Last Updated on December 2, 2010 2:33 am by Anthony Rome
Falcons vs. Bucs Preview
TAMPA, FL (AP) – The Atlanta Falcons aren’t just thinking about making the playoffs, they’re focused on finishing with the NFC’s best record and earning home-field advantage throughout the postseason.
To achieve this, however, they’re going to need to take care of business on the road.
The surging Falcons begin a stretch of three straight road games Sunday in a key NFC South matchup against a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team seeking a signature win to stay in the thick of the division race.
According to latest NFL odds, oddsmakers from online sports book Sportsbook.com have made Falcons 2-point spread favorites for Sunday’s game against Bucs. Current NFL Public Betting Information shows that 77% of more than 7,107 bets for this game have been placed on Falcons -2.
Atlanta (9-2) stayed atop the NFC when Matt Bryant kicked a 47-yard field goal with 9 seconds remaining in last Sunday’s 20-17 victory over Green Bay, one of the teams trying to chase down the Falcons.
Atlanta has won five in a row, its longest streak since a nine-game run during its 1998 Super Bowl season, and is assured of a third consecutive winning record.
“It’s great to get a winning season,” coach Mike Smith said. “But the expectations and goals we talk about are a lot higher than that.”
The Falcons are determined to protect the NFC’s best record and host playoff games at the Georgia Dome, where quarterback Matt Ryan is 19-1 all-time.
“I have no plans of going to Lambeau Field in January,” Atlanta receiver Roddy White said. “I plan on staying right here and sleeping in my own bed in the playoffs.”
The Falcons don’t have a lot of breathing room atop the NFC, however. North-leading Chicago is just one game back, while within the division, New Orleans is one game out and Tampa Bay is two behind.
The Buccaneers (7-4) played Atlanta tough at the Georgia Dome on Nov. 7, but lost 27-21. The Falcons stopped Tampa Bay on a 4th-and-1 from the Atlanta 2 with 2:37 remaining to win their fourth straight in the series. The Buccaneers had won 12 of the previous 16 meetings.
“We’re still very much in the hunt,” Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris said. “We’ve got a very meaningful game against Atlanta.”
The Buccaneers are not only trying to cut into the Falcons’ division lead, but also trying to prove they can play with the NFL’s elite.
With last Sunday’s 17-10 loss to Baltimore, Tampa Bay dropped to 0-4 against teams with winning records. The Buccaneers have lost to New Orleans, Pittsburgh, Atlanta and the Ravens by a combined 113-50 score.
“That doesn’t factor into anything. We’re a team with a winning record,” cornerback Ronde Barber said. “We’re just playing. You like to win them all, regardless of who the opponent is.”
Atlanta, which is 6-0 at home, follows this game with trips to Carolina and Seattle. This is the first time since 2002 the Falcons are playing three straight away from Atlanta.
“We’ve made adjustments already to our practice schedule in terms of reducing the workload both on the field and in the meeting rooms, trying to get these guys as fresh as possible because traveling is hard on the body and we’re going to be doing that for the next three weeks,” Smith said. “Our approach is that we have to go in and try to set the tempo just like we do at home when we’re on the road.”
This means relying on a balanced offense led by Ryan and running back Michael Turner.
Ryan matched a franchise record by completing 85.7 percent of his passes – 24 of 28 – for 198 yards with a touchdown against the Packers. His only incompletion in the second half was a throwaway before Bryant’s game-winning kick.
Ryan, who threw for 235 yards with a TD against the Buccaneers last month, has completed 69.9 percent of his passes for 1,300 yards with 10 touchdowns to just one interception during the winning streak. He has four games with a passer rating of over 100 in his last five, and the Falcons are 15-0 all-time when Ryan’s quarterback rating is over the century mark.
Turner is also causing problems for defenses. He had 23 carries for 110 yards and a touchdown against Green Bay, his fourth 100-yard outing in the last five contests. This includes the game against the Buccaneers, when Turner rushed for 107 and two touchdowns.
Tampa Bay is sixth-worst against the run, allowing an average of 132.5 yards, and is also a little shaky on offense.
The Buccaneers finished with a season-low 263 yards last Sunday and didn’t get in the end zone until Josh Freeman threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Kellen Winslow with 3:05 left.
Freeman has been limited to fewer than 200 passing yards in three of his last four games, and threw for 189 while getting picked off twice in Atlanta last month.
Want More From TheSpread.com? Follow us on Twitter and Facebook or Subscribe to Our News Feeds!