NEWS » The Tampa Bay Buccaneers must be licking their chops

Then again http://www.jaguarsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-quincy-williams-ii-jersey , the Falcons’ offense is surely just as pumped to get on the field against the Bucs.A fan of stingy defenses?You’ve come to the wrong place.The scoreboard at Mercedes-Benz Stadium figures to get a workout Sunday in the matchup between NFC South rivals. Tampa Bay (2-2) has surrendered more points per game than any team in the league (34.75), while the Falcons (1-4) are right on their heels with an average of 32.6.The Bucs’ defensive woes have put the heat on coordinator Mike Smith, a former head coach of the Falcons. Smith’s boss, Dirk Koetter, has resisted calls to make a change.“Every week, every game, it’s way bigger than any one guy,” the Tampa Bay coach said. “It’s never all one person’s fault and it’s never all one person’s credit.”Smith said he’s confident the Bucs can turn things around.“We did some things in the first three games that you can look forward and say, ‘Gosh darn, those guys, they’ve got a chance to do some things well,'” Smith said. “We’ve been an inconsistent group and really that’s frustrating as a coach because you don’t like to put the inconsistencies out on the field.”The Falcons are on the defensive about their defense, as well. For the first time since 1987, Atlanta has given up at least 37 points in three straight games.It would be easy to point to a rash of injuries to key players. Safeties Ricardo Allen and Keanu Neal are both out for the season, linebacker Deion Jones will miss at least eight games Ryquell Armstead Jersey , and tackle Grady Jarrett sat out last week’s contest with a sprained ankle.“We will never make excuses,” defensive coordinator Marquand Manuel said. “We are professionals. We’re asking the guys to dominate their gap and their job. I think any man that puts on a helmet should be able to do that, what we’re asking them to do. With the ability that you have, if you give us the maximum, we know that’s just enough.”Tampa Bay will be looking to strike quickly. Each of the last three weeks, the Falcons have surrendered long touchdown drives on their opponents’ first possession.“They’ve been marching it down on us pretty easy,” defensive end Takk McKinley moaned.Some other things to watch for when the Falcons host the Buccaneers:WINSTON RETURNSQuarterback Jameis Winston will get his first start of the season for the Bucs.He served a three-game suspension for violating the league’s personal conduct policy and came off the bench in Tampa Bay’s last game. After a bye week, the No. 1 job again belongs to Winston.Journeyman Ryan Fitzpatrick became the first quarterback in NFL history to throw for 400 yards in three straight games while Winston was sidelined, but the “FitzMagic” show came to a crashing halt in a 48-10 loss to Chicago.Nevertheless, Koetter praised his team for staying competitive while its starting QB was out.“We’re not exactly where we want to be,” the coach said, “but we’re also right where we need to be as far as competing for the next 12 weeks.”BALANCING ACTThe Falcons are at their best when there’s not much discrepancy between the number of running and passing plays.In their lone victory, a 31-24 triumph over the Carolina Panthers in Week 2, the Falcons ran 32 times for 170 yards and two touchdowns while completing 23 of 28 passes for 272 yards and two more scores. But in last Sunday’s blowout loss to the Steelers , Atlanta ran just 19 times for 62 yards and went to the air 45 times.“That’s part of our identity on offense http://www.jaguarsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-gardner-minshew-ii-jersey ,” coach Dan Quinn said. “We’ve got to make sure the run game and the play-action pass go hand in hand. That is always at the top of our thinking. When we do that, we’re at our best.”NOT-SO-SPECIAL TEAMSAtlanta has given up blocked punts in two of the last three games, leading to a pair of short touchdown drives.Both miscues were simply a matter of blockers getting beaten: Eric Saubert on one play, rookie Foyesade Oluokun on the other.“It is 100 percent unacceptable for that to happen,” Quinn said. “We’d like to get that squared away so it never rears its head again.”BUCS DOWN WITH JPPJason Pierre-Paul, who was acquired in a trade with the Giants , has been a force on Tampa Bay’s defensive line. Over his past three games, he has four sacks and caused a fumble.Now, he’s going against an Atlanta line that gave up six sacks to the Steelers last weekend.