The
Atlanta Falcons followed up their impressive opening week win against
the New Orleans Saints with a two-touchdown loss on the road. Just four
days after their recent defeat, the Falcons will be on the field as one
of the biggest favorites in Week 3.
Atlanta starts off the
Week 3 schedule on “Thursday Night Football” with a divisional matchup against the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers. While the Falcons enter the contest at 1-1, the
Buccaneers are still searching for their first win of the 2014 season.
Both teams tied for last place in 2013 with 4-12 records.
Through two games, quarterback Matt Ryan leads the NFL’s top passing
offense and the No.2 total offense, in terms of yardage. Ryan has thrown
for 679 yards, 204 of which have gone to team-leading wide receiver
Julio Jones.
Despite all the yardage Atlanta has totaled, the team only ranks 11th
in total points. The Falcons scored just 10 points in their Week 2 loss
to the Cincinnati Bengals, plagued by three interceptions from Ryan.
While the Falcons have their issues, they’ve had a better start to
the year than the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay is one of seven winless NFL
teams, as they sit at the bottom of the NFC South for a fourth straight
season.
Tampa Bay did have a chance to win both of their games, but both
contests concluded as time ran out and the Buccaneers had the ball down
by one score. While they’ve only lost by a combined eight points, the
Bucs missed opportunities to beat two backup quarterbacks. In Week 1,
they allowed Derek Anderson to register a 108.7 passer rating as Cam
Newton’s replacement, followed by a loss to the St. Louis Rams and
Austin Davis, who was the team’s No.3 quarterback in preseason.
Career backup Josh McCown hasn’t done anything to improve the team’s
passing game. With him at the helm, the Buccaneers rank second-to-last
with 168.5 passing yards per game. McCown was named the starter in
preseason, replacing Mike Glennon, who threw 19 touchdowns and nine
interceptions as a rookie last year.
The Buccaneers were without one of their best players on Sunday, as
Doug Martin was forced to miss the game with a knee injury. However,
Bobby Rainey filled in more than admirably with 144 rushing yards on 22
carries. It’s unknown if Martin will be ready to go on Thursday, but he
did practice with the team on Tuesday.
The Falcons have gotten the better of their division rival since
2008, winning eight of 12 matchups. Tampa Bay has been in most of those
defeats, losing by more than one score just twice. The Buccaneers are
1-5 in their six last games in Atlanta.
Only three teams in Week 3 have been given worse betting odds than
Tampa Bay. The point spread at most Las Vegas casinos has the Buccaneers
getting 6.5 points on the road. The over/under comes in at 44.5 points.
Prediction: They only scored 10 points on Sunday,
but the Falcons have one of the most explosive offenses in the league.
With Jones and Roddy White at receiver, Ryan and the rest of the Atlanta
offense are poised to have a big day when they return home. Ryan
committed three turnovers against a strong Cincinnati defense, but that
shouldn’t be the case against Tampa Bay, who hasn’t had an interception
in their last five games. The Falcons were burned by a few big plays
against the Bengals, but the Buccaneers don’t have that kind of
firepower, and Tampa Bay could be in for a long night.
Predicted Score: Atlanta 30, Tampa Bay 16