Sixteen Players to Watch: Falcons vs. Buccaneers
Pushing past losses in Week 2, the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers go into this division game ready to prove they have made improvements. Keep your eyes on these eight players from both teams in tonight's game.
WR Roddy White has 10 receptions for 114 yards in the first two games of the season, but only 42 yards in the game against the Cincinnati Bengals. White suffered a hamstring injury in the last game and is listed as questionable against the Buccaneers.
With Buccaneers RB Doug Martin out due to injury during last week's game against the St. Louis Rams, RB Bobby Rainey stepped up and with 174 all-purpose yards, he proved his ability to run through an offense. In Week 11 last year, it was Rainey who ran over the Falcons' defense for 163 yards and two touchdowns. The Atlanta Falcons has struggled to stop the run in the past few games and containing the Buccaneers running back will be a priority in this game.
One of the key players in stopping the run on the Atlanta Falcons defense is DT Paul Soliai. Soliai
DT Gerald McCoy may have broken his hand during last week's game against the St. Louis Rams but don't count him out for Thursday. McCoy led the team in sacks last year with 9.5 and having him on the defensive line puts the Buccaneers defense in a much better position. After being limited participation during Wednesday's practice, McCoy is listed as questionable for Thursday's game.
LB Joplo Bartu finished last season as the third-leading tackler on the team and two games into this year's regular season holds the second-leading position with 19 tackles behind LB Paul Worrilow.
With 20 tackles, Buccaneers S Dashon Goldson leads the defense. Although he may not be a household name, Goldson has been an influential player in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense this year. The Buccaneers defense is still trying to find its groove, but with several big injuries the Atlanta Falcons can capitalize on a struggling defense.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers has several effective receivers and CB Robert Alford will be one of the important factors in breaking up passes and keeping tight coverage.
Buccaneers QB Josh McCown looked poised to lead the team to a comeback during the Week 2 game against the St. Louis Rams before an unfortunate injury on the field with seconds left. McCown has thrown three costly interceptions so far this season, but has made plays with his legs including running for two touchdowns during the game against the Rams.
QB Matt Ryan had a rough outing against the Cincinnati Bengals with three interceptions, but going against an injury ravaged Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defense, Ryan has an opportunity to make everyone forget. With five dominant receivers and four strong running backs, Ryan has plenty of weapons to work with going into the Thursday night game.
Last season, the Buccaneers leading tackler was LB Lavonte David with 145 tackles and 7 sacks. So far this season David has logged 17 tackles, but has failed to reach the quarterback. Keeping that stat at zero and allowing QB Matt Ryan time to make plays are both priorities for the Falcons offensive line.
Is it any surprise that WR Julio Jones scored the lone touchdown for the Atlanta Falcons against the Cincinnati Bengals? Jones leads the team in receiving yards with 204 and leads the league in plays over 20 yards with 6. Look for Jones to continue his role as QB Matt Ryan's favorite target going into the game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Nobody wants to be remembered for their mistakes, and Buccaneers WR Mike Evans is one of them. Evans made a brilliant catch in the final seconds of the Buccaneers game against the St. Louis Rams, but when Evans was shaken up on the play, the game clock was forced to expire. Evans has looked impressive in the first few games of the season and has the second-most receiving yards on the team with 86.
Watch out for LB Paul Worrilow. With the highest number of tackles in the league at 29, Worrilow has been on top of his game and stopped plays in their tracks.
Buccaneers' DE Michael Johnson is another one of the battered players on defense for the Bucs. Johnson was out last week after suffering an ankle injury in Week 1, but has had limited participation in practice this week and is listed as questionable on the injury report going into Thursday's game.
One of the Falcons many offensive weapons is RB Steven Jackson and through two games, it's Jackson that leads the way with 98 rushing yards. With the depth the Falcons possess at running back, expect several backs to see reps.
The Falcons' defense has the challenge of containing another explosive wide receiver in this week's game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. WR Vincent Jackson leads the team with 87 receiving yards through the first two games and led the team in the 2013 season with 1,224 total yards.
