The Falcons head into their second NFC South Division clash of the early 2014 season against the Buccaneers looking to even the overall series at 21 victories each with a win tonight.
The series began in 1977; a year after Tampa Bay was awarded an NFL franchise. The teams met 17 times before joining the same Division in 2002 and the Bucs held a slim one game advantage with a 9-8 record.
Atlanta has captured three of the last five in the series though, including a 31-23 win at the Georgia Dome last season.
The Birds will be facing Bucs QB Josh McCown for the first time and it's reminiscent of a game in 1994 when the Falcons had to line up against another Tampa Bay newcomer at the quarterback position.
On Oct. 9, 1995, Tampa Bay traveled to town and ran into an Atlanta offense that was firing on all cylinders.
Two first quarter touchdowns from the legs of RB Craig Heyward from one-yard out and the arm of QB Jeff George on a 36-yard pass to WR Andre Rison staked the Birds to a quick 14-0 lead.
The Falcons added another 10 points in the second quarter on another Heyward touchdown rush of five yards and a K Norm Johnson 27-yard field goal for an insurmountable 24-3 advantage at the half. Atlanta racked up 254 yards of offense in the first half and 16 first downs and would never look back.
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.
The Buccaneers started Craig Erikson at quarterback but because of the lopsided score they decided to put in number one pick Trent Dilfer for the first time in his rookie season. Dilfer completed 6-of-11 passes for 81 yards in limited work, but threw two interceptions in his first action as a pro.
Vinnie Clark was the cornerback on the receiving end of both of Dilfer picks for the Falcons. Atlanta's defense also shut down the Bucs running game holding them to a mere 32 yards on the ground and surrendering just 13 points. With the 34-13 win, the Falcons captured their third straight victory of the '94 season.
