Our staff predictions for Buccaneers-Falcons on Thursday Night Football

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to face off against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football, and boy, do they need a win.

The Bucs still lead the NFC South, but they're tied in record with the Carolina Panthers — a slip up here and a Panthers win over the Saints, and the Bucs could be eliminated from the playoffs entirely next week.

Here's how our staff is picking this crucial game:

Darius Hayes, Writer: Buccaneers 24, Falcons 17

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers return home on a short week looking to bounce back from a tough loss to the Saints, and they may be getting exactly the spark they need. Mike Evans is trending toward a return, and his presence would give the offense a huge boost and open things up for Baker Mayfield after a frustrating outing last week. The Buccaneers should look sharper overall, especially with a renewed passing threat.

Atlanta comes in struggling, but Bijan Robinson is talented enough to keep the Falcons in it and make Tampa Bay work for everything. Even so, the Buccaneers are the better team at home and should find a way to finish strong in a tight divisional matchup.

Overall record: 11-1

JC Allen, Writer: Falcons 23, Bucs 19

If you followed along with my predictions earlier in the season, this is where I had the Bucs locking up the NFC South. Things are a little different now. After starting off five and one, the Bucs now have lost two of their last five games and are on the brink of missing the playoffs for the first time in five seasons.

In order to keep their playoff hopes alive, they must come out victorious in their Thursday Night Football matchup against the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons' season is pretty much over and they don’t own their first-round pick, so there’s not much for them to play for other than to play spoiler to the Buccaneers.

Thankfully, for the offense, Mike Evans is back in the lineup for the first time since Week 5. Hopefully, his return will help the Bucs with their third-down, fourth-down and red zone offense where they have been awful over the last few games. The Bucs will need all the help they can get to keep their playoff hopes alive against the Falcons on Thursday Night Football. In the end, I’m not sure the healthy bodies are enough for a team that has looked to have lost its early-season juice.

Overall record: 8-5

Collin Haalboom, Writer: Buccaneers 28, Falcons 21

The Buccaneers are coming off their worst loss of the season. To make matters worse, Baker Mayfield has really struggled as the season has gone on. With Mike Evans back in the lineup for this prime-time divisional matchup, the excuses for Mayfield have all but run out. The Bucs, just like their QB, need to perform on Thursday.

Kirk Cousins annihilated Todd Bowles’ defense last year for 785 passing yards and 8 TD’s in two games — both of which were ended in victories for Atlanta.

The Bucs are desperate, and they need to play like it. It’s time for Baker to exact his revenge on Kirk Cousins and the Atlanta Falcons.

Overall record: 11-2

Caleb Skinner, Writer: Buccaneers 28, Falcons 27

Well, here we are. The Bucs are coming off a loss and having to dig themselves out of a hole to try and make the playoffs. The Bucs have good news and bad news on the injury front, but get a struggling Falcons team that will be without Drake London. Kirk Cousins will likely have a game, and I think that’ll turn this one into a back-and-forth affair. The Bucs may look like they shouldn’t win this one as the game progresses, but I think they ultimately get a win by the skin of their teeth.

Overall record: 9-4

Dustin Lewis, Editor: Falcons 20, Buccaneers 19

Even with a shot to make the playoffs, this isn’t the season anyone expected for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A strong start no longer matters with the franchise dropping four of its last five games and five of seven.

Coming off a disappointing loss to the Saints and going into a short week against Atlanta, Tampa Bay’s response will be telling. The Falcons aren’t anything special, but the Buccaneers haven’t been playing up to their standard for quite some time.

I’ll take Atlanta as it’d be more surprising to see a Tampa Bay victory at this point than a loss.

Overall record: 9-4

River Wells, Writer: Falcons 24, Buccaneers 17

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are aimless. They don't know how to fix what makes them lose, and they don't know how to find the path that makes them win — offense, defense and special teams have all faltered in recent weeks, and the arrival of Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan won't fix an offense that has been woefully ineffective in a number of facets.

The Bucs simply haven't convinced me they can beat anyone the way they're playing. The Falcons are a better team than the Saints, Kirk Cousins lit up Todd Bowles' defense last year and the Bucs have already played them close once. I think the Bucs lose this game against Atlanta, and if they do, they'll be in big NFC South trouble.

Overall record: 9-4

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