Tampa Bay looks to regain momentum in NFC South on TNF vs. Falcons
Joe Rivera and Chris Bumbaca break down Tampa’s loss to the Saints and look ahead to their Thursday night matchup vs. the Atlanta Falcons.
We’re inching closer to the NFL postseason. Teams have four weeks to solidify their standings in their division and their conferences to determine where – or if – they’ll be playing into mid-January.
Week 15 will have plenty of divisional games and matchups between playoff hopefuls. Things kick off with one of the former: an NFC South contest between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons.
These two teams met back in Week 1 and each brought lots of hope into a season they hoped would end with at least a division title. Tampa Bay eked out a 23-20 win on the road to open the season and both teams have had a rocky journey since.
Atlanta’s sorted out its pass rush for the first time in years and boasts a top-10 pass defense entering Week 15. That defense helped them to a 3-2 start, capped off by a win over the Bills in prime time. They’ve won just one of their eight games since then, though. They’re 4-9 after their latest loss, a 37-9 drubbing to the Seattle Seahawks.
Starting quarterback Michael Penix Jr. suffered a season-ending injury in Week 11 against Carolina. Atlanta managed to win the following week against New Orleans, but has struggled with veteran Kirk Cousins under center. Their solid run game has kept them afloat as much as possible in recent weeks thanks to star running back Bijan Robinson.
Tampa Bay’s fortunes have also taken a turn in recent weeks. The Buccaneers entered their Week 9 bye at 6-2 following a bounce-back win over New Orleans. But they’ve won just one of five games since their bye and that was by just three points over the Arizona Cardinals.
Injuries on both sides of the ball have led to inconsistency for what’s been, at times, a dynamic passing offense and a stout run defense. The Buccaneers are 7-6 entering Week 15, needing a win to stay ahead of Carolina in the NFC South race.
Here’s everything to know about the “Thursday Night Football” matchup for Week 15.
Who plays on Thursday Night Football tonight?
The Falcons are heading south to Tampa to face the Buccaneers. This is the second contest between the two NFC South teams this season. Tampa Bay won its season opener 23-20 over the Falcons in Atlanta.
How to watch Thursday Night Football tonight
- Live stream: Amazon Prime Video
- Local TV Channel:
- Tampa: WTVT (FOX 13)
- Atlanta: WAGA (FOX 5)
“Thursday Night Football” streams exclusively on Prime Video outside of teams’ local markets.
Watch “Thursday Night Football” with a Prime Video subscription
Thursday Night Football preview
Both teams enter this game with few wins over the last month.
Tampa Bay had a close call against New Orleans last week. The Buccaneers’ offense couldn’t manage much against a feisty Saints defense. Quarterback Baker Mayfield, playing behind a line without star tackle Tristan Wirfs, completed just 14 of 30 passes for 122 yards, one touchdown and an interception.
He was operating again without Mike Evans at wide receiver and couldn’t connect with promising rookie Emeka Egbuka. Mayfield targeted Egbuka a team-high nine times in the passing game but he only managed two catches for 15 yards.
The running game with Bucky Irving back in the lineup picked up some of the slack. The trio of Irving, Rachaad White and Sean Tucker combined for 137 yards and a touchdown on 33 carries. Luckily, Wirfs could be back in the lineup after fully practicing on Wednesday, and that’d be a lift for the Buccaneers’ offense. The Falcons’ defense is better against the pass than opposing running games. With Wirfs back, that trio could get going once again.
Atlanta’s dealing with its own injuries on offense. Wide receiver Drake London will be out again with a knee injury after not practicing at all this week. That’s a big loss for an offense needing as much help as it can get.
The Falcons managed to keep things surprisingly close in the first half against Seattle in Week 14, but a kick return touchdown to open the second half put the Seahawks ahead for good. Cousins struggled against one of the best defenses in the league with two interceptions. Robinson also lost a fumble for just the second time all season. He’s been a bright spot for the Falcons again this season but managed just 94 yards on 22 touches against the Seahawks.
Tampa Bay’s defense isn’t on par with the Seahawks’, but it’s certainly good enough to give Atlanta some trouble, especially on the ground. The Buccaneers enter Week 15 third-best in the league in expected points added (EPA) per rush at -0.09, per SumerSports. Only the Seahawks and Browns are better.
That may mean leaning more on Cousins in the passing game without their top weapon, London. Robinson may get more work in the passing game as the Falcons look to get him the ball in space as much as possible.
NFC South games are always tough to predict. Look no further than Tampa Bay’s loss to the previously 2-10 Saints just five days ago. These two teams had a 36-30 shootout last season with Cousins at quarterback for the Falcons. They may not combine for 883 yards of offense in this one but it’ll still likely be a one-score game to decide the opening matchup of the week.
