The long offseason is finally over, and the Bucs are ready to get their 2025 season going this Sunday afternoon with a huge divisional matchup against the Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Tampa Bay, on a five-year postseason appearance streak and winners of the NFC South in each of the last four seasons, will be looking to set the tone for the year ahead by getting some revenge on Atlanta, a team that swept the season series in 2024.

It's been a busy offseason for the Bucs, as they had some key re-signings to make in addition to building up some depth, especially on defense. The addition of outside linebacker Haason Reddick was the big splash move for the defense, plus that side of the ball will get a boost from rookies like cornerbacks Jacob Parrish and Benjamin Morrison as well as inside linebacker SirVocea Dennis, who returns after missing much of last season with a shoulder injury.

Up first for the revamped Tampa Bay defense is a first look at quarterback Michael Penix Jr., a Tampa native who was Atlanta's No. 8 overall pick in 2024.

On the flip side, the Bucs offense largely looks the same, though they're starting the season without left tackle Tristan Wirfs and wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr., though both are on the active roster and will be looking to get back on the field in the coming weeks. Wide receiver Jalen McMillan, who finished his rookie season strong in 2024, will also be missing for the first half of the year due to a neck injury he suffered in the preseason.

Of course, the one big change on offense is once again at the offensive coordinator position, as Josh Grizzard was promoted from the team's pass game coordinator role to offensive coordinator when Liam Coen left Tampa Bay to take the Jacksonville head coaching job in January.

Bucs OC Josh Grizzard – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

This is a crucial game for both the Bucs and Falcons, as the winner of Sunday's season opener will obviously take early control of the NFC South and set themselves up to win the tiebreaker when the two teams meet again in Tampa on Thursday Night Football in Week 15.

Let's dive into what might decide this matchup, as well as some key players to watch in Sunday's season opener in Atlanta:

What Might Decide This Bucs-Falcons Matchup?

For the Buccaneer offense, priority No. 1 has to be protecting Baker Mayfield, especially with All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs missing from the lineup. Offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard may want to give reserve tackle Charlie Heck some help with double teams involving the tight end or at the very least, some chip blocks from the tight ends.

Keeping Mayfield upright and comfortable will give the gunslinging quarterback a chance to get on the same page with the likes of Mike Evans, rookie Emeka Egbuka, Sterling Shepard and his tight ends and running backs.

Speaking of running backs, Tampa Bay has one of the best backfields in the league and would be wise to lean on that strength. Bucky Irving, Rachaad White and even Sean Tucker should all see heavy involvement, especially early in the game to establish the right tone against Atlanta's defense. With that being said, Grizzard will need to balance the need to get the run game going with the need to get Mayfield, who didn't play at all in the preseason, into a comfortable rhythm right out of the gate.

Bucs RB Bucky Irving – Photo by: USA Today

There's so much to love about having a deep running back room because if you're Grizzard, you do what you can to balance things out early, grab a lead going into the second half and then give the game over to running backs, who can rotate in and stay fresh. If the run game really gets going, it's easy to see Tampa Bay being able to wear the Atlanta defense down in the second half with a heavy dose of Irving, White and Tucker.

Defensively for the Bucs, it's all about keying in on Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier, who form the Falcons' own two-headed monster in the backfield. Atlanta offensive coordinator Zac Robinson would be smart to lean on those two, but if Todd Bowles' formidable front seven can play the run well, it'll set the defense up to feast on an injury-plagued offensive line when Michael Penix Jr. and Co. are forced into obvious passing situations.

Both starting right tackle Kaleb McGary and swing tackle Storm Norton are sidelined ahead of this game, which is why getting Yaya Diaby, Haason Reddick and the rest of the Buccaneer pass rush in a situation where they can tee off on third-and-longs could be the key.

Another key for Tampa Bay's defense will be figuring out how to close. Whether the Bucs have a lead and the defense needs to protect it or it's a close game and the defense needs to step up and give the offense a chance to win the game late, Bowles' unit needs to be better at finishing games in 2025. Far too often in 2024, including in a 36-30 overtime loss at Atlanta last October, the Bucs let late leads slip away or failed to get the key stop when they needed it. That has to change this year, and it needs to start Sunday.

Falcons QB Michael Penix Jr. – Photo by: USA Today

For the Falcons offense, the key to victory is to keep Penix comfortable and on schedule in the short game. As big of an arm as he has, asking an offensive line missing its starting right tackle and swing tackle to hold up for deep drops and shot plays may not be the wisest choice.

Neutralizing the Bucs pass rush with screens and slants could go a long way, and there's no doubt that Robinson will look to attack the middle of the field the way he did so successfully with Kirk Cousins last October. Tampa Bay was downright awful at defending the middle of the field in 2024 and while it believes it's going to be much improved in that area this year, Atlanta may force the issue and make Bowles' defense prove that such is the case.

