Falcons Look to Exploit Shaky Buccaneers Defense at Home
The Atlanta Falcons travel to face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a Week 8 NFC South matchup on Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, with kickoff set for 1 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida.
Tampa Bay enters at 2-5 and third in the division, still searching for its first home win of the season after four losses at Raymond James Stadium by a combined 21 points. Atlanta sits at 3-4 and second in the NFC South, buoyed by a 2-1 road record that has made it a more dangerous team away from home than at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Buccaneers arrive off a 43-13 rout at Carolina in Week 7, while the Falcons beat San Francisco 29-20 the same week. beach volleyball betting offers
Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. has thrown just one interception in 144 attempts since taking over as Atlanta's starter in Week 3, posting nine touchdown passes in five starts at 8 yards per attempt. He will face a Tampa Bay defense that ranks third in the NFL in total yards allowed (295 per game) and is tied for second with eight interceptions, having defensed 40 passes, fourth-most in the league. Running back Bijan Robinson still leads the NFL with 704 rushing yards despite failing to reach 90 yards in any of his last three games, a drought that will not get easier against a Buccaneers run defense allowing just 77 yards per game, second-best in the league. Robinson has turned to the passing game to stay involved, catching 25 passes for 203 yards.
On the other side, Baker Mayfield threw only 11 passes in his Week 7 return from a dislocated right thumb, leaving Sunday as the clearer test of how much Tampa Bay trusts his recovery. Atlanta's defense, which has piled up 17 sacks and hit Mayfield 13 times over his last four games, gives him every reason for caution against a pass defense ranked in the bottom 10 of the league (256 yards allowed per game). Running back Bucky Irving has carried the Tampa Bay offense in Mayfield's absence, rushing for 165 yards at Dallas and 106 yards with two touchdowns at Carolina - his only 100-yard performances this season. He will face an Atlanta run defense ranked fourth in the NFL at 89 yards allowed per game, setting up one of the day's key matchups between a surging ground game and a stingy front seven.
