As Week 8 follows on the heels of Halloween, the Atlanta Falcons hope to avoid a house of horrors at Raymond James Stadium in a high-stakes NFC South clash against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After a 0-4 start, the Bucs’ season looks resurrected with recent wins, and the Falcons hope to end their hopes in a nightmare scenario. But to survive the scares in Tampa Bay, the Falcons will need to summon some supernatural performances from five key players.
Michael Penix
Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. will need to pack his
holy water and grip his crucifix tightly as he attempts to exorcise the blitzing demons of Todd Bowles’ defense. The Bucs love to bring the heat, and Penix has shown poise under that extra pressure, posting the 6th-best DVOA according to FTN Fantasy.
However, when those blitzes actually create pressure, the script flips into a horror movie: Penix ranks 31st against pressure per the same source. To banish demonic doubts, Penix must use his quick release to attack the soft spots over the middle before Tampa’s ghoulish pass rushers can drag him down.
Kyle Pitts
While Tampa Bay prepares its haunted house, tight end Kyle Pitts enters Week 8 as their ultimate recurring nightmare. Like a classic horror-movie villain in a hockey mask, no matter how many times the Bucs think they’ve stopped him, Pitts always comes back. In eight career games against Tampa Bay, Pitts has terrorized their defense with six touchdowns while averaging over 78 receiving yards per game.
Considering he averages roughly 40 yards per game against all other opponents and a third of his career touchdowns have come against Tampa Bay, Pitts channels a slasher-flick energy against the Bucs. If he wields the machete again on Sunday, Atlanta’s offense will be in great shape.
Ryan Neuzil
Pitts isn’t the only monster haunting this matchup. The Bucs feature a terrifying creature in 350-pound nose tackle Vita Vea. That places the onus squarely on Falcons center Ryan Neuzil to gather his silver bullets and hold the line against a beast that ravenously devours run plays.
If the Falcons hope to establish the ground game against Tampa Bay’s second-ranked run defense, Neuzil and the interior offensive line will need a heroic, monster-slaying effort.
Gervon Dexter
On the other side of the trenches, defensive tackle Gervon Dexter will need to play the Grim Reaper. The Bucs boast a dangerous rushing attack, and Dexter must help control the line of scrimmage. But his soul-harvesting duties don’t end there, as quarterback Baker Mayfield has also struggled under pressure this season.
If Dexter can help the Falcons’ front collapse the pocket, they can force Mayfield into grave mistakes and collect crucial takeaways just like they did in last week’s win over the San Francisco 49ers.
Kendal Daniels
For the second straight week, rookie linebacker Kendal Daniels will don the green dot to lead the defense in Divine Deablo’s absence. Stepping into the caller’s role, Daniels will have to haunt the A- and B-gaps to help Dexter and the defensive line bury the Bucs’ run game. If the rookie phantom can diagnose plays quickly and fill his assignments without giving up the ghost, Atlanta’s defense will be well-positioned to stop the Buccaneers.
Surviving a road trip to Tampa Bay on Halloween weekend won’t be easy, but the Falcons are well-equipped to pull off another frightful upset. If they can, they’ll take complete control of the NFC South. Can you name any other Falcons that will be tricked or treated in this matchup?
