Falcons at Buccaneers: Highlights, score and recap

The Atlanta Falcons knocked off their NFC South division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football, 43-20. Atlanta improves to 6-3 on the season, while Tampa Bay falls to 3-5.

The Atlanta Falcons clobbered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 43-28 on Thursday Night Football in Week 9. Atlanta moves to 6-3 on the year, while Tampa Bay tumbles to 3-5. The Falcons now have a sizable lead in the NFC South race. These two NFC South rivals split this season series at a game apiece.

Atlanta didn’t put Tampa Bay away until the third quarter. This game was completely dominated by the Falcons in all three phases. The Falcons look to be a serious contender in the NFC for Super Bowl LI in Houston. Tampa Bay needs to do some work to get back into the NFC Playoffs race. The Buccaneers have talent, but need to execute better in games.

Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has to be a serious candidate for NFL MVP at the halfway point. This is the best he’s played in his nine-year NFL career. Atlanta’s offense is firing on all cylinders and the defense is improving. With its three sacks tonight, Atlanta now has more (21) than it had all of last season (19).

Tampa Bay continued to fight with two scores in garbage time. Wideout Mike Evans has asserted himself as one of the very best in football. The problem with Tampa Bay is if this team can’t run the football or stop the pass, this team isn’t sniffing the NFC Playoffs.

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A poor rushing attack and a wet bag for a secondary were what cost Dirk Koetter and Mike Smith their jobs in Atlanta. Tampa Bay will have more patience than Atlanta did, but the Buccaneers need to improve in both of those areas massively. There’s no guarantees that either will improve in Tampa Bay this season.

For Atlanta, this is a win that puts the Falcons into the Super Bowl conversation. For Tampa Bay, this loss might signify another season with dashed playoff hopes. How do the Buccaneers continue to play this poorly at home?

Three Stars

1. Matt Ryan: Ryan continues his push for NFL MVP in 2016. He completed 25 of 34 passes for 344 yards, four touchdowns, and one fumble. His yards per attempt of 10.1 was incredible. He had a passer rating of 144.7. Ryan is playing out of his mind in 2016.
2. Mike Evans: Evans was easily the best player on the Buccaneers on Thursday Night Football. He had 11 catches for 150 yards and two touchdowns.
3. Julio Jones: Jones was Ryan’s favorite target on Thursday night. He had eight catches for 111 yards and one touchdown.

Highlights

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/794352083042340864

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/794369715971817472

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/794371814000508928

Next Game

The Falcons will play certainly their toughest road game of 2016 in Week 10. They will have 10 days to get ready for a great NFC game against the Philadelphia Eagles. Kickoff from Lincoln Financial Field will be at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, Nov. 13. FOX will have the telecast.

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Tampa Bay should have an easier time in its Week 10 game. The Buccaneers will welcome a lowly 2-6 Chicago Bears team to town on Sunday, Nov. 13. However, the Bears will be coming off their bye and won’t have lost in a couple of weeks. Kickoff from Raymond James Stadium will be at 1 p.m. ET. FOX will have that telecast.