TAMPA, Fla. -- When Tampa Bay opened the season with a 31-24 road victory over the Atlanta Falcons, it was a promising start to Dirk Koetters head coaching career against a team he and Buccaneers defensive coordinator Mike Smith coached together.But as the rematch approaches Thursday night at Raymond James Stadium, much has changed as the Buccaneers find themselves considerably short-handed as they try to stop a Falcons offense that has established itself as the NFLs best.I think theyre playing with more confidence, and you would expect that: They won some big games, Koetter said.The Falcons (5-3) have the NFC South lead and quarterback Matt Ryan leads the NFL in touchdown passes (19) and passing yards (2,636), having thrown scoring passes to an NFL-best 10 different players. The biggest challenge will be containing receiver Julio Jones, who went off for 300 yards in a victory against Carolina this season, but the Buccaneers held him to 66 yards in the first meeting. Jones has been slowed by a knee injury, but the Bucs fully expect to face him.Julio Jones is going to play, said Smith, his coach in Atlanta until last year. He is obviously one of the top three receivers in the league. Theres no doubt about that. Maybe No. 1. I think hes probably one of the toughest guys to defend.The Bucs wont have nearly the same offensive lineup they had around quarterback Jameis Winston in the first meeting. Doug Martin and Charles Sims, the teams top two running backs, are injured as is No. 2 receiver Vincent Jackson, and tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who caught a 30-yard touchdown against the Falcons, has since been arrested on a DUI charge and waived.As if losing their top two backs wasnt enough, the Bucs will be without former Falcons back Jacquizz Rodgers, who had filled in admirably with back-to-back 100-yard games before getting injured Sunday in a loss to the Raiders.Now the Bucs move forward with three backs all signed off the street since the start of the season -- former Falcons back Antone Smith, who has never had more than four carries in a game; rookie Peyton Barber, who played only three offensive snaps in Sundays loss; and Mike James, who was signed Tuesday after being waived-injured by the Bucs in Week 1, days before the first Falcons game.The quick turnaround to a Thursday game is tough enough, but the Bucs are coming off an overtime loss to Oakland that saw their defense on the field for 94 snaps. The Raiders piled up 626 yards of total offense, including a franchise-record 512 passing by Derek Carr, whose fourth touchdown won the game late in overtime.Atlanta, too, had their game Sunday come down to the wire as Mohamed Sanu caught the game-winning touchdown in a win over the Packers, so both teams will be physically spent entering the game.Our last three weeks, all the games have come right down to the end, coach Dan Quinn said Tuesday. We had some disappointing finishes where we thought we had a chance to finish and we didnt, then in this game where we did. Were glad we had another opportunity to try to finish ... weve got work to do, but were pleased we were able to finish it this past one.If the Bucs (3-4) win, theyll have the season sweep of the Falcons and be a half-game out of first and even in losses with the Falcons. Theyll need to play much better defensively than they did against Oakland, while facing the NFLs top passer, but Tampa Bay has won three straight against Atlanta -- all since Winston took over as quarterback last season.Both teams will enjoy the longer break after Thursdays game with the Bucs staying home to face the Bears in Week 10, while the Falcons go to the Eagles next weekend before finally getting their open date. Minnesota Vikings Jerseys China . Booth picked up 65 caps after making her national team debut in 2002 at the age of 17. She most recently played for Sky Blue FC of the National Womens Soccer League. "It just felt like it was my time to move on," she said in a phone interview from her hometown of Burlington, Ont. Stefon Diggs Jersey Youth . 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This story is part of ESPN The Magazines Oct. 31 NBA Preview Issue. Subscribe today!Miami MarlinsOverall: 91 Title track: T45 Ownership: 119 Coaching: T37 Players: 65 Fan relations: 101 Affordability: 77 Stadium experience: 84 Bang for the buck: 69 Change from last year: +15The Marlins suffered through an unimaginable loss when ace pitcher Jose Fernandez was killed in a boating accident in late September. Miami looked to be a team on the rise, contending for a wild-card spot into the final month of the year, and Fernandez was a central reason for that. As difficult as it will be, the organization must balance moving on from the tragedy both on and off the field with keeping the memory of the Marlins fallen brother alive.Whats goodThe Marlins went from one of the worst coaching ranks in sports -- second-to-last in 2015 -- all the way up to 37th this year. Say what you will about his on-field strategy, but its clear that Don Mattingly has been seen as a stabilizing force in what has been an unsteady role the past few seasons. (Remember that just a year ago, the Marlins named their general manager the actual manager.) Mattingly is flanked by one of the more respected pitching coaches, Chuck Hernandez, and in 2015 had arguably the greatest hitter of all time, Barry Bonds, as his hitting coach.Whats badJeffreey Loria remains one of the most disliked figures in sports -- something that is probably not ever going to change.dddddddddddd The ownership ranked 119th of 122 teams in 2016, which is actually an improvement from 121st last season and dead last in 2014. The unfavorable rating in ownership goes hand-in-hand with a frayed fan relationship. Once again, slightly up to No. 101 from 105 last year, it is clear that the fan base has not forgotten about the past, and theyre still unwilling to put much trust in the Loria group.Whats newMiamis stadium remains a plus for fans, with a rating that is above the average for major league parks. As seen above, the Marlins ownership has rightfully taken a lot of heat, but give them some credit for making fans feel like they are receiving a worthwhile experience at Marlins Park. The team improved by 31 spots in bang for the buck, even as it dropped 21 spots in overall affordability. Nonetheless, the average ticket price of $28 is still below the league average of $31, and you can get a hot dog and soda for around $11 ($12 if you opt for a beer). A turnaround in players (88th to 53rd) did not hurt, either.Next: Chicago White Sox?| Full rankings ' ' '