Falcons NFC South Hopes Get Injury Boost from Buccaneers

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' path to beating the Atlanta Falcons for the NFC South title hit a speedbump.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be without safety Antoine Winfield Jr. for several weeks due to a knee sprain. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons (6-7) have lost four straight games and, as a result, control of the NFC South. They're now one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6) for the division lead with four weeks remaining.

But Atlanta's hopes of a late season push for the division crown received a bonus Monday, when Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles announced star safety Antoine Winfield Jr. will miss "a couple weeks" due to a knee sprain suffered Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders.

Winfield, an All-Pro and one of the game's best on the back end, is a cornerstone piece for the Buccaneers. He's started each of his nine appearances, recording 60 tackles and two tackles for loss. He missed four games earlier this season due to a foot injury.

Tampa Bay has a pair of road games looming against the Los Angeles Chargers and Dallas Cowboys before finishing the season with back-to-back home games versus the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints.

The Falcons, meanwhile, face the Raiders in Las Vegas on Monday Night Football, take on the New York Giants at home, hit the road to play the Washington Commanders and finish the season at home against the Panthers.

Atlanta believes it is still in the mix to win the division title.

"It's really about us trying to find a way to get wins and really just focus on us," head coach Raheem Morris said Sunday. "We have to worry about us as opposed to what's happening around us. Those are things we have to do. A lot of credit to Tampa. They won three in a row. We lost four in a row.

"We have to give those guys in our division a lot of credit. It's time for us to reset the page and find a way to go out there and get a win, and it starts next week out in Vegas."

The Falcons and Raiders (2-11) will kick off at 8:30 p.m. Monday inside Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.