Over the last four seasons, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have taken advantage of a consistently below-average NFC South.
In search of its fifth straight division title, Tampa Bay (7-6) will strive to avoid dropping its second consecutive game to a woeful rival when it hosts the reeling Atlanta Falcons (4-9) on Thursday.
The Buccaneers, who sit tied atop the division with the Carolina Panthers, are coming off a head-scratching home loss to the previously two-win New Orleans Saints. With another sub-.500 opponent on the horizon, the team knows it can’t afford an extended lull.
“We’re playing a divisional opponent and they would love nothing more than to beat us and screw up our chances,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “Do the (Falcons) really have a lot on the line? Yeah, because they’re trying to knock us out of the playoffs. It’s a playoff mentality for us and we’ve got to expect to get their best.”
In two outings since injuring his left shoulder, Mayfield is averaging just 158 passing yards per game and completed a season-low 46.7% (14 of 30) of his passes against the Saints. The veteran quarterback isn’t using the injury as an excuse, but understands the offense needs to find a rhythm. The Buccaneers are averaging just 15.7 points across their last three games.
“It’s the little things,” Mayfield said of what needs improvement. “Whether it’s me being on time with my footwork, getting the protection aligned, the depths of the routes, it all comes down to executing. It’s not just one thing you can point to, it’s a culmination of things. We’ll get it fixed.”
If any team is capable of allowing Mayfield and company to right the ship, it’s Atlanta. The Falcons have dropped seven of their last eight, most recently falling 37-9 at home to the Seattle Seahawks. Atlanta’s 28-point defeat was its worst in the eight-year history of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and largest since 2014.
The team secured its eighth straight losing season and will miss its eighth consecutive postseason in the process. As the year comes to a close, head coach Raheem Morris’ future is uncertain amidst another disappointing campaign. Nonetheless, Morris won’t allow himself to worry about his job security as the team attempts to finish the season on a high note.
“For me, that’s the cost of doing business,” Morris said. “You don’t put yourself in positions to worry about those things. As a leader, you’ve got to stand up in front of people and answer the hard questions, and you’ve also got to stand up and be a good example for your guys in how you go and finish things.”
Quarterback Kirk Cousins has thrown for 192 yards per game in four starts in place of the injured Michael Penix Jr. The oldest player in the Atlanta locker room, Cousins acknowledges the need for a vocal leader during the team’s rough stretch, but also knows the on-field performance is paramount.
“I think saying things has merit. I think doing things has probably more merit,” Cousins said. “It’s more about how you practice, how you prepare, how you play on Thursday night is really what it comes down to.”
Cousins hasn’t had the benefit of throwing to the team’s leading receiver. Drake London hasn’t played since Nov. 16 as he deals with a knee injury. London was a non-participant in practice on Monday.
On the Tampa Bay sideline, six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans could return to the field for the first time since suffering a broken collarbone on Oct. 20. He was listed as limited on Monday’s injury report.
