TAMPA BAY (5-7) at ATLANTA (6-6)
Sunday, 1 p.m. EST, CBS.
OPENING LINE: Falcons by 2 1/2, according to FanDuel Sportsbook.
AGAINST THE SPREAD: Buccaneers 7-4-1; Falcons 4-8.
SERIES RECORD: Tied 30-30.
LAST MEETING: Falcons beat Buccaneers 16-13 on Oct. 22 in Tampa.
LAST WEEK: Buccaneers beat Panthers 21-18; Falcons beat Jets 13-8.
Atlanta Falcons safety Jessie Bates III (3) and linebacker Kaden Elliss (55) tackle New York Jets tight end Tyler Conklin (83) during the second quarter of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, in East Rutherford, N.J. Credit: AP/Adam Hunger
BUCCANEERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (23), RUSH (30), PASS (19), SCORING (23).
BUCCANEERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (27), RUSH (10), PASS (28), SCORING (T-10).
FALCONS OFFENSE: OVERALL (18), RUSH (6), PASS (22), SCORING (24).
FALCONS DEFENSE: OVERALL (10), RUSH (15), PASS (11), SCORING (7).
Carolina Panthers safety Xavier Woods intercepts a pass intended for Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans during the first half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 3, 2023, in Tampa, Fla. Credit: AP/Mark LoMoglio
TURNOVER DIFFERENTIAL: Buccaneers plus-5; Falcons minus-3.
BUCCANEERS PLAYER TO WATCH: WR Mike Evans. Last week, he joined Hall of Famer Jerry Rice as the only players in NFL history to put together a stretch of at least 10 consecutive seasons with 1,000-plus yards receiving. Evans also became the first player to begin a career with a streak of 10 straight years with at least 60 catches.
FALCONS PLAYER TO WATCH: S Jessie Bates. In his first year with Atlanta, he’s had a huge impact on the defense. Bates had his fifth interception — a new career high — in last weekend’s victory over the Jets. He ranks third in the league in picks, trailing only Dallas’ DaRon Bland with eight and Baltimore’s Geno Stone with six. Bates also leads the Falcons with 92 tackles and three forced fumbles.
KEY MATCHUP: Falcons running game vs. Buccaneers defensive front. Atlanta rushed for 156 yards in the first meeting against Tampa Bay and…
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