Behind Enemy Lines is a weekly look at Tampa Bay’s NFC South foes every Tuesday. Let’s spy on the Bucs’ division rivals, shall we?

Atlanta Falcons

• A familiar name for Bucs fans, the Falcons signed tight end Luke Stocker on Friday, rejoining offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter. Primarily used for his blocking ability, Stocker has caught just five touchdowns since joining the league in 2011. Stocker played for the Bucs until being cut late in the 2017 season, before signing with the Tennessee Titans where he spent the remainder of that season and the next. Stocker played in Koetter’s offense from 2015 to 2017 with Tampa Bay.
• Speaking of Koetter, despite the Falcons finishing fifth in the NFL with 379.9 offensive yards per game in 2019, Atlanta finished 13th in the league with 23.8 points per game due in large part to their inefficient red zone production. Despite a former MVP at quarterback in Matt Ryan, one of the league’s most feared wide receiver duos in Calvin Ridley and Julio Jones, and a more-than-capable backfield led by Devonta Freeman and Ito Smith, the Falcons scored touchdowns on just 51.67 percent of their trips inside the 20. Speaking with the media, Koetter was confident that he will improve as an offensive coordinator in his second year back with Atlanta.

“It was definitely a learning curve for me,” Koetter said. “Learning the system that we kept in place that was carried over from when Kyle Shanahan was here. I learned a lot … It’s a really good system. It’s not the system that I’m used to [running] although we did put some stuff in that are things that I have done in the past, I just feel like I’ll be a better coach overall in Year 2 than I was in Year 1 in this system.”

• After previously being placed on the NFL’s reserve/COVID-19 list, the Falcons activated safety Chris Cooper and fullback Keith Smith this past week, allowing them to return to team activities as training camp gets geared up.
• With the obvious advantage that comes with playing home games within the confines of a domed stadium, the Falcons announced on Monday that they will play their first two home games of the season, their Sept. 13 home opener against the Seattle Seahawks and a Sept. 27 game against the Chicago Bears, with no fans in attendance. The policy for the remainder of Atlanta’s home games is yet to be determined.

Carolina Panthers 

• With a new head coach, a new starting quarterback and a ton of turnover on the defensive side of the ball – highlighted by the retirement of perennial All-Pro linebacker Luke Kuechly – it’s bound to be a tough adjustment period for any team heading into their new season, especially when a pandemic takes away four preseason games and all of your spring preparation leading into training camp. But head coach Matt Rhule was encouraged by what he’s seen from the team early on in practice.

“The eight days of acclimation into the four-day ramp-up, I think it’s been a great schedule,” Rhule said. “I think it’s allowed us to stay pretty healthy, build up to where we got the guys today. I’ve been really pleased. I think guys have the right attitude, practiced hard, and it has looked good to me.”

• After being waived by the Cowboys on Sunday, the Panthers acquired former Oregon defensive end Jalen Jelks via waivers on Monday. The seventh-round pick in 2019 spent his rookie season with Dallas on the injured reserve.
• In addition to Jelks, the Panthers signed tight end Andrew Vollert and wide receivers Tommylee Lewis and Marken Michael this past weekend. Lewis played in New Orleans with quarterback Teddy Bridgewater and offensive coordinator Joe Brady in 2018.

New Orleans Saints

• Much like the Falcons, the Saints announced last Wednesday that New Orleans’ home opener against the Bucs will be played without fans in attendance. It may be a welcome sight for Tampa Bay fans, as the Bucs look to turn the tide with the arrival of quarterback Tom Brady after winning just three of their last 10 meetings in New Orleans.
• Tommy Stevens, the Saints’ seventh-round draft pick this year, underwent a position change this past week, as the 6-foot-5, 235 pound former Penn State quarterback was moved to tight end. The move comes after two of New Orleans’ tight ends, Cole Wick and Jason Vander Laan, chose to opt out of the 2020 season due to COVID-19. With the new designation for Stevens it leaves just three quarterbacks on the roster for New Orleans in Drew Brees, Jameis Winston and do-it-all player Taysom Hill.
• The Saints held their first training camp practice in pads on Monday without four players who were sidelined for the day, the most critical absence being New Orleans’ starting left guard Andrus Peat. Tight end Josh Hill, edge defender Anthony Chickillo and rookie cornerback Tino Ellis also missed the practice. Head coach Sean Payton described Hill’s absence as the result of a “tweak” while the other three players were forced to miss practice for currently undisclosed reasons.