The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made the Atlanta Falcons look good. Way too good, as the Falcons led by as much as 56-0 entering the fourth quarter. The Bucs did score two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to finish 56-14; two-mercy scores after most of Atlanta’s starters were resting.
This is just the first game of NFL Week 3, check out our list of all of this week’s football action and read on for a breakdown of the Thursday Night Football action you may (mercifully) have misssed).
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Atlanta Falcons, Thursday Night Football Recap
Matt Ryan immediately took control of the game leading the Falcons to back-to-back touchdown drives, the first one a mere three minutes from kickoff. Ryan was eventually allowed to rest nearing the end of the third quarter after throwing 21 of 24 for 286 yards and three touchdowns. Wide receiver Julio Jones caught two of those scoring passes, as well as finishing with nine catches for 161 yards.
[sc:NFL240banner ]Devin Hester also had an explosive night. He added back-to-back touchdowns in the second quarter, a 20-yard touchdown run and a 62-yard punt return for a score. Hester also set an NFL record with his 20th career return touchdowns, the most ever in the NFL. The win improved Atlanta to 4-1 ATS in their last five regular season games dating back to last year.
The Falcons will head Minnesota for Week 4, where they may have another chance for a blowout victory. This week, the Minnesota Vikings are +10.5 underdogs against another pass heavy team, the New Orleans Saints led by quarterback Drew Brees.
While the fans in Georgia Dome created a festive atmosphere throughout the game, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had nothing to be happy about. The Bucs were already missing four defensive starters, including two-time Pro Bowl tackle Gerald McCoy.
It was apparent the Bucs were severely lacking without their defensive starters as they allowed 344 passing yards and 144 on the ground. In the end, the Bucs were outgained 488-217.
Offensively, Tampa Bay’s starting quarterback Josh McCown had another performance to forget. He completed only five of 12 passes for 58 yards, and his lone pick was returned for a 23-yard touchdown. McCown exited the game after suffering from a thumb injury in the second quarter and was replaced by backup Mike Glennon.
Glennon did better than McCown, but could not deliver consistently, finishing with 121 yards and a touchdown. With how disappointing McCown was, it remains a concern whether the Bucs offseason acquisition will keep his starting job. Meanwhile, running back Bobby Rainey was limited to just 41 yards on 11 carries after a 144-yard performance last week. Rainey also lost two fumbles in the game.
The Bucs will continue on the road as they head to Pittsburgh next week. Considering how badly they performed, one can only expect the Steelers’ Ben Roethlisberger to torch Tampa Bay’s paltry passing defense. The Steelers are +3.5 underdogs against the Carolina Panthers in what could be a shootout between Roethlisberger and Carolina quarterback Cam Newton.
Create a betting account now as there are still plenty of football games coming your way this weekend, and almost all of them should be better than this beat down.
