The Atlanta Falcons begin their second season under Dan Quinn with a home game against a young, but talented, Tampa Bay Buccaneers team led by familiar faces.
Former Falcons head coach Mike Smith now plies his trade as the defensive coordinator in Tampa Bay while former Falcons offensive coordinator, Dirk Koetter, is the head coach of the Bucs.
Injury Report
Atlanta Falcons: The Falcons head into the opening game of the season without their first round pick from the 2016 NFL Draft. Keanu Neal suffered a knee injury in the third preseason game, keeping him out for 4-6 weeks. Veterans Dwight Freeney and Dashon Goldson should be ready to go for Sunday's matchup, with the former expected to feature in small doses.
Julio Jones, the star of the Falcons and one of the league's top wide receivers, was reportedly struggling with an ankle issue all week but returned to full practice on Thursday and will be all systems go on Sunday. Safety Robinson Therezie also returned to full practice on Thursday while Kemal Ishmael remained limited, but should be ready to start.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs are heading into Sunday's opener with close to a healthy roster. Unlike their opponents, all starters are ready to go while backups Ryan Smith (safety), Luke Stocker (tight end) were struggling with injuries but returned to full practice on Thursday. Rookie linebacker Devante Bond remained limited heading into Friday.
Background
Dirk Koetter and Mike Smith won't be the only former Falcons returning to Atlanta on Sunday. Brent Grimes, who played cornerback for Atlanta for five years, is now 33-years-old and should see a lot of former teammate Julio Jones. Center Joe Hawley, who the Falcons drafted in the fourth round of the 2010 NFL Draft, also returns to Atlanta in a rival's uniform.
The Buccaneers won both meetings last season, including a 23-20 triumph in overtime at the Georgia Dome.
In the 45 meetings between the NFC South rivals, the Buccaneers currently lead the all-time series 23-22-0.
What to Watch For
Atlanta Pass Rush - Jameis Winston: If you watched these two teams square off last season, one of the most memorable plays featured Jameis Winston fending off multiple Falcons defenders and gaining a first down. Atlanta's pass rush recorded a league-low 19 sacks last season and must be able to put pressure on Winston if they want to win on Sunday.
The front seven struggled in preseason but will be hoping the potential of Grady Jarrett and Vic Beasley Jr. come to fruition against a mobile QB in Winston. On Winston's side, the former-Florida State Seminole is heading into his second season after an excellent rookie campaign and he'll want to stay undefeated against the Falcons by continuing to keep the defense guessing with his arm and rushing ability.
Julio Jones - Brent Grimes: The former Falcon will know all too well what to expect as he'll likely cover Julio Jones on Sunday afternoon. Grimes will have his hands full with one of the league's top playmakers and Matt Ryan could pick on the 33-year old in order to drive the Falcons offense. Jones amassed 255 yards and a touchdown in two games against Tampa Bay last year and will look to continue his form against the division rivals.
Matt Ryan's Redzone Decisions: Last season's second half implosion featured plenty of bad decision making all over the organization but Matt Ryan's red zone turnovers were huge blows to a usually high-flying offense. A shaky preseason included a red zone interception but head coach Dan Quinn spoke highly of Ryan's desire to improve in the offseason. Atlanta has to take care of the football, something they didn't do against Tampa Bay last season, and it all starts with the man under center.