Falcons vs. Buccaneers redux recap: The triumph in Tampa

The Atlanta Falcons wanted this one. Early on, it appeared like they may not get it. Late, it appeared like they may squander it. As an alternative, a group that’s cursed to make each sport attention-grabbing emerged with one other main victory, one which noticed particular person moments of brilliance ship the win.

You possibly can’t overstate what beating the Buccaneers right here means for Atlanta. They’re now 5-3 and in first place by a complete sport, 2-0 in opposition to the Buccaneers for an ironclad head-to-head tiebreaker, and 4-0 in opposition to the NFC South whereas standing 5-1 in opposition to the NFC general. If they’ll hold issues going and push for a playoff spot, all these numbers will imply an incredible deal, they usually make for good vibes and Sunday within the second.

This was a a testomony to the offense all day and the protection in moments. Atlanta overcame self-inflicted errors and penalties on offense to rack up the factors, with Kirk Cousins as soon as once more enjoying terrific soccer en path to 4 landing passes, an unreal scramble and sneak to maintain issues alive, and a turnover-free afternoon. The protection was not nice however did clamp down for lengthy stretches, with a pair of interceptions, a compelled fumble, and a closing stand leading to victory. The Falcons needed to overcome ill-timed penalties, a missed Younghoe Koo discipline purpose, and the whole lack of a go rush as soon as once more, however the truth that they did that may be a testomony to toughness. The truth that Atlanta’s religion in their very own potential by no means wavered, with fourth down tries and hail mary defenses alike bearing fruit, is icing on a cake of victory.

Atlanta’s flaws loomed giant on this one to make it nearer than it wanted to be, and a extra constant run protection, go rush, and show of self-discipline can be important in the event that they’re going to greater than a playoff hopeful in 2024. What stands out to me, a perpetually optimist, is that this group has received 5 video games regardless of developing effectively wanting what I feel must be their commonplace time and again. In the event you consider there will be higher days—or will be higher days—forward, their sturdy outcomes regardless of their course of are a bellwether of higher days. If not, not less than we are able to benefit from the Falcons being in first place within the right here and now.

The Falcons might want to put down a scuffling Cowboys group at dwelling subsequent week to maintain the nice instances rolling, however I recommend you take pleasure in a run in opposition to the NFC South and a perch atop the division accompanied by encouraging outcomes that we haven’t seen shortly. Success will be fleeting on this league, and whereas I hope these Falcons are constructed to endure, the moments must be cherished. Have fun this win and let’s hope for even higher going ahead, fueled by long-awaited defensive enchancment and an offense discovering pleasure and success in progress and massive performs.

On to the total recap.

