biggest challenges they face in this divisional matchup?

In what can be considered a homecoming of sorts, Dirk Koetter and Mike Smith return to Atlanta to take on their former employer, the Atlanta Falcons. The Buccaneers went 2-0 against the dirty birds last season, but that doesn’t mean they’ll walk all over them this year.

So what kind of challenges do they face this Sunday?

Julio Jones

One of the top three receivers in football, Julio Jones is a matchup problem league wide. At 6’3″, 220 lbs, Jones 136 receptions for 1,871 yards and eight touchdowns last season. Lining up across from Jones with 5’10” Brent Grimes or 5’11” Vernon Hargreaves will create a major mismatch in Atlanta’s favor all day long.

The only saving grace for Tampa is Matt Ryan‘s recent decline, especially in the red zone. He only completed 57% of his red zone passes last season, and only targeted Jones a baffling 21 times. That is barely over one per game. If the Bucs find a way to limit Jones’ red zone targets as Ryan was prone to do, he may amazingly become a non-factor.

Atlanta’s Run Game vs. Tampa Bay’s Run Defense

Devonta Freeman came out of nowhere last season for eleven touchdowns and 1,056 yards. Against the Bucs, he was kept out of the end zone and racked up 135 yards rushing. Tevin Coleman only gained 24 yards on the ground in two games against the Bucs. On paper this looks like a favorable matchup for the Bucs.

But hold on a second.

The Buccaneers’ run defense gave up over 100 yards rushing on the road last year, and finished the season in 2015 giving up an average of 127.7 yards to opposing running backs. Fortunately, the run defense won’t be as porous as they were against Washington in that final preseason game or Devonta Freeman would be the NFC player of the week.

There are still some question marks on this team in terms of defense. If Noah Spence is on the field during run plays, he’s already proven to be a liability. God forbid Gerald McCoy go down and the entire line forgets how to play football.

The Falcons’ running game can make or break this game.

Jameis Winston

I have to bring it up. I have to remind fans of something they so desperately want to forget. Jameis Winston’s season opener last year was atrocious. That first pass pick six? 16 of 33 for 220 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions? Mind you, one of those touchdowns and the majority of those yards came when the game was well out of hand.

It was ugly.

Winston has to get off to a fast start. That’s no secret. Even Winston himself talks about the importance of a fast start and getting into a rhythm early – and he loves the no huddle. There is not a player on the field more important to his team Sunday than Jameis is to the Bucs. If Jameis starts slow, it’s a recipe for disaster. If he gets off to a hot start, so will the rest of the team.

One could make the argument that, despite the home field advantage or Julio for Atlanta or the coaching and scheme changes for the Buccaneers, Jameis Winston is the biggest “X factor” of this game.

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What do you think of the matchup, Bucs fans? Let us know in the comments below or tweet using the hashtag #TBvsATL.