PLAYER NOTES
–QB Matt Ryan got hit on the penultimate series that resulted in a fumble and did not return for the final series. He received an X-ray at the stadium and head coach Dan Quinn said, “He is 100 percent good to go.”
–DL Grady Jarrett (ankle, knee) missed the Steelers game, but could return this week. His status won’t be known until later in the week. Head coach Dan Quinn said the Falcons won’t put him on the field “until he can be his explosive self.”
–DE Derrick Shelby (groin) missed his second game, but could return this week. His status won’t be known until later in the week.
–CB Justin Bethel (knee) did not play against Pittsburgh, but is close to returning. His status won’t be known until later in the week. He is the closest to being ready.
–TE Austin Hooper caught a career-high nine receptions for 77 yards, the third-most of his career. Hooper’s importance in the passing game continues to grow; he has 21 catches for 202 yards and one touchdown.
PLAYER SPOTLIGHT: LB De’Vondre Campbell has stepped up to take a larger leadership role on the team. He has made the defensive calls in the middle the last two games. The third-year player from Minnesota is third on the team with 29 tackles, including nine in the team’s lone win against Carolina. As the leader of the defense, Campbell is being asked to be more vocal. “The thing I kept telling them on the sideline, is we just got to push through this,” he said. “We’re going through a little funk right now and it happens, but it’s about how we respond to it.” Campbell will have more responsibility this week when the Falcons play Tampa Bay’s dual-threat quarterback Jameis Winston. “If we sit and feel sorry for ourselves, we’re going to continue to lose, but if we go and make the corrections and make the changes we need to make, then we’ll be just fine,” he said.
GAME PLAN: The Falcons will try to take advantage of Tampa Bay’s propensity of giving up the football. The Bucs have lost two fumbles and thrown seven interceptions. Atlanta will need to find some semblance of a pass rush, although that may be difficult without DT Grady Jarrett and DE Derrick Shelby. It would be a good week for DE Vic Beasley Jr. to get loose and come up with a multi-sack game; he’s got only one this season. That would help the overall defense, which has been a mess since losing a spate of starters. The Falcons rank 28th overall in defense, 25th vs. the run and tied for 23rd against the pass. They are 31st in the NFL in points allowed.
QUOTES TO NOTE: Falcons head coach Dan Quinn on the poor start: “We didn’t expect to be here with a losing record, but we also don’t expect to stay here. We’ve made sure our locker room doesn’t have a man think otherwise. While others outside may focus down the road, for us, and for the team, we’re focused on where we are right now, and we aren’t thinking about how many games we can win down the road.”
Quarterback Matt Ryan on the losing streak: “I think you just need to find a way to win next week and keep that mindset that small. That’s probably the best way that I know how to do it. We have to get all our energy and focus on playing well and getting a win next week. Beyond that we need to keep that approach moving forward.”
Wide receiver Mohamed Sanu on the losing streak: “We just got to figure out, figure out what we got to do to play better, more precise, and make plays when we need to.”
Linebacker De’Vondre Campbell on the lack of success: “Sometimes you do everything you can, and it just doesn’t work out, you just got to go back to the drawing board and keep pushing.”
MATCHUPS TO WATCH
–Falcons RB Devonta Freeman vs. Buccaneers DT Gerald McCoy. The Bucs are one of the top teams against the rush; they have allowed only 351 yards on the ground, third best in the NFL, a number offset by having the worst defense against the pass. If Freeman can get past the Tampa Bay front, the Falcons will find it easier to move the ball. Perhaps if they can enjoy some success on the ground, it will keep the stressed-out defense on the sideline a bit longer.
–Falcons DE Vic Beasley Jr. vs. Buccaneers QB Jameis Winston. The Falcons will often use Beasley as a spy against a mobile quarterback. They did it against Carolina’s Cam Newton and it resulted in a win. Beasley, who is quicker and more mobile than most at the position, has the experience needed to keep an eye on Winston and the speed to cut off various angles of attack.
