Bucs must follow these 3 keys to victory to beat Falcons in Week 1

It’s gameday for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as they take on the Falcons in Atlanta to kick off their season. The Bucs have a target on their back after winning the NFC South in four consecutive seasons. They’re the better team on paper, but the Falcons have a roster full of talented players. 

There’s some bad blood between the two teams, and the Bucs are looking for revenge after a season sweep last year by Atlanta. Tampa Bay has yet to lose a season opener under head coach Todd Bowles, and the odds are in their favor this Sunday. It won’t be easy, but if the Bucs follow these keys to cannon fire, they should open the season 1-0.

1. Shut Down Bijan Robinson

The Falcons' offense flows through Bijan Robinson. The dynamic running back is a threat anytime the ball is in his hands, and they get it to him in a variety of ways. He can line up anywhere in the alignment from the backfield to out wide and is a player that must be accounted for on every snap. 

Fortunately for the Buccaneers, they have one of the best run-stuffing defenses in the league — and Vita Vea. If the Bucs defense can shut down Robinson and their vaunted rushing attack (which took a massive hit with starting right tackle Kaleb McGary out for the season )and make quarterback Michael Penix throw the ball, the Bucs' chances of winning this game increase dramatically. 

2. Put the Pressure on Penix

Take away the run, and you make the Falcons offense one-dimensional, which allows the boys to pin their ears back and hunt. The Bucs have some dogs on their front four, and each one of them knows how to get to the quarterback. Double teams are sure to come Vita Vea’s way after he abused center Ryan Nueseil last season, so whoever gets the one-on-one needs to make the most of their opportunities. 

Vea likely won't be the only one receiving double teams on Sunday. Not only is McGary out for the season, but his backup, Storm Norton, is also out. That puts the spotlight on nine-year veteran Elijah Wilkerson. Wilkerson has a handful of starts under his belt at right tackle, but not since 2019 and 2020, and he posted below-average grades and allowed 12 sacks and 50 pressures. Haason Reddick will command extra attention, freeing up another opportunity to make plays. If the Bucs can get after Penix early and often, it will make their job on defense that much easier. 

3. Limit Mental Errors

Look, it’s Week 1 on the road — mistakes will be made. The Bucs just can’t let them snowball on Sunday. There’s a saying in sports: “You can’t beat the other team if you're too busy beating yourself.” We’ve seen plenty of times where the “Bucs beat the Bucs.” If they’re going to steal an early division win on the road, then that can’t happen.

It’s going to be loud, knowing their silent counts will be key. They can’t afford drive-killing false starts backing them up. It’s a division rival, so things will be chippy, but playing smart will be critical to ensuring victory. However, beyond that, it’s knowing your assignment and trusting the guys around you to do theirs. Baker Mayfield needs to be careful with the ball as the Falcons have a secondary full of ball hawks and avoid taking “Baker sacks.” If the Bucs can limit the mental errors on both sides of the ball, the path to victory becomes a whole lot easier.