The Atlanta Falcons (3-3) will face off against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2) on the road in Week 7. The winner of Sunday’s game will sit atop the NFC South as we approach the midway point in the season.
To help us preview this Week 7 matchup, we went behind enemy lines with River Wells, the managing editor of the Bucs Wire.
How is QB Baker Mayfield playing?
Mayfield has been playing some good football in the first few weeks of action, but he had by far his worst game against the Detroit Lions. His performance was filled with overthrown balls and hesitation in the pocket, and that’s something that he cannot afford to do going forward if the Bucs want to continue the strong start they’ve had to the year so far.
What has been the Bucs' greatest strength this season?
Tampa Bay’s defense (in particular its run defense) has won football games. The Bucs are among the league’s top defenses in getting takeaways and held the Lions to a season-low 20 points on Sunday — an honor Tampa Bay shares with Atlanta.
What has been the team’s biggest flaw?
The run game, by far. The Bucs have perhaps the worst run game in football, and it’s a combination of an awful interior three on the offensive line, running backs that can’t do more than what they’re given and some interesting playcalls during running scenarios. The Bucs are a good team, but this is why they aren’t a great one.
How is Tampa Bay’s 2023 draft class performing?
Quite well, actually. DT Calijah Kancey is only just coming back from injury but he’s looked good in the limited snaps he’s played. Undrafted CB Christian Izien is a diamond in the rough and starts at nickel while linebacker SirVocea Dennis has been an important special teams contributor in the last few games.
Who do you think wins the NFC South?
The Bucs. The Falcons are the closest competitor and also have a great defense, but I think it’ll come down to quarterback play and as of this moment I think Mayfield has been more consistent and has a higher ceiling. If the Falcons win this game, though, they’ll almost certainly be in the drivers seat and the Bucs will be in trouble for the rest of the year.
Game/Score prediction
I think this one could be close, but the Bucs are looking for a bounce-back game and I believe that the veteran players on this team are used to playing in a game with high stakes like this one. The Falcons have an impressive defense and some offensive weapons, but I’m not sold on Desmond Ridder as the guy to lead them to the promised land and a staunch run defense from the Bucs could make Atlanta’s rushing attack behind Bijan Robinson far less effective than it usually is. Bucs 23, Falcons 17
