Falcon Report

Falcons Offense Provides 'Nightmare' for Buccaneers Defense

The Atlanta Falcons have boasted one of the best rushing attacks in the NFL. Now, it will get to make its mark against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Jeremy Brener|
Falcons Offense Provides 'Nightmare' for Buccaneers Defense
Falcons Offense Provides 'Nightmare' for Buccaneers Defense

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Atlanta FalconsTampa Bay Buccaneers

If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-2) want to win Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons (2-2), they will need to stop the run.

The Falcons are doubling down on the run game even after starter Cordarrelle Patterson was sent to Injured Reserve (IR) following a procedure on his knee. 

However, when one head gets chopped off, two grow back. With Patterson sitting out, both rookie Tyler Allgeier and second-year pro Caleb Huntley are expected to play big roles Sunday against the Buccaneers ... and Tampa is committed to stopping them.

"When you look at [the Falcons] everybody's down in three-point stances [and] you know they're coming off," Buccaneers defensive line coach Kacy Rodgers said. "And they're doing a pretty good job of it. What's kind of amazing is, you look back and getting ready to play them last year, they finished 31st in the league in rushing offense, and right now, they're fourth. So, you can see what they've committed to in the offseason."

The commitment showed in spades during last weekend's game against the Cleveland Browns. With Marcus Mariota struggling to move the ball through the air, the Falcons ran 14 consecutive run plays ... and it worked.

"What's amazing is, when you look at third down, there's not a whole lot of them because they are converting a lot on first and second down, and third down is very manageable because it's third-and-one, third-and-two, so they're staying ahead of the sticks and doing an outstanding job," Rodgers said.

If it ain't broke, don't fix it. It's the Falcons' job to stick to the game plan. And it's the Bucs' job to break it.

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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