It’s been since late in the 2014 season that anyone but the Panthers led the NFC South.
And while it’s admittedly early, the Buccaneers look like they could make a bit of a push on the team that went wire-to-wire and won the division by seven games last year.
The Bucs got a solid 31-24 road win over the Falcons Sunday, looking particularly sharp on offense.
Quarterback Jameis Winston was 23-of-33 for 281 yards and four touchdowns, with a lone interception marring an otherwise impressive day.
The Falcons’ last chance went away when defensive tackle Gerald McCoy batted down Matt Ryan’s fourth-down pass with 1:13 left on the clock, allowing the Bucs to kneel out the game.
That made for a positive first game as a head coach for Dirk Koetter, and some redemption for Bucs defensive coordinator Mike Smith, the former Falcons head coach.