The Good

• I like the continued aggression on fourth down. On this one, the Falcons have been close to midfield going through a 4th and three and determined to go for it, they usually have been rewarded when Kirk Cousins lofted one to an open Kyle Pitts downfield, which resulted in a simple landing. Within the fourth quarter, going through a 4th and 1 after an extended Kirk Cousins scramble, the Falcons entrusted the important thing conversion with a Cousins sneak and he obtained it. The group’s willingness not solely to attempt to convert however to take a deep shot in a do or die state of affairs is precisely what I wish to see out of them on a weekly foundation, even when the outcomes will hardly ever however fairly that fairly.
• Kirk Cousins has had his ups-and-downs in 2024, however in opposition to the Buccaneers, he’s a rocket headed for the outer photo voltaic programs. For the second straight sport in opposition to Tampa Bay, he threw for 4 touchdowns, working by stress and making canny reads to attach along with his gifted solid of playmakers, significantly over the center of the sphere. If Cousins may play Tampa Bay each week he’d be one of the best quarterback in soccer; as it’s, the truth that he raises his sport in opposition to Atlanta’s greatest divisional menace is a particularly welcome growth. The truth that he pulled off top-of-the-line scrambles of his profession within the fourth quarter on a key drive, choosing up 13 yards on a third and 14 operating up the center, is icing on the cake. The sneak for a primary down, one thing we kind of accepted Cousins won’t do that season, is the icing atop the icing on the cake.
• On a day the place Tyler Allgeier’s hassle with the handoff and lackluster outcomes on the bottom weren’t ultimate, Bijan Robinson picked up the slack, because the duo seemingly takes turns with the recent hand. Robinson frequently turned nothing in one thing as has been his wont in latest weeks and got here up with huge grabs, placing up precisely 100 yards on 19 touches (13 carries, six catches) with a landing alongside the way in which. It appears apparent that the latest excellence from Robinson is right here to remain; the truth that the group has Allgeier to hammer a protection to dying if Robinson scuffles on a random Sunday is an actual boon for Atlanta.
• Pitts had top-of-the-line video games of his profession, even with a lapse that was almost expensive (we’ll get to that later). He had two large grabs within the first half, each for touchdowns, and each that includes him operating previous and over defenders to get to paydirt. After a sluggish begin to the season, he’s been one of the crucial productive go catching tight ends in soccer, and the extent of belief Cousins has with him downfield bodes effectively for his potential to maintain consuming. He completed one yard off the group lead in receiving yards with 91 on 4 receptions and people two scores, and was significantly important within the first half.
• The center of the sphere has been Tampa Bay’s kryptonite for weeks, and as soon as once more, it was hassle in opposition to the Falcons. Cousins discovered Pitts over the center twice and obtained Darnell Mooney for a landing late within the second quarter, with the group doing job of forcing all-world security Antoine Winfield to decide to a aspect of the sphere with Cousins’ eyes and taking him out of performs. That led to 3 first half passing touchdowns regardless of the Buccaneers realizing the Falcons labored them over in that very same space of their first matchup.
• Mooney loves enjoying the Buccaneers, too. He completed because the group’s main receiver once more, working in the course of protection and eluding defenders en path to 92 yards on 5 grabs with a landing. The speedy receiver has turned out to be a well-rounded, canny participant who comes up with huge performs when Atlanta wants them; my solely quibble with him is his behavior of operating sideways when he ought to plunge ahead for an additional yard. It’s a minor quibble for a participant who has been a wonderful second broad receiver in Atlanta.
• The truth that the Falcons can plug and play offensive linemen with out falling aside is a testomony to their participant growth and the ability of these gamers. Kyle Hinton has needed to fill in at left guard and proper guard in consecutive weeks, and whereas he’s no Matthew Bergeron or Chris Lindstrom, he’s enjoying effectively sufficient to assist hold this line afloat. With Storm Norton wanting good when known as up and Matt Hennessy filling in as a succesful third middle in a pinch, the Falcons have performed a beautiful job of placing collectively their line depth in a league the place some groups don’t even have 5 high quality starters.
• Jessie Bates wants his personal coined time period for the fumbles he’s inflicting, and I nominate the Bates Bludgeon. On the opening drive, he clubbed the ball out of Rachaad White’s palms and got here up with it, the second time in two matchups he’s compelled a key fumble in opposition to a Tampa Bay operating again. Then he someway one-upped himself, choosing off a deep ball supposed for Jalen McMillan on a flea flicker the place he merely outworked the younger receiver for the decide in a contested catch state of affairs. Bates is simply top-of-the-line defenders within the NFL, and inarguably Atlanta’s most important defender, on condition that they’re not profitable a few of these video games with out his herculean efforts.
• A.J. Terrell has his loud critics, and positively his stretches the place that criticism feels very justified. Towards a decimated Buccaneers receiver corps, although, he was a shutdown presence who delivered some huge tackles within the run sport and his second interception of the season on Baker Mayfield within the fourth quarter. Contemplating he had zero picks in 2022 and 2023, the truth that he now has two this season is large for him. On a day the place the Falcons couldn’t afford to have Terrell making any errors, he and Mike Hughes have been main property.
• Richie Grant was a much-maligned participant the final couple of years, and there have been instances on this sport the place his protection was lower than stellar. The truth that he was the participant who skied to tip the ball out of bounds on the ultimate hail mary of the sport was nonetheless a particularly cool second for a participant who could also be eased into extra enjoying time going ahead if Justin Simmons is proscribed, or just because Atlanta’s linebacker group is being hit onerous by accidents.
• Talking of the secondary, the truth that a few of the greatest hits of the day got here from Dee Alford, Mike Hughes, Terrell, and firm doesn’t essentially make us really feel nice concerning the entrance seven, however does give us trigger to rejoice the physicality of that group.
• KhaDarel Hodge was the hero on Tampa Bay’s faux punt, inevitably. A little bit of trickery and desperation from the Buccaneers was undone as a result of Hodge (and DeAngelo Malone, who additionally knew what was up instantly) blew it up, with Hodge getting the sort out and making one more main play on particular groups. He’s been invaluable in that part and has one of many 12 months’s greatest performs on offense, too; so far as I’m involved he can and must be a Falcon till the day he retires.
• This group’s potential to win the ugly divisional video games they’ve misplaced in years previous is a testomony to a training workers nonetheless discovering their footing. Raheem Morris has acquired far much less criticism for his sport administration and dealing with of the clock than Arthur Smith did—with good cause—and his willingness to belief his offense on fourth downs and be aggressive is a big level in his favor. Zac Robinson’s ill-timed display screen obsession can’t negate the truth that his offense is scoring gobs of factors regardless of execution errors he has little or no management over, and that he’s discovering methods to assault defensive weaknesses even when the consistency remains to be coming. Jimmy Lake just isn’t getting one of the best out of this protection, however he’s making the type of changes essential to win video games with a restricted group, even when the beyond-soft zone and pink zone shenanigans have been driving us loopy. And Marquice Williams’ group is clamping down on returns even when Younghoe Koo is scuffling a bit, and is savvy and well-coached sufficient to explode performs like that faux punt. Lake goes to proceed to get warmth till this protection improves, however it is a higher group than final 12 months for causes that transcend personnel.

