Buccaneers vs. Falcons 2014: Tampa Bay’s difficult road runs through the Georgia Dome

The NFC South’s most disappointing team through two weeks faces another tough challenge at the Georgia Dome.

Sep 18, 2014, 11:30 AM UTC

Andy Lyons

A new head coach, a new quarterback, and a new defense haven't led to a new result thus far for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. At 0-2 and with a difficult schedule ahead, the Buccaneers look every bit the NFC South cellar dweller they've been the previous two years under former head coach Greg Schiano.

The Atlanta Falcons, on the other hand, have shown some life early in the 2014 season. In their season opener against Super Bowl favorite New Orleans, the Falcons battled back from a 20-7 deficit to win in overtime 37-34. They stumbled a week later as a short-handed offensive line failed to keep quarterback Matt Ryan upright. With left tackle Jake Matthews set to return for Week 3, the offense appears set to go off on Tampa's defense.

There is still a long road of season ahead, but with the Carolina Panthers looking very strong early, both teams could risk falling behind in the division race. The Panthers play at home this week and are favored to improve to 3-0. With a loss, Tampa Bay could find itself in a three-game hole in the division, just three weeks into the season. Atlanta could be two back, or could be tied for the division lead with a win and a Panthers loss. It’s still far from a must win, but with division standings a playoff tiebreaker, coming away with a win could be a nice early-season boost for either team.

Let’s take a closer look at both teams below.

Meet the Buccaneers

The Buccaneers cleaned out the front office and coaching staff following two straight disastrous seasons. To rebuild the franchise, former Chicago Bears head coach and one-time Tampa Bay assistant Lovie Smith was tabbed to lead the makeover on the field. Behind the scenes, Jason Licht was brought over from Arizona and has begun the process of turning over the roster. While their combined credentials suggest these are the right men to transform the Buccaneers into winners, that process remains in the early stages.

Starting quarterback Josh McCown, brought in after resurrecting his career with the Bears, has stumbled out of the gate in Tampa. The ground game of Doug Martin and Bobby Rainey looks potent, averaging 129.5 yards per game. However, the Buccaneers' aerial attack has pinned down the offense and kept points off the board. In just two starts, McCown has thrown three interceptions and fumbled twice, contributing to a 27th ranking in points.

The Buccaneers' talented defense has adjusted well to Smith's Cover 2-heavy scheme. Everything it does works off Gerald McCoy, who plays the same three-technique defensive tackle position that Tommie Harris starred in under Smith years ago. Aiding McCoy is All-Pro weakside linebacker Lavonte David, a sideline-to-sideline athlete who covers tight ends and slot receivers.

Meet the Falcons

Under the leadership of GM Thomas Dimitroff, the Falcons have become one of perhaps the NFL’s foremost high-variance team. They were a Harry Douglas catch away from a Super Bowl appearance in 2012, and just a few plays away from the number one overall pick the following year. Their quarterback, an accurate and cerebral signal caller, is in the midst of his prime. However, he lacks the athleticism to succeed when his blocking breaks down, and all too common occurrence under Dimitroff. The result has been an offense that shines when the starters are healthy and falls apart after just an injury or two.

While the offense lacks predictability, the defense has performed consistently poor for several seasons. Atlanta has bled its defensive stars slowly, and has struggled to stop wide-open passing attacks or pressure the quarterback. And injuries have already decimated this year's group. Sean Weatherspoon, the linebacker defensive coordinator Mike Nolan planned to unleash in his 3-4 defense, was lost to a torn Achilles in June. The leadership vacuum his injury created will be difficult to fill before next offseason.