Mission: Atlanta Falcons

Coming off of the bye week, the 5-4 Bucs will face the 3-6 Atlanta Falcons. The Bucs had the chance to rest some sore players, and even have the opportunity to bring back Michael Pittman, and Michael Clayton, who have both missed time due to injuries. They are both game-time decisions.

What we can expect from the Bucs will be a defensive overhaul, one that could crush the Falcons. Not so fast. The Falcons have the momentum of a two-game win streak, including an upset over division rival Carolina. During those two games, Falcons QB Joey Harrington has completed 73% of his passes, throwing for 584 yards, four touchdowns, and no interceptions. He might be distracted however, as he is fighting for his starting job. On the season, he has 5 TD’s, and 5 INT’s. On top of that, the Falcons are 5th in the league in third down conversions, and 6th in the league in field goals. Roddy White, Harrington’s wide receiver threat, has 642 yards receiving this season, with 2 TD’s. He also averages 15.3 yards per catch. The Bucs D might have a tougher task ahead of them than originally thought, even though their defense has recorded 534 tackles on the season, as opposed to their opponents 483. They are led by Barrett Ruud, who has 79 tackles, and Derrick Brooks, who has 67. Jermaine Phillips leads the team with 3 interceptions, and is third on the team in tackles, with 52.

The Bucs offense, which isn’t an offense that scores many points, will have their hands full with the Falcons defense. The Bucs are 7th in the league with 9 rushing touchdowns, and 9th in the league in average yards per passing play. However, they will have to face Michael Boley, who leads his team with 69 tackles, along with 2 interceptions. They will also have to face Keith Brooking (57 tackles), and dangerous corner DeAngelo Hall, who has 35 tackles along with 3 interceptions. 

The Falcons have the momentum of a two-game win streak, while the Bucs have the rest. It should mainly be a defensive matchup, but we can expect a surge in the Bucs running game if Pittman returns. This is an important divisional matchup, as only two games separate these two. If the Bucs lose and either Carolina or New Orleans wins, there will be a tie for first in the division. Not to mention the fact that the Falcons would only be one game out of third. The Bucs are 4-1 at home, and 2-0 in their division.