A pair of NFC South rivals that both finished 4-12 last season will face off for the first time this season when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0-2) go to Atlanta to play the Falcons (1-1).
Tampa Bay was a trendy pick to be a surprise team this year, but after a pair of tough home losses to open the season, the urgency to get on the right track has reached a new high. Josh McCown has not played well early on for the Buccaneers, throwing for only 362 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions.
The 35 year-old career journeyman turned starter after a league-high 85.1 QBR last season addressed the criticism (via ESPN’s Pat Yasinskas):
“It’s awfully frustrating,’’ McCown said Tuesday. “I’m not going to shy away from that. I’m very disappointed. I’m disappointed in myself and just this start. It’s not what anybody wants.’’The Bucs are 0-2 and McCown, who was signed in the offseason to provide a veteran presence, has thrown three interceptions — all at crucial times. McCown was asked to evaluate his play and he didn’t give himself passing marks.“At the end of the day, you hear about quarterbacks being measured by wins and we’re 0-2,’’ McCown said. “For me, that’s how I evaluate it. I say, ‘What could I have done better to help us win the ballgame?’ In both games, I really felt like I did a lot of good things except the three turnovers in those games. Those have been critical.“As I evaluate myself, that’s really what I focus on, not letting that happen. That will continue to be the focus as it is every week. The other part is that I’m pleased with how I’m playing, throwing the ball and those things. I feel like that part is good. But I’ve just gotten outside the pocket and made bad decisions with the ball and you can’t do those things.’’
With receivers like Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans against an Atlanta defense that has allowed 317.5 passing yards per game, which ranks second-worst in the league, McCown will have a chance to make more plays in the passing game, as long as he doesn’t turn the ball over.
On the other side, Matt Ryan followed up a career-high passing yardage day (448 yards against the Saints in week 1) with a turnover prone game on Sunday in a 24-10 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals, throwing only a touchdown against three interceptions. While playing a game on a short week is a challenge, Ryan believes the Falcons could benefit from a Thursday night game.
“It was a tough loss, but in this league it’s about bouncing back,” says Ryan. “It comes quickly for us this week. We’ll take a quick look at this game and try to make some corrections and move on. It is a good thing we’re going on Thursday.”
Ryan also talked on Tuesday about how to be more consistent and efficient on offense (via ESPN’s Vaughn McClure):
As the Falcons prepare for Thursday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Ryan expects to regain an offensive rhythm.“On a positive note, I think there are some things we’ve done well, more so in Week 1 than Week 2,” Ryan said Tuesday. “But I think the run game has been pretty efficient up until this point. We need to continue to be efficient in the run game.
“And then in terms of the pass game, I think that’s an area … we just need to be more consistent. One of the thing that we’ve seen is that one week, we’re capable of making a bunch of explosives. The following week, we’re not. We’ve got to get to a point where we in and week out, we show up and play the way that we’re capable of.”
In the Matt Ryan era, the Falcons are 37-10 when hosting teams at the Georgia Dome, including 5-1 against the Buccaneers. Ryan has also brought his best on Thursday games, going 3-1 and thrwoing seven touchdowns without an interception.
Two injuries to monitor before the game are Tampa Bay RB Doug Martin and Atlanta WR Roddy White. Martin was inactive against the St. Louis Rams on Sunday after a knee injury in a Week 1 loss to the Carolina Panthers in which he only gained nine rushing yards on nine carries.
Martin was limited in practice on Tuesday, according to the Associated Press (via The Gazette), and his backup, Bobby Rainey, ran for 144 yards against the Rams, so the Buccaneers have a player capable of replacing him temporarily. While the Falcons have depth at receiver, White, who has 10 catches for 114 yards and a touchdown, is a Pro Bowl caliber player whose 133 consecutive games played and four Pro Bowl selections are invaluable.
White is currently dealing with a knee injury suffered against the Saints, as well as a hamstring injury sustained against the Bengals on Sunday. ESPN’s Vaughn McClure revealed Atlanta’s plan for him this week to keep him ready for the game on Thursday:
Although Atlanta Falcons receiver Roddy White missed Tuesday’s practice with a hamstring injury, coach Mike Smith sounded more concerned with having White rested for Thursday night’s quick turnaround game versus Tampa Bay.White, already dealing with a troublesome left knee, injured his hamstring during Sunday’s 24-10 loss at Cincinnati. He indicated he was “good’” following the game.
“It’s not important for Roddy to practice,” Smith said. “We’d like for Roddy to practice, but it’s all about getting Roddy ready on a short week. And some of these guys across the league that have some age with them, on a short week, you’ve got to get them to Thursday. And that’s our intention.
“Right now, our goal is to have Roddy as healthy as he can be for the ball game on Thursday night.”
Smith indicated White, 32, would be on a limited schedule moving forward after injuring his left knee in a season-opening win over New Orleans. It is unclear when White injured his hamstring against the Bengals.
The combination of White, Julio Jones, and Harry Douglas, who has 283 yards in the last two meetings with the Buccaneers, along with the additon of Devin Hester will be a tough challenge for Tampa Bay’s secondary. However, if McCown avoids turnovers and can keep Atlanta off the field with the help of a great running game, the Buccaneers could steal a game in the tough Georgia Dome.
The game will be broadcast on CBS and NFL Network at 8:25pm.
