NW Atlanta News

The Atlanta Falcons are set to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a Thursday night matchup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Both teams enter the game following victories in Week 4, with the Falcons edging out the New Orleans Saints and the Buccaneers defeating the Philadelphia Eagles by a significant margin.

Last season, each team won their away game in their head-to-head matchups. The Falcons have made some changes to their lineup, while the Buccaneers remain largely unchanged under quarterback Baker Mayfield. Mayfield's performance has been strong this season, continuing his resurgence that began with support from current Falcons head coach Raheem Morris and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson during his brief stint with the Los Angeles Rams.

Robinson spoke highly of Mayfield, stating, "He's a really talented player, a really talented thrower – just has every throw at his disposal, great competitor. Certainly valued the time that we had in LA together."

The Falcons' recent win against the Saints saw them score two touchdowns without offensive contribution. This week presents an opportunity for Atlanta to improve its running game against a Buccaneers defense ranked low in rushing yards allowed.

"We are just not scoring enough points," Robinson noted. "That's going to be continued emphasis on our side."

While opinions were divided last week regarding NFC South opponents, experts now predominantly favor one team for this matchup.

For detailed predictions, sources such as ESPN, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated, The Athletic and Sporting News provide comprehensive picks.