Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Atlanta Falcons: Complete Week 3 Preview for Tampa Bay
As Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans found out this week—both literally and figuratively—when it rains, it pours.
Coming off two straight losses at home against teams without their starting quarterbacks, the Bucs head to Atlanta for a Thursday Night Football matchup against the Falcons at the Georgia Dome.
The game is scheduled to kick off at 8:25 p.m. ET.
After an offseason filled with optimism, the Bucs are reeling after an 0-2 start complete with a 51-minute lightning delay in their Week 2 loss to the St. Louis Rams. Injuries have piled up for Tampa Bay over its first two games, and now it must head out on the road for the first time against a division rival on a short week.
The Bucs are dealing with injuries to key players—Gerald McCoy, Doug Martin and Michael Johnson, just to name a few—and the short week will make it difficult for those players to get to full health in time for Thursday's game.
Two games into the Lovie Smith era, many Bucs fans have more questions than answers. After some costly mistakes, will Tampa Bay trust Josh McCown enough to take advantage of his playmaking receivers, especially in the red zone? How long will Gerald McCoy be out? Can the Bucs rush the passer effectively enough to create turnovers?
Here's everything you need to know heading into this week's game.
Bucs' Week 2 Recap
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One possession into the Bucs' Week 2 matchup against the St. Louis Rams, things were just plain Mayberry for the Bucs. Josh McCown capped off an impressive opening drive with his first of two touchdown scrambles, and Bucs fans thought the team was on its way to a 1-1 record.
But injuries, missed opportunities and mishaps on special teams led to the Bucs' second straight home loss to start the 2014 regular season. In both losses, Tampa Bay has fallen to teams who were without their starting quarterbacks.
St. Louis third-stringer Austin Davis completed 22 of his 29 passes for 235 yards, while Greg Zuerlein nailed four field goals to take down the Bucs 19-17.
The game ended on a controversial final play, as McCown threaded the needle to Mike Evans for a 29-yard gain, which should have set up a game-winning field-goal attempt for the Bucs.
But Evans was injured on the play, causing an injury timeout that resulted in a 10-second runoff because Tampa Bay was out of timeouts. Since the whistle was blown for the injury with less than 10 seconds remaining on the clock, the game was ruled over.
The Bucs were a bit more efficient this week between the 20s, but missed opportunities in the red zone—including a costly interception by McCown and a blocked field goal—ultimately cost Tampa Bay a painfully winnable game.
Starting in place of the injured Doug Martin, Bobby Rainey was the brightest spot for the Bucs, racking up 174 total yards on 25 touches. Tampa Bay's offensive line was much more successful at opening holes in the running game, while only allowing one sack of McCown.
Questionable play-calling was present throughout the game for the Bucs, as running on first down seemed a near-guarantee, and a draw play on 3rd-and-7 inside the 10 preceded the blocked field goal.
There were a few improvements here and there, but overall, it was another deflating result for Bucs fans.
News and Notes
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Running Back Controversy?
Doug Martin was labeled the Bucs' "bell-cow" back heading into the season and with good reason. Though he was coming off a season-ending shoulder injury, Martin racked up nearly 2,000 total yards as a rookie in 2012 on his way to the Pro Bowl.
But after struggling against the Carolina Panthers in Week 1—a meager nine yards on as many carries—and leaving the game with a knee injury, Martin opened the door for backup Bobby Rainey. Starting in place of Martin last week against St. Louis, Rainey tallied 174 total yards on 25 touches.
Per Rick Stroud and Mike Baker of the Tampa Bay Times, Rainey knows he has what it takes to carry the load:
"That's the hardest thing for a player is knowing that you belong and you're capable of doing the things that you see other guys do. It's being patient waiting for the right opportunity, the right team to put you in that right fit for you.
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It's way too early for fans to throw in the towel on Martin, but it's hard to ignore Rainey's edge so far when it comes to effectiveness. Once Martin is back to full strength, he'll likely still stay atop the depth chart, but it will be interesting to see how the snaps and touches are split moving forward.