And as simple as it sounds, finding ways for Penix to get the ball in the hands of his playmakers is the way to beat the Buccaneer defense. Robinson and Allgeier are certainly included in that group, but Tampa Bay has had fits with both wide receiver Drake London and tight end Kyle Pitts in the past. Getting those guys the ball is going to be huge for the (relatively) young Atlanta quarterback.

Raheem Morris made the decision to fire Jimmy Lake after the 2024 season and to replace him, he brought in Jeff Ulbrich, the former Jets defensive coordinator and interim head coach. Atlanta will be looking to right the ship on defense in 2025, though they'll have to do so with some new faces who will need to hit the ground running right away in a big divisional game.

The Falcons pass rush was awful in 2024, and the group will look much different this year. Arnold Ebiketie, who had six sacks in each of the last two seasons, is still around, but the team also brought in veteran Leonard Floyd and added two pass rushers in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, selecting Jalon Walker out of Georgia and James Pearce Jr. out of Tennessee. Ulbrich will need that group to take advantage of Heck filling in at left tackle on Tampa Bay's offensive line and affect the game in a big way.

Bucs WR Mike Evans Photo by: USA Today

Beyond getting more from the pass rush, the Falcons will have their hands full with the task of trying to take Mike Evans away. A.J. Terrell has plenty of experience matching up with Evans, and the two have had some good battles over the years. If Evans gets the better of that matchup with regularity, it's only going to make things easier for Mayfield and the Bucs offense.

For Atlanta, the goal is to take Evans away or at least limit him, which will in turn make it so that the likes of Egbuka, Shepard, Cade Otton and the stable of running backs have to beat them – which they very well seem capable of doing, especially with rookies like Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman making their first career starts. There may be some holes in this Falcons secondary, which could mean good things for the passing game even if Evans doesn't go for 100+ yards and find the end zone.

Key Players To Watch

What does year two have in store for Bucky Irving? The Bucs are hoping for more of the same from his rookie year, which saw the fourth-round pick out of Oregon break out with the franchise's first 1,000-yard rushing season since 2015. Irving ran for 1,122 yards (5.4 avg.) and eight touchdowns last year while catching 47 of his 52 targets for 392 more yards (8.3 avg.). He didn't even take on the full-time starting role until late in the season, and now he heads into 2025 as the lead back in a backfield that is four-deep.

Irving will be looking to pick up right where he left off last year this Sunday, and there's a good chance he and the other Buccaneer running backs will be heavily featured throughout the afternoon. If he can break through for some big runs early, watch out. He has a great chance of being the driving force behind a big day for the Tampa Bay offense.

Bucs OLB Haason Reddick – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Defensively, the big focus is Haason Reddick, the Bucs' prized free agent acquisition this offseason. Reddick, a veteran pass rusher with two Pro Bowls and four seasons of double-digit sacks to his name, signed a one-year, $15 million deal with Tampa Bay in March and the team is expecting a big bounce-back year from the soon-to-be 31-year-old. The 2024 season was a lost cause for Reddick as a holdout over his contract situation with the Jets saw him start the season late and struggle to make an impact.

The Bucs believe Reddick will be back to his old ways this season, and that would be a boon for the team's pass rush, as well as fellow outside linebacker Yaya Diaby. Reddick had a great training camp and is likely to have some favorable matchups come Sunday afternoon. If he can get to the quarterback once or even multiple times, it'll be a huge boost to the Buccaneer defense and give the veteran the fast start he's looking for this year.

Offensively for the Falcons, keep an eye on wide receiver Drake London. The 2022 first-round pick surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career last year, and he has feasted against the Bucs over the course of his career. In six career games against Tampa Bay, he has 42 catches on 52 targets for 569 yards (13.6 avg.) and a touchdown. He went for 120+ yards in three of those games, including a 154-yard, one-touchdown performance in the matchup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium last October.

Falcons WR Drake London and Bucs NCB Tykee Smith – Photo by: USA Today

Michael Penix Jr. is likely to look for London early and often, especially considering the shaky depth at receiver for Atlanta. If the Bucs can shut London down, it could be the first step toward making it a long day for Penix and the Falcons offense.

The big playmaker on the Falcons defense is safety Jessie Bates III. The longtime Cincinnati Bengal came to Atlanta in 2023 and has been a star for the Dirty Birds defense. He has seven forced fumbles and 10 interceptions over the last two years, and he's always lurking and looking to make a game-changing play.

Tampa Bay knows that all too well, as he had two forced fumbles in the meeting in Atlanta last October before adding another forced fumble and fumble recovery when the two teams rematched in Tampa later in the month. Keeping Bates without a takeaway could be another one of the big keys to success for the Buccaneer offense on Sunday afternoon.