In addition to being the first game of the 2016 regular season, the Buccaneers' game against Atlanta on Sunday holds extra significance for Head Coach Dirk Koetter and Defensive Coordinator Mike Smith. Koetter and Smith spent several years together on the Falcons' staff, leading the team to a division title and the NFC Championship game in 2012.
Sunday's game will be Koetter's first as an NFL Head Coach and Smith's first since leaving the Falcons in 2014. But since both coaches left Atlanta in 2014, a lot has changed.
Pictures of the Buccaneers during the 2016 preseason games.
28 CB Vernon Hargreaves
93 DT Gerald McCoy
3 QB Jameis Winston
Buccaneers vs. Eagles
3 QB Jameis Winston
98 DT Clinton McDonald
54 LB Lavonte David and #23 S Chris Conte
95 DE Howard Jones and #91 DE Robert Ayers
Head Coach Dirk Koetter
74 G Ali Marpet and #22 RB Doug Martin
Head Coach Dirk Koetter
3 QB Jameis Winston
68 C Joe Hawley
13 WR Mike Evans and #3 QB Jameis Winston
3 QB Jameis Winston
25 RB Mike James
98 DT Clinton McDonald
97 DT Akeem Spence
3 QB Jameis Winston
Buccaneers vs. Jaguars
54 LB Lavonte David
34 RB Charles Sims
28 CB Vernon Hargreaves
13 WR Mike Evans
24 CB Brent Grimes
29 DB Ryan Smith
83 WR Vincent Jackson, #98 DT Clinton McDonald, #88 TE Luke Stocker, #58 LB Kwon Alexander, and #37 S Keith Tandy
3 QB Jameis Winston
24 CB Brent Grimes
3 QB Jameis Winston
23 S Chris Conte and #30 S Bradley McDougald
85 WR Evan Spencer
87 TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins
83 WR Vincent Jackson
22 RB Doug Martin
34 RB Charles Sims
11 WR Adam Humphries
27 CB Johnthan Banks
3 QB Jameis Winston
13 WR Mike Evans
8 QB Mike Glennon
76 OT Donovan Smith and #13 WR Mike Evans
34 RB Charles Sims, #87 TE Austin Seferian-Jenkins, and #76 OT Donovan Smith
11 WR Adam Humphries
13 WR Mike Evans
93 DT Gerald McCoy and #58 LB Kwon Alexander
13 WR Mike Evans
58 LB Kwon Alexander
13 WR Mike Evans
3 QB Jameis Winston
Head Coach Dirk Koetter
3 QB Jameis Winston
11 WR Adam Humphries
58 LB Kwon Alexander
13 WR Mike Evans
58 LB Kwon Alexander
23 S Chris Conte
37 S Keith Tandy
8 QB Mike Glennon
4 QB Ryan Griffin
8 QB Mike Glennon
29 DB Ryan Smith
4 QB Ryan Griffin
"Obviously for me and Mike, we're both two years removed so there's less and less guys that they've kept," Koetter said in a press conference on Monday. "There's some guys that are the same, but I think my emotional time with that is passed. We have to look at this as a football team. This is a divisional game on the road to open the season, so huge game and the league wants it that way.
"You've got these divisional games and everyone knows that they count double, especially on the road. So you'll have to ask Mike, his was a different situation because he was a head coach and had a great run there, longer than I did and he drafted some of those guys, so it might be different for him. For me, I'm just worried about what our team does."
The Buccaneers' 53-Man roster.
3 - QB Jameis Winston
4 - QB Ryan Griffin
8 - QB Mike Glennon
9 - P Bryan Anger
10 WR Cecil Shorts
11 - WR Adam Humphries
13 - WR Mike Evans
19 - K Roberto Aquayo
21 - CB Alterraun Verner
22 - RB Doug Martin
23 - S Chris Conte
24 - CB Brent Grimes
26 - CB Josh Robinson
27 - CB Johnthan Banks
28 - CB Vernon Hargreaves
29 - DB Ryan Smith
30 - S Bradley McDougald
32 RB Jacquizz Rodgers
36 RB Antone Smith
37 - S Keith Tandy
38 - CB Jude Adjei-Barimah
43 RB Peyton Barber
45 TE Alan Cross
48 - LS Andrew DePaola
51 - LB Daryl Smith
52- LB Cameron Lynch
53 - LB Adarius Glanton
54 - LB Lavonte David
57 - DE Noah Spence
58 - LB Kwon Alexander
62 - OL Evan Smith
64 - OL Kevin Pamphile
66 - OT Leonard Wester
67 DT John Hughes III
68 - C Joe Hawley
69 - OT Demar Dotson
71 - DE Channing Ward
74 - G Ali Marpet
75 - DT DaVonte Lambert
76 - OT Donovan Smith
77 - OL Caleb Benenoch
78 - OT Gosder Cherilus
82 - TE Brandon Myers
83 - WR Vincent Jackson
84 - TE Cameron Brate
88 - TE Luke Stocker
89 - WR Russell Shepard
91 - DE Robert Ayers
92 - DE William Gholston
93 - DT Gerald McCoy
95 - DE Howard Jones
97 - DT Akeem Spence
98 - DT Clinton McDonald
While some players are new, many are the same. Koetter, who got his start in coaching as a quarterbacks coach and played quarterback himself, is more than familiar with Matt Ryan. He's also spent time drawing up plays for Juilo Jones, who has established himself as one of the best wide receivers in the league. It will be a challenge to slow his former players down, but Koetter is excited for the challenge.
"Well I think they really have a big three right now," Koetter said, "in Matt and Julio and then the tailback [Devonta Freeman]. They have three really, really fine football players – 'game wreckers' as we like to call them - on offense. What they do in their running game fits him a lot and then Julio's a threat to score from anywhere on the field at anytime and obviously I'm very fond of Matt Ryan as a quarterback. So those three guys will be the guys we need to stop."
