FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. — Week 1 provides a unique challenge, even when facing a familiar opponent. Tendencies are a year old, and no one has shown anything on tape. The Buccaneers clearly entered Week 1 intending to limit Atlanta's ability to utilize Michael Penix's Jr.'s arm talent and ability to push the ball down the field. The Buccaneers tried to do this by playing slightly more zone than their 2024 average would suggest and sending fewer blitzes than you would expect from a Todd Bowles defense. In Week 1, Tampa Bay blitzed on just 28.3% of Atlanta's dropbacks, a 10.3% decrease from its 2024 average of 38.6%.

This strategy had an impact as Penix averaged a modest 6.9 air yards per attempt, far short of the 10.2 air yards per attempt he averaged over his three starts at the end of 2024. T

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