The NFL is making the Falcons hit the ground running with an immediate matchup against their division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers, against whom the margins could not possibly be tighter.
Atlanta currently has the feather in its cap of having an all time winning record against all three of their division rivals, but outside of sheer dominance against the Carolina Panthers, it’s absolutely neck and neck against Tampa and New Orleans.
Heading into last season actually, the Bucs held that advantage, utilizing
a five game Tom Brady era winning streak to finally overtake the Birds in the all time head to head series. Atlanta flipped the script with their first sweep of Tampa since the 2018 season to take with them a 32-31 lead.
Tampa has owned the NFC South in recent memory, winning the division four consecutive times. As a result of the big picture success, it might be surprising to remember that the Falcons have owned this matchup in recent memory, winning four of the past five meetings.
Last Meeting
Just three weeks removed from their barnburner on Thursday Night Football in Atlanta, the Falcons and Bucs met for a rematch down in the Sunshine State in Week 8 of last season, with first place in the division on the line.
The game could not have gotten off to a better start for Atlanta, who forced a turnover on the first possession of the game and following that up with a drive which ended with a Kirk Cousins connection with Kyle Pitts for a 36-yard touchdown.
Baker Mayfield wasn’t one to go down without a fight as the fireworks ensued, in a game that was eerily similar to the one in Atlanta, resembling an all out first half shootout. Kyle Pitts caught a second touchdown of the game, but Mayfield led two of his own scoring drives as the Falcons led 24-17 at the break.
The defenses picked it a up a little bit in the second half, but not enough to where the Falcons didn’t double the lead behind a Bijan Robinson catch at the end of the third quarter.
And just when it looked like Atlanta would win comfortably, they tried their best to let Tampa back in it. A fourth quarter safety on an aborted snap, a Bucs scoring drive and a Younghoe Koo missed field goal gave Mayfield one final drive for the win, where he was a few feet from pulling this one out of the fire as his receiver caught his final hail mary pass just out of bounds in the back of the end zone.
