TAMPA, Fla. -- When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers take the field Sunday for their regular season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, they'll bring a familiar face back to the Georgia Dome, one who was charged the task of bettering one of the league's worst pass defenses and could be largely responsible for its turnaround this season if things go according to plan -- former Falcons head coach Mike Smith.
When Dirk Koetter found out in January that he'd been promoted from offensive coordinator to head coach of the Buccaneers, Smith was the first person Koetter thought of to lead his defense.