“Jason is such a competitive guy,” Smith said.“We want to have a rotation and it’s hard to get him off the field because he wants to play every snap.”TOUGH STARTThe Falcons are off to their worst start since 2013 .“We didn’t expect to be here,” Quinn said. “But we don’t expect to stay here, either.”The last time Atlanta began a season 1-5 was 2007, a dismal campaign marred by the downfall of franchise quarterback Michael Vick, who went to prison for dogfighting, and coach Bobby Petrino abandoning the team after only 13 games. EAGAN Christian Wilkins Jersey , Minn. — Dalvin Cook‘s rush through the left side of the line for 70 yards last week was the longest gain of his professional career, an early game boost for the Minnesota Vikings in an important victory over Detroit before their bye.More Vikings coveragePhotos of the Week: 7/21/19 – 7/27/19Rookie Bradbury is central figure to Vikings’ overhauled offensive lineVikings depth at cornerback being tested, Hughes still not clearedPlayers to watch at Minnesota Vikings 2019 training campTop Tweets: Vikings WR Diggs makes push for All-NFL Style TeamThat was the type of big running play that has been missing in most of Minnesota’s games this year, a 22.05 mph burst that was clocked by the NFL’s Next Gen Stats as the fastest in the league in 2018.That also demonstrated what the Vikings will need more of down the stretch with a daunting schedule ahead.Cook’s return from a hamstring injury that kept him out of five games was one of the most important developments of the season.“When you go to the zoo and you want to see a white tiger and they say, ‘He’s not coming out today, you’re disappointed and you’re like, ‘That’s why I bought the ticket, to see the white tiger,” quarterback Kirk Cousins said after the Vikings beat the Lions 24-9 on Nov. 4. “That’s Dalvin. When you get him, he’s special.”Though Latavius Murray has 439 total yards and five touchdowns over the past five games, Cook’s return will be vital toward continuing the revival of a running game that ranks 28th in the league with an average of 91.7 yards per game.The Vikings (5-3-1) play at NFC North-leading Chicago (6-3) on Sunday night in a game for control of the division. That’s one of three games over the next four for the Vikings that will be on the road and outdoors in northern cities.“I do think with some of these games as it starts to get colder, it is going to be more of a factor,” coach Mike Zimmer said. “I think we’re getting better at a lot of the areas in the running game. We have to continue searching for more ways to pound the ball.”When Cook was healthy in the season opener against San Francisco, the Vikings had 116 rushing yards. They then went four straight games with fewer than 20 rushing attempts and 77 rushing yards or fewer, until Murray produced a 155-yard performance on 24 carries in a victory over Arizona on Oct. 14 .Cook and Murray combined for 120 rushing yards against the Lions. The Vikings have averaged 124 rushing yards over the past four games http://www.dolphinsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-michael-deiter-jersey , up from 65.8 yards per game on the ground over the first five weeks.“He has got a chance to hit home runs,” Zimmer said of Cook. “I think it was really good for him to get out there and get some game time action. When you haven’t played in six weeks and you haven’t practiced all that much, I think he will continue to get better.”The Vikings also claimed running back Ameer Abdullah last week after he was waived by the Lions. Abdullah, a second-round draft pick in 2015, only appeared in three games this year and carried the ball once. He averaged 3.8 yards per attempt in three seasons as the primary ball carrier, when he wasn’t injured, before being replaced by rookie Kerryon Johnson this season.“I’m entering a backfield with a lot of talent, Dalvin, we have Latavius and all the guys who’ve been here,” Abdullah said after practice on Monday. “Just coming in today and seeing these guys welcome me the way they have has been amazing for me. It does a lot for my confidence. It does a lot for my focus.”Abdullah will also be an option as a kickoff returner.“I’m ready to work,” he said. “Anything the Vikings ask me to do, I’m willing to do just because I’m so appreciative of the opportunity.”