The Ugly

• The go safety was somewhat shaky earlier on. Cousins was below stress on the primary third down of the opening drive, forcing a rushed throw, and once more on a rushed and excessive throw to Darnell Mooney on second down on the second drive and once more on the next down, when Lavonte David was mainly in Cousins’ face instantly. There are stress conditions that Cousins has blundered into this season, however in these circumstances he correctly removed it as a result of the time was not there. Issues improved the remainder of the way in which, too.
• I don’t perceive Zac Robinson’s display screen utilization at instances. The play sort has solely been an occasional winner for Atlanta, and he tends to bunch up his utilization of them, with 4 in two drives within the third quarter that gained a mixed…couple of yards? Possibly? There’s no have to throw out screens totally as a result of well-blocked screens that includes, say, Bijan Robinson can ship stellar outcomes. If it’s not engaged on first down and it’s your reply once more on second down, organising a 3rd and unmanageable state of affairs because it did yesterday, I’ve quarrels.
• The run protection just isn’t getting higher, and the protection typically was less than the duty of stopping an apparent sport plan. Working in opposition to Rachaad White and Bucky Irving, the group routinely allowed for 4 lane highways for the 2 backs to work in, leading to chunk pickups that stored Tampa Bay transferring. That mixed with a brief passing sport that closely utilized the operating backs and Cade Otton, simply as all of us knew it could, was unsettlingly efficient in opposition to a Falcons protection that needed to know what was coming however appeared incapable of developing with stops within the early going. Whereas they have been nice within the coronary heart of the sport, getting a pair of turnovers and limiting Tampa Bay, the protection cratered onerous once more after the security on Atlanta, permitting an extended landing drive to Baker Mayfield and firm that featured far too many broad open receivers.
• I’ve solely this to say concerning the go rush: It’s not nice. The little little bit of stress on Baker Mayfield was welcome, however it was uncommon and the group as soon as once more obtained zero sacks. Jimmy Lake’s speak concerning the evolution of the go rush and the protection will ring hole till we see some enchancment right here.
• Kyle Pitts almost gave away a landing within the second quarter by jogging in to the top zone and letting the ball cling free in his hand, typically Antoine Winfield is infamous for benefiting from. Winfield was in a position to knock the ball free, however after a overview of the play, the landing was upheld as a result of Pitts appeared to have already crossed the aircraft. Thank god for that, however I hope Pitts will maintain that ball somewhat tighter subsequent trip so we are able to keep away from the drama.
• Younghoe Koo’s re-tooled method raised some eyebrows, but when it was working to perfection no person can be all that troubled. The truth that Koo is on tempo for his lowest discipline purpose proportion since his doomed 2017 season with the Chargers is troubling, nonetheless, and the newest miss on a 46 yarder in opposition to the Buccaneers that will’ve successfully put the sport away missed by fairly a bit. He’s now 16 for 20 on makes an attempt this 12 months, or 80%, and whereas I doubt neither the power or the power to rally from this, it goes with out saying {that a} group that performs quite a lot of shut video games can’t afford to have him proceed to overlook.
• This group’s propensity for ill-timed errors continues. A Bijan Robinson landing worn out by a Ray-Ray McCloud maintain is one instance, and a botched handoff between Kirk Cousins and Tyler Allgeier deep in Atlanta territory that resulted in a bouncing ball that changed into a security is one other. The Falcons will solely attain their appreciable potential if they’ll cease turning the ball over and incomes penalties on the worst attainable second, and that’s a piece in progress.

The Wrapup

Recreation MVP

Kirk Cousins now has almost 800 yards and eight touchdowns in two weeks in opposition to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, startling numbers in opposition to the group’s greatest rival for the divisional crown in 2024. He’s the plain alternative even with out his yards on the bottom.

One Takeaway

Flawed and irritating as they’re, the Falcons are dominating the division and hanging powerful in most each sport, final week’s bummer loss to Seattle however.

Subsequent Week

The Falcons return dwelling to face the Dallas Cowboys, a gifted group reaching subpar outcomes. They’ll hope to beat Dallas and keep forward within the NFC South race.

Ultimate Phrase

Superb