Jacob Tamme Leads the Falcons in Receiving
Julio Jones had a monster afternoon the last time these two teams faced each other. He caught 12 balls for 162 yards and a touchdown. However, another Falcon enjoyed a nice day in his shadow. Tamme caught 9 balls for 103 yards and a touchdown in the first meeting. It was his only 100-yard game this season. It’s no secret teams are keying in on Jones and putting multiple men on him throughout the course of the game. After Jones’s monster performacnce in their last meeting, look for the Bucs to keep an extra careful eye on the star wideout. With Jones getting all the attention, Tamme should be in like for a lot of targets, yards and hopefully a touchdown or two.
Falcons Outrush the Bucs
The Bucs are one of the best teams on both sides of the ball when it comes to the running game. Their offense features Doug Martin, who is already over 1,000 yards rushing on the season and running at a 5.1 yards per carry clip. On defense, the Bucs rank 12th against the run, but rank 3rd in opponents yards per carry at 3.5. The Falcons are also some of the best in the NFL on the ground and against the run. With Devonta Freeman set to return from his concussion, the Falcons will likely try to get him in the groove of things early. If he cannot go, Coleman will shoulder the do much like he did last Sunday when he rushed for a career high 118 yards. Atlanta also was able to shut down Martin on the ground in the first game, holding him 71 yards on 23 carries. If the Falcons win the battle on the ground, they will be in great position to get back into the win column.
Mike Evans goes for 125 yards and touchdown
It took a little while for Jameis Winston to get acclimated to the NFL, but he has really come on strong, and is in my opinion the Offensive Rookie of the Year to this point. Â He has thrown for 2,650 yards and 16 touchdowns so far. Winston has also found his favorite target in Mike Evans, who, after a slow start to the season, has really come on strong. He leads the Bucs in receiving with 49 receptions and 789 yards. Winston only threw for 177 yards and a touchdown in the first meeting between these two teams, but his confidence has grown by the week. Look for Winston to throw the ball a lot more, and find his favorite target in Mike Evans throughout the day.