Both the Buccaneers and Eagles will have a new look on the sidelines as they open the 2016 preseason. Looking to undo the mess created by the Chip Kelly fiasco, Philadelphia hired former quarterback and assistant coach Doug Pederson to the head job. On the other side, Dirk Koetter, who was the Bucs OC last season, was tabbed head coach to help expedite the development of quarterback Jameis Winston.
ODDS
The Eagles opened at -3 getting the standard field goal difference for being the home team, but this is more like a tossup. Both clubs enter the preseason opener looking to work on parts of their offense, if successful they should topple the 37.5 total.
QUARTERBACK ROTATION
We can expect to see the slim-downed Winston operate a few series in the opener. Koetter was the team’s offensive coordinator last season, so there is familiarity. However, the offense was shackled with the conservative approach of Lovie Smith last year. Winston and the rest of the offense are looking forward to running a more up-tempo system this year. Mike Glennon returns as the backup with Ryan Griffin as the third quarterback on the roster.
Pederson has already declared Sam Bradford as his No. 1 quarterback with Chase Daniel as the backup and first-round pick Carson Wentz as the third guy on the depth chart. He’s not letting anyone in on his decision to divide playing time among them in the preseason opener. Everybody wants to see how Wentz, the second overall pick in the 2016 draft, performs and will get a chance on Thursday. Only Pederson knows how many snaps he gets.
COACHES' MOTIVATION
Pederson and Koetter are embarking on their first season as a head coach at the NFL level, so actually winning a game, even if it’s in the preseason, is kinda important to these guys. The only experience Pederson has as the top guy is at the high school level. At least Koetter has several years as the lead dog at a major college institution, having success at Boise State then Arizona State before becoming an assistant in the NFL.
Both teams missed the playoffs last season and overhauled their coaching staffs in an effort to become relevant in the NFC. Winning is important to the head coaches, who are both trying to build a culture within their organization. There is no correlation between preseason success and how many games you win in the regular season, but getting a W in the first one could be a stepping stone for the new coaches.
QUOTE TO NOTE
“You know, it’s typical of the first game. You try to get them all in the game, but I don’t have the exact timetable for how long and how many reps each one will get.” – Eagles coach Doug Pederson on his quarterback rotation in the preseason opener.
POSITION BATTLE TO WATCH
The Buccaneers listed two tight end spots on their first preseason depth chart and surprisingly last year’s opening game starter Austin Seferian-Jenkins isn’t No. 1 on either listing. Koetter plans on involving his tight ends more in the game-plan and has eight players at the position on his camp roster.
Cameron Brate and Luke Stocker head into the preseason opener listed at No. 1. However, Seferian-Jenkins is poised to reclaim his starting role after dealing with injuries last season. Rookie Dan Vitale has shown promise in camp and Koetter likes having a versatile group of tight ends at his disposal.
INJURIES
Under their new coach the Eagles have returned to full-contact practices and the result has been a slew of injuries. Chip Kelly may have been right about one thing – take the hits out of practice to reduce the likelihood of injuries. The running backs have suffered the most with Ryan Mathews out with an ankle injury and rookie Wendell Smallwood nursing a quad injury. We’re likely to see plenty of Kenjon Barner and Byron Marshall in the backfield on Thursday.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Both coaches will be looking to get their careers off on a positive note, but the Bucs have a bit more stability in their roster through the first few weeks of training camp. They also have some continuity on the offensive side with Koetter the former OC. Winston shed about 20 pounds during the offseason and he’ll be eager to show off his svelte form in the opener. He probably won’t play more than a series or two, but he’ll be good while he’s in there.
NFL Odds: Tampa Bay 17, Philadelphia 13
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