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Within the Week 15 version of “Thursday Evening Soccer,” the Tampa Bay Buccaneers play host to the division rival Atlanta Falcons.
Tampa has misplaced 4 of its final 5 video games since staking out a large NFC South lead and is now in peril of doubtless lacking the playoffs if it may’t rebound down the stretch. The Bucs play three division video games within the remaining 4 weeks of the season and have to stack wins in these contests, beginning with this one on Thursday evening.
Atlanta has been on a good greater slide, shedding seven of its final eight video games. The Falcons aren’t even taking part in for draft positioning, both, as a result of they traded their first-round choose to the Rams throughout final 12 months’s draft. They’re taking part in out the string right here and preventing for jobs subsequent season and sooner or later.
Which of those two groups will be capable to cease their latest stretch of poor play? We’ll discover out quickly sufficient. However earlier than we break down among the key storylines, this is a have a look at how one can watch the sport.
The place to look at Buccaneers vs. Falcons
- Date: Thursday, Dec. 11 | Time: 8:15 p.m. ET
- Location: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, Florida)
- Stream: Prime Video
- Comply with: CBS Sports activities App
- Odds: Buccaneers -4.5, O/U 44.5 through DraftKings Sportsbook
Key Storylines
- NFC South race. The Buccaneers and Panthers are tied with matching 7-6 data, however the Bucs presently sit in first place within the division because of the frequent opponents tiebreaker. (They have not performed one another but they usually’re each 2-1 within the division, so that they should go to the third tiebreaker to resolve which crew is forward.) Tampa performs Atlanta right here, then travels to Carolina subsequent week and Miami the week after earlier than internet hosting the Panthers to finish the season. The Panthers get the Saints on the street this week earlier than internet hosting the Bucs and Seahawks after which touring to Tampa to finish the 12 months.
- Buccaneers harm returns. The Bucs have already gotten Bucky Irving again and now they’re getting Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan again as nicely. Evans has been out since struggling a collarbone harm again in Week 4. McMillan has but to play this season after struggling a neck harm in the course of the preseason. The Bucs offense has not been nearly as good recently because it was to begin the season, so these returns ought to present a major enhance.
- Falcons in a tailspin. Atlanta has misplaced seven of its final eight video games after beginning the season 3-2. There might be adjustments on the horizon if Raheem Morris and Co. cannot flip issues round down the stretch. Doing so goes to be troublesome as a result of they’re working with a backup quarterback and a protection that has badly regressed since beginning the season as one of many hotter models within the league. If the Falcons proceed to stumble, we may see a brand new head coach and/or common supervisor in Atlanta subsequent season.
Buccaneers vs. Falcons prediction, choose
Tampa is not precisely lighting the world on hearth of late, however the Falcons appear to be useless within the water. Tampa ought to be capable to transfer the ball on Thursday evening, particularly with Evans and McMillan returning to from harm. The Falcons, in the meantime, seemingly can’t transfer the ball with any diploma of consistency with Kirk Cousins below heart. The Bucs have a very good run protection and are weaker in opposition to the go, which performs in opposition to what the Falcons wish to do given the present state of their roster.
Decide: Buccaneers 24, Falcons 13 | (Tampa Bay -4.5, Below 44.5)
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