Watch out for these storylines as the Atlanta Falcons prepare to take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in just a few days during Primetime Thursday Night Football.
WR Julio Jones currently leads the league in receptions over 20 yards including a play for 24-yards during the game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Jones was the Falcons' top receiver in both games to begin the season with 116 yards in Week 1 and 88 yards in Week 2.
LB Paul Worrilow leads the league in a different category. With 29 tackles in the first two games, Worrilow has been a key contributor in the Falcons' defense.
Buccaneers RB Doug Martin was inactive during last week's game against the St. Louis Rams and it was RB Bobby Rainey that has picked up the slack. The third year veteran ran for 144 yards against the Rams and ran for 163 yards during last year's Week 11 defeat of the Falcons. Holding Rainey back will be crucial for the Falcons' defense to pick up the win.
The Atlanta Falcons' defense has struggled with the run over the last two games allowing a combined 309 rush yards after taking on the New Orleans Saints and the Cincinnati Bengals. Rainey has run through the Falcons' defense before and controlling him will be critical going into this week's Thursday night game.
T Jake Matthews' status is unknown going into the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and with the offensive struggling against the pass rush during the game against Cincinnati Bengals, the offensive line has to step up.
With Buccaneers DE Adrian Clayborn placed on injured reserve, and injuries suffered to DE Michael Johnson and DT Gerald McCoy, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are relying on players like DE Scott Solomon and S Dashon Goldson for the pass rush. This could be beneficial for the Falcons' offensive line this week and allow QB Matt Ryan more time to make plays.
Ready for Primetime? The Falcons have a short turn around heading into Thursday Night Football against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The Atlanta Falcons' defense have logged zero sacks heading into Week 3. The team had a combined 32 sacks last season and logged 8 during the preseason. Pressuring the quarterback will be on the defense's mind going into this Thursday's game.
After this week, the Falcons will only be at home for two of the next eight games (discluding the game in London where the Falcons are considered the home team). The Falcons will need to gain momentum during this week's game before a long streak of road games.
When Falcons QB Matt Ryan takes the field on Thursday night, he won't be thinking about the Falcons' performance in Week 2. He won't be thinking about the last time he faced the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at home — a 41-28 victory — and he also won't be recalling his single-game-high passing total (353 yards) against the Bucs (11/25/12).
Instead, playing in "What-have-you-done-for-me-lately?" league, Matty Ice's sole focus is on the here-and-now, playing in a way that gets his team back in the win column, which would equate to a 2-0 start in the NFC South.
"Division games are always tough," Ryan said. "They have a very good front four, with Tampa Bay coming in, so, we have our work cut out for us. Anytime you play in the division, we say that it counts one-plus, so, we have some work to do, before Thursday night. We have to get ready to play the way we're capable of."