Birds' Blindside Troubles
The Falcons were dealt a blow before the regular season even got underway, losing starting left tackle Sam Baker for the year with a knee injury. This forced Atlanta to move its 2014 first-round pick, Jake Matthews, over from right tackle to protect Matt Ryan's blind side.
But the former Texas A&M standout suffered a sprained ankle in the Falcons' Week 1 victory over the New Orleans Saints, and he might not be ready to return on Thursday. This could leave Gabe Carimi as the starter at left tackle this week, a name known to both Bucs fans and their head coach, Lovie Smith.
Per Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com, Matthews is confident he'll be ready to go:
"I'm feeling better. They're doing a really good job with treatments and all that stuff to get me back as soon as possible. It's feeling better every day. I'm excited to see how this week goes for the game. I know they're going to do a good job and get me taped up and ready for the game.
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Matthews may think he's ready to roll on Thursday, but don't be shocked if Atlanta decides to play it safe with its top pick on a short week against a thin Tampa Bay defensive line. Don't be surprised to see Carimi—who was drafted by the Chicago Bears under Smith and had a brief stint with the Bucs as well—in the starting lineup this week.
Not-So-Friendly Rivalry
Like most division rivals, the Bucs and Falcons don't exactly send Christmas cards to one another. When asked by D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Bucs linebacker Lavonte David reinforced the bitterness of a division matchup like this one:
"It’s a division opponent. When you are going against a division opponent, it’s going to always be a tough football game. (There’s) some bad blood between the two teams. There’s some history in this game. It’s always going to be a battle when you play a division opponent. Atlanta is home so they’ve got the upper hand right now. We just have to come with our A-game.
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If the Bucs are going to have a chance in this game, they'll need to rely on some of that intensity unique to a rivalry game. In the same interview, David stated multiple times that the Bucs need to raise their level of play, start faster and have every player focus on and execute his own assignment.
It will take all of the above to add up to a Tampa Bay win on the road this week.
Injury Report
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| Player | Position | Injury Status |
| Gerald McCoy | DT | Did Not Participate |
| Doug Martin | RB | Limited Participant |
| Michael Johnson | DE | Limited Participant |
| Mason Foster | LB | Did Not Participate |
| Evan Dietrich-Smith | C | Limited Participant |
| Demar Dotson | OT | Limited Participant |
| William Gholston | DE | Limited Participant |
| Da'Quan Bowers | DE | Full Participant |
| Austin Seferian-Jenkins | TE | Did Not Participate |
| Logan Mankins | G | Limited Participant |
| Bradley McDougald | S | Full Participant |
*All injury statuses courtesy of Buccaneers.com and based on participation in Tuesday's practice.
The Bucs have a full house in the infirmary, and the list of wounded includes some of the biggest names on the team. Making matters worse, Tampa Bay faces a quick turnaround to get ready for a Thursday night game, giving injured players less time to get healthy before game time.
McCoy's broken hand is the most concerning injury at the moment, but he looks to be at least a game-time decision for this week, despite not taking part in Tuesday's practice. Especially with McCoy's status in question, it becomes even more important for the Bucs to have Michael Johnson (ankle) return to practice this week after missing last week's game.
Foster's dislocated shoulder is also cause for alarm, and he missed practice on Tuesday as well. If he can't go, look for Dane Fletcher to start in his place and take over play-calling duties.
Martin (knee) was held out of last week's game but was a limited participant in Tuesday's practice. He should be ready to go on Thursday, but Bobby Rainey's impressive performance against St. Louis proves there's no need to rush Martin back until he's fully ready.
Three of Tampa Bay's five starters on the offense line show up on this week's report, but all have at least had limited participation in practice this week and should be available for Thursday's game.
