Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Matchup Preview (9/19/21): Betting Odds, Depth Charts, Live Stream (Watch Online)
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Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Matchup Preview (9/19/21)
Every year, all eyes are on the Super Bowl winner as soon as Week 1 comes around. Fans are usually eager to see whether the league champion will be able to live up to the hype the year after lifting up the Lombardi Trophy. Well, the Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers started off the 2021 season with a bang in an extremely entertaining matchup against the Dallas Cowboys. In typical Tom Brady fashion, the Buccaneers engineered an incredible last-minute comeback to beat the Cowboys 31-29. If you were expecting a major Super Bowl hangover from this team, you might want to think again.
On the other side of the field, this week is Bucs face the team that Tom Brady himself left in shambles after coming back from a 28-3 deficit in Super Bowl LI. The Atlanta Falcons have been directionless since that loss, going 28-37 since the infamous Super Bowl collapse. They’re breaking in a new head coach in Arthur Smith, the former offensive coordinator for the Tennessee Titans. Unlike the Buccaneers, the Falcons didn’t have an optimistic start to the year. The team got thumped in Week 1, losing 32-6 to a Philadelphia Eagles squad not many people were optimistic about. With an aging QB and a lacking defense, this team might be in serious trouble.
Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Betting Odds
Needless to say, it’s tough to be confident about this Falcons squad. There were already some questioning the coaching hire of Arthur Smith, and their performance in Week 1 didn’t change much. The line is currently favoring the Buccaneers -12.5, one of the many double-digit spreads in Week 2, along with the Detroit Lions +11.5 against the Green Bay Packers and the Cleveland Browns favored by 12.5 against the Houston Texans.
As you might expect, the Buccaneers won both matchups against the Falcons last year. While their first meeting was a close win at 31-27, they followed it up with a 44-27 finale against Atlanta. And, despite keeping it close against the Cowboys, this looks like a team ready to compete again.
It’s tough to advise for a double-digit spread, but this is a different case. The Buccaneers have all their major players together, and they have the chance to score at ease against a seemingly weak Falcons squad. If the Philadelphia Eagles, who allowed 26.1 points per game last year, held the Falcons to six points, what do you expect the Super Bowl Winning defense to do? Despite looking at a big spread, laying Tampa Bay with the points shouldn’t stress you out too much. Grab the Bucs -12.5 and expect another Falcons blowout. The point total, while high at 51.5, is worth an over play as well.
Prediction: Tampa Bay Buccaneers -12.5 and over 51.5 points
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TV Schedule
Date: Sunday, September 19th
Time: 4:05 PM ET
Location: Raymond James Stadium – Tampa, Florida (FL)
TV Coverage: Fox (FOX)
Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Live Stream
Where can you watch Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers online? You can stream this game, and many other NFL games live online with Hulu. Hulu has a 7 Day free trial and is cheaper than cable options at $5.99/month. Watch Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Free Online Now.
Injuries
Atlanta Falcons: WR Frank Darby (calf) Q
Tampa Bay Buccaneers: LB Jason Pierre-Paul (hand) Q, CB Sean Murphy-Bunting (shoulder) IR, G John Molcohn (leg) IR
Atlanta Falcons Analysis
Matt Ryan is not what he used to be. At age 36, the former MVP appears to be in the twilight of his career. Despite bringing in much-hyped rookie tight end Kyle Pitts from Florida, the quarterback managed a measly 164 yards against the Eagles. While it’s never a good idea to react to the first game of the NFL season, it’s concerning to see Ryan’s numbers continue to diminish. In his best years, Ryan threw 38 TDs leading a commanding Falcons offense. If you watched Ryan on Sunday, you’re not seeing the same QB.
That’s not to say the quarterback is purely to blame. The defense allowed 434 yards to the Philadelphia Eagles, a team many were heavily fading this year. QB Jalen Hurts enjoyed a successful day, recording 264 yards and 3 TDs through the air without a single interception, along with an additional 62 yards on the ground. It doesn’t help that the Falcons are fielding the 29th worst defense from last year, complete with the 32nd ranked passing defense. Between the numbers from 2020 and the performance in Week 1, it’s tough to be positive about an Atlanta Falcons squad under a new coach.
Atlanta Falcons Depth Chart
QB: Matt Ryan
RB1: Mike Davis
RB2: Cordarrelle Patterson
WR1: Russell Gage
WR2: Calvin Ridley
WR3: Olamide Zaccheaus
TE1: Kyle Pitts
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Analysis
Some Super Bowl winners come back in disappointing fashion, as we’ve seen recently with the Carolina Panthers after their Super Bowl performance a few years back. However, this team seems different. Amazingly, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers returned all the starters from their Super Bowl squad. And, after taking a look at last week’s results, it’s hard not to say this Tampa Bay squad has everything it takes to win it all again. Despite being down towards the end, the Bucs mounted a comeback to take out the Cowboys in classic Tom Brady fashion. And speaking of the Buccaneers QB…
At 44, Tom Brady is as talented as ever. On Thursday against the Cowboys, he put up 379 yards and four touchdowns, complete with a late comeback drive. The quarterback, who believes he can play until age 50, is enjoying an interesting resurgence with head coach Bruce Arians, offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, and a talented group of wide receivers. Sports fans have been expecting Brady to decline for years, but he has continued to put up numbers regardless.
The defense was a bit concerning for the Buccaneers in their first game. The Bucs let the Cowboys amass 451 yards last Thursday night, including 391 yards through the air. If this team is going to go deep into the playoffs, they’ve got to show the defensive prowess we saw in their Super Bowl win over the Kansas City Chiefs. However, this is a team that ranked sixth in total defense in 2020 while returning all their starters, along with ranking first in run defense. With coaches and personnel returning, you have to think that the disappointing performance against the Cowboys was more due to a high octane performance by Dallas rather than a defense that can’t live up to its past performances.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Depth Chart
QB: Tom Brady
RB1: Leonard Fournette
RB2: Ronald Jones II
WR1: Chris Godwin
WR2: Mike Evans
WR3: Antonio Brown
TE1: Rob Gronkowski
Atlanta Falcons vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers Daily Fantasy Picks
At $6,900, Tom Brady almost seems undervalued by DraftKings. Considering he is facing a weak defense, don’t be surprised if he ends up with three touchdowns early on, if not more. Meanwhile, despite the fact that he didn’t light it up in Week 1, Mike Evans is listed at $6,100, cheaper than his fellow Bucs receiver Chris Godwin. Not a bad value for a receiver that should have a big day against a Falcons defense that couldn’t cover a lesser Eagles receiving corps.
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