TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers bounced back from a loss to the Philadelphia Eagles to improve to 3-1. Now, they have a short week to get ready for their NFC South rival, the Atlanta Falcons, on Thursday night.
“You try and treat any game the same, but you know the weight it carries when you play divisional opponents,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “Just the opportunity on a short week, playing against somebody on the road, it’s a great opportunity for us to continue to build what we’ve had so far. But, you know, I think back at last year – every year is different – but I think back at last year, we were 3-1 at this point too. I wouldn’t say we operated as clean, and knew our identity, but right now, we don’t take anything for granted.”
The Falcons (2-2) were widely considered the favorite to win the division after the off-season addition of quarterback Kirk Cousins and edge rusher Matthew Judon.
”They're different offensively and defensively (than last season),” head coach Todd Bowles said. “They’re playing faster and they're playing with a lot of confidence. They added quite a few guys – they've got a lot of talent over there. They can beat you a bunch of different ways.”
“The talent that they have. They made some acquisitions over the offseason, coaching change,” wide receiver Chris Godwin said. “I think they have a lot of talented guys over there, not only with experience but playing at a really high level.”
The Bucs also face the challenge of the short week and a lengthy injury report that includes key players like tackle Luke Goedeke, defensive lineman Calijah Kancey, and safety Antoine Winfield, Jr. Those three will be out, and Tampa Bay will also be missing wide receivers Jalen McMillan and Trey Palmer.
“We've got to make sure that we're on our P's and Q's in the film room and in our gameplan to be able to go in there into a hostile environment,” Godwin added. “I’m sure their stadium will be rocking. It's going to be a tough challenge for us, but I think we're up to the task.”
The Bucs and Falcons kickoff at 8:15 p.m. Thursday in Atlanta.
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