NFL Preview - Atlanta (3-10) at Tampa Bay (8-5)
Is there anywhere better to put an end to a tumultuous week than beautiful Tampa, Florida? Perhaps not, though the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be trying to prolong, not curtail, the misery of the visiting Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
The struggling Falcons began the week with a 34-14 home blowout at the hands of the New Orleans Saints, a game that came just hours after one-time face-of- the-franchise Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison for his role in a dogfighting venture.
Less than 24 hours after the pummeling at the hands of the Saints, the Falcons were blindsided by the news that first-year head coach Bobby Petrino had resigned with three games left in order to take the same job at the University of Arkansas.
Petrino will be replaced on an interim basis by defensive backs coach Emmitt Thomas, who gets his first opportunity to serve as a head coach after 27 seasons spent as an assistant with the Cardinals (1981-85), Redskins (1986-94), Eagles (1995-98), Packers (1999), Vikings (2000-01), and Falcons (2002-Present). Thomas, who will be trying to halt Atlanta’s losing streak at four games, was a defensive coordinator with Philadelphia, Green Bay, and Minnesota.
Thomas’ first head coaching assignment will be a difficult one, as his team goes into battle against a Tampa Bay club on the verge of wrapping up its second NFC South title in the last three years.
The Buccaneers missed on an opportunity to clinch the division title when they came out flat in a 28-14 loss at Houston last Sunday, but Jon Gruden’s squad needs just one win in its final three games, or one New Orleans loss in its final three, to take the NFC South crown.
Tampa Bay (8-5) begins Week 15 ranked fourth in the NFL hierarchy behind Dallas (12-1), Green Bay (11-2), and Seattle (9-4).
SERIES HISTORY
Tampa Bay holds a 16-12 edge in its all-time series with Atlanta, including a 31-7 win at the Georgia Dome when the teams met in Week 11. The Falcons swept the home-and-home last season, scoring a 14-3 home win in Week 2, and claiming a 17-6 decision in the return matchup at Raymond James Stadium in Week 14. The Bucs scored a home-and-home sweep of the Falcons in 2005.
Gruden has a career mark of 8-4 against the Falcons, including a win while with the Oakland Raiders in 2000. Thomas, who served on the Philadelphia Eagles staff with Gruden from 1995 through 1997, will, as mentioned, be acting as a head coach for the first time since breaking in as an assistant with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1981.
WHEN THE FALCONS HAVE THE BALL
With Petrino no longer calling the shots, and Thomas having made his career on the defensive side of the ball, the Atlanta offense figures to be in the sole control of coordinator Hue Jackson on Sunday. Jackson’s unit ranks 24th in the league in total offense (301.1 yards per game), including 16th in passing (209.7 yards per game) and 26th in rushing (91.4 yards per game). Chris Redman (479 passing yards, 4 TD, 2 INT) will get his second straight start behind center, after completing 23-of-40 passes for 298 yards, two touchdowns, and an interception in the New Orleans loss. Wideouts Roddy White (65 receptions, 5 TD) and Michael Jenkins (51 receptions, 4 TD) both caught TDs in the defeat, with Jenkins’ nine catches for 83 yards both pacing the team. White needs five more receiving yards to become Atlanta’s first 1,000-yard receiver since Terance Mathis in 1999. Warrick Dunn (603 rushing yards, 3 TD, 33 receptions) and Jerious Norwood (463 rushing yards, 1 TD, 25 receptions) once again figure to share carries in the running game. An injury-depleted Falcons line has allowed 42 sacks on the year, fourth-most in the league.
The Tampa Bay defense ranks third overall (298.2 yards per game) in the NFL but comes off an overall rough day in Houston, one in which it allowed Texans backup QB Sage Rosenfels to throw three touchdown passes and complete 27-of-36 pass attempts for 209 yards. A secondary that had been an overall team strength all year behind the work of cornerback Ronde Barber (57 tackles, 1 sack, 1 INT) and safety Jermaine Phillips (76 tackles, 3 INT, 1 sack) will be seeking a bounce-back effort against the Falcons. That group will need help from a pass rushing group led recently by emerging first-year end Greg White (23 tackles). The 28-year-old former Arena League star finished with three sacks, two forced fumbles, five tackles, and a pass deflection in the loss to Houston, a team that drafted him in 2002 before cutting him. Despite working in a situational role, White leads Tampa Bay with 8.5 sacks on the year, and has six sacks and six forced fumbles in his last four games combined. The Buccaneers are 15th in the league against the run (103.3 yards per game), with linebackers Barrett Ruud (100 tackles, 2 INT) and Derrick Brooks (101 tackles) ranking as the team’s best ground stoppers this season.
WHEN THE BUCCANEERS HAVE THE BALL
After playing the better part of three games without starting quarterback Jeff Garcia (2135 passing yards, 11 TD, 3 INT) in the lineup, the crafty veteran is slated to make his return from a back injury this week. Tampa Bay went 1-1 in games started by backup Luke McCown (588 passing yards, 2 TD, 1 INT), who threw for 266 yards in last week’s loss to Houston but was also sacked four times and lost a key fumble that set up the Texans’ final touchdown. A bigger injury concern for the Bucs entering Sunday’s contest concerns wideout Ike Hilliard (58 receptions, 1 TD), who leads Tampa Bay in receptions and left the Houston game with what was termed an upper back injury. Hilliard is considered questionable, and will likely be replaced by Michael Clayton (10 receptions) if he can’t go. Joey Galloway (55 receptions, 6 TD), who is 22 yards shy of going over 1,000 yards for the third straight year, will continue to serve as the Bucs’ deep threat. Running back Earnest Graham (798 rushing yards, 9 TD, 42 receptions) scored both Tampa TDs last week but was otherwise quiet on a day in which he carried 15 times for 61 yards. The Buccaneers are just 19th in the league in total offense (323.6 yards per game), but have thrown an NFL-low five interceptions on the season.
The Falcons have had their struggles against both the run and the pass this season, problems that were both in evidence in Monday’s loss to the Saints. Atlanta surrendered 100 ground yards on 20 carries to one-time New Orleans third-string running back Aaron Stecker, marking the first 100-yard performance by a Saints back this year. The Falcons also had little clue against the New Orleans passing attack, allowing Drew Brees to throw for 328 yards and three touchdowns without a sack, while wideouts Marques Colston and David Patten combined for 18 catches and 214 yards through the air. Cornerbacks DeAngelo Hall (54 tackles, 4 INT) and Chris Houston (47 tackles) will have to be much better against Galloway and company than they were on Monday night. A run defense that ranks just 27th in the league (123.7 yards per game) has received its biggest contributions this year from the linebacking corps of Keith Brooking (82 tackles, 2 sacks) in the middle and Michael Boley (101 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 INT) and Demorrio Williams (60 tackles, 2 INT) on the flanks. Williams had a team-high eight tackles against the Saints.
FANTASY FOCUS
Redman put up a nice passing total against the Saints, but remember that the Tampa Bay defense is much stronger than that of New Orleans. If the former Louisville product throws for 200 yards this week, it will be an accomplishment. Roddy White remains a solid start at the receiver position, and Alge Crumpler always has potential as a tight end, but don’t risk your fantasy playoff chances by using any other Falcons.
On the Tampa Bay side, Galloway and Graham are must-starts against the Atlanta defense, and Garcia, though probably rusty coming off the injury, is worth considering due to his lack of mistakes. The Buccaneer defense doesn’t force a ton of turnovers, but has the ability to put strong sack numbers up against the Falcons.
Popularity: 70% [?]