Bowers (abdomen) and Gholston (shoulder) practiced on Tuesday, and their availability will be vital to a defensive line unit that could be incredibly thin this week.
Seferian-Jenkins (ankle) has yet to return to practice, which means Brandon Myers will likely be the starter again this week at tight end. McDougald was a full participant at Tuesday's practice and should be ready to provide depth in the secondary.
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X-Factors and Matchups to Watch
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Falcons Receivers vs. Bucs Secondary
So far, the Bucs defensive backs have been carved up by the likes of Derek Anderson and Austin Davis, neither of whom had a receiver worthy of being called a true No.1 NFL target.
This week, it's a much different story. Matt Ryan is a machine inside the Georgia Dome, and he'll have one of the best groups of receivers in the entire NFL at his disposal.
Julio Jones and Roddy White are enough of a handful on their own, and you can bet the Bucs won't overlook slot receiver Harry Douglas, who torched the Bucs last season to the tune of 13 catches for 283 yards and a pair of touchdowns in two games.
If the Bucs continue to fail at getting consistent pressure on the quarterback, it's going to be a long night for their secondary.
Bucs' Tall Receivers vs. Falcons' Smaller Corners
On paper, this looks like a dream matchup for the Bucs. Both Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans are listed at 6'5", while Atlanta's starting corners—Desmond Trufant and Robert Alford—measure in at 6'0" and 5'10" respectively.
The only thing standing in the way of a huge opportunity in this matchup will be Tampa Bay's conservative play-calling, especially in the red zone. If the Bucs want any chance of winning this game, they'll have to throw some jump balls and trust their playmakers to come down with them, especially near the end zone.
Bucs Offensive Line vs. Falcons Defensive Line
Tampa Bay's struggles up front have been well-documented, but the unit showed marked improvement against the Rams last week, both in run blocking and protecting Josh McCown.
The Falcons' front four, however, has shown even less bite than the Bucs' so far this season. The Dirty Birds have yet to record a sack through two games and have generated very little pressure on opposing quarterbacks.
If Tampa Bay can keep opening holes consistently in the running game while giving McCown the time he needs to make plays down the field—assuming the Bucs actually let him throw down said field—its chances of victory will greatly increase.
Bucs' X-Factor of the Week: QB Josh McCown
The Bucs will have to do a lot of different things to have a shot at victory this week. But no player will have a bigger impact on Tampa Bay's chances than the man taking the snaps.
All offseason, the Bucs coaching staff has praised McCown for his leadership, his accuracy, his decision-making. But after a costly interception in the red zone last week, it was clear on every snap inside the 20 thereafter, Lovie Smith and his staff took the ball out of McCown's hands.
If the Bucs truly have a pirate ship full of confidence in McCown, now is the time to prove it.
Prediction
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The Falcons didn't exactly look like world-beaters last week, but they lost to a Cincinnati Bengals team that's playing some of the best football in the league right now. Mike Smith's crew also survived a shootout with Drew Brees and the Saints in Week 1, proving the Falcons can go step-for-step with one of the best offensive teams in the NFL.
The Bucs, on the other hand, have been beaten twice in a row at home by backup quarterbacks and have struggled offensively. Throw in the laundry list of injuries the team is facing right now, and this looks like the worst possible time for Tampa Bay to be heading to a tough road environment on a short week.
The Bucs should be able to run the ball effectively again this week, but they'll have to convert third downs consistently and hope to keep Matt Ryan and the Atlanta offense off the field as much as possible if they want any shot at a victory.
Tampa Bay must also stop settling for field goals in the red zone if it wants to keep up with what the Falcons are likely to put on the scoreboard against its injury-riddled defense.
Two backup quarterbacks with unspectacular receiving corps were able to carve up the Bucs the past two weeks. I'm betting the likes of Ryan, Julio Jones and Roddy White will fare even better, especially at home. All signs point to a long night on national television for Bucs fans.
PREDICTION: Falcons 34, Bucs 16
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