In recent seasons, the National Football Conference South Division was considered one of the weakest in the league. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have won the division three straight years without gaining any serious recognition when the playoffs start.
This year, the Atlanta Falcons have looked to add a second team to the mix to first give Tampa Bay a run for the division title, and then have some stature when they crack the playoff field.
The Falcons have a number of blue-chip athletes on the defensive side of the ball and added veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins to their attack this season. Cousins has the Falcons tied with the Bucs for the top spot in the NFC South after six weeks with four wins in six decisions. Two weeks ago, the Falcons beat Baker Mayfield’s Buccaneers in Atlanta, 36-30. The win was typical for the Falcons this year, close to the end and breaking the Falcons way.
In addition to beating the Bucs by one score, they also edged the Philadelphia Eagles in second week action by a single point and kicked a last second field goal to upend the New Orleans Saints by two points three weeks ago. Last Sunday, the Falcons punched the free space on the NFL schedule with a lopsided win in Carolina over the hapless Panthers, 38-20.
In other words, last week a big win and next week they have their second meeting of the year against their primary division competition, the Bucs in Tampa.
So, who do they play this week, and are they in the right mindset to win a game before next week’s more important showdown?