Atlanta Falcons: 3 Bold predictions vs. Buccaneers, Week 12
3. Atlanta’s defense will have its hands full again
Over the last two games, Atlanta’s performance on the defensive side of the ball has been spectacular and has been a surprising development following the Falcons’ struggles in that area of the game for really a majority of the season.
In the Week 10 win on the road over the New Orleans Saints, Atlanta held New Orleans without a touchdown and a total of 310 yards to grab the victory. In the Week 11 game that pushed their winning streak to two straight, the Falcons held the Carolina Panthers to 347 yards and once again without a touchdown in the showdown.
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For a third straight contest, Atlanta will be faced with another tough test and a high-volume offense. Coming into the game this Sunday, Tampa Bay is averaging 285.6 total yards per game, which ranks fourth-best in the NFL up to this point in the 2019 campaign. The Buccaneers are also tied for eighth in the league in touchdowns this season, tallying a total of 19 touchdowns on offense.
One thing that this Tampa Bay offense might present throughout the game against Atlanta and could be something that the Falcons try and exploit early on and often in the showdown is that the Buccaneers have the tendency to turn the ball over a decent amount on the offensive side of the field.
Going into the Week 12 contest, Tampa Bay has recorded a league-most 18 interceptions on offense, something Atlanta hopes will continue on Sunday afternoon in Atlanta. While the Falcons return home in the 12th week of games this weekend at Mercedes Benz Stadium, Atlanta’s defense will likely have its hands full once again this week.
But as we’ve seen over the last two victories, the Falcons defense has stepped up to the challenge to come away with a win.