Falcons Try to Slow Down Buccaneers

The Atlanta Falcons will take on the red-hot Tampa Bay Buccaneers today and try to shut them down. It will be a tough task, especially since the game is in Tampa.
The Buccaneers have won five of their past six games after starting the season 1-3. They can really make a statement today if they beat the Falcons, who have the NFC's best record. With a win, the Buccaneers would only be two games back of Atlanta in the division. Quarterback Josh Freeman has been sensational lately, including throwing two or more touchdowns in the past six games for Tampa Bay. The biggest contributor on offense though, would be running back Doug Martin. The rookie out of Boise State has already rushed for over a thousand yards on the year. In the past four games, Martin has run for 592 yards and five touchdowns. He should find more running room against the Falcons, as they have one of the worst running defenses in the league.
The Falcons had a rough game last week, but barely beat the Arizona Cardinals 23-19. Matt Ryan had the worst game of his career as he threw five interceptions and no touchdowns. He tied legendary Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr as the only quarterbacks ever to throw five interceptions in a game and still win. Ryan and the Falcons will have to have a better game today though if they want to beat their division rivals. Here are three things they need to fix in order to beat Tampa Bay.
First, Ryan needs to become an elite quarterback again. In four career trips to Tampa, Ryan has thrown five touchdowns, but has also thrown seven interceptions. He needs to cut down on the interceptions and throw more touchdowns to help his team win. Plus the Buccaneers have the best defense in the league against the run, so look for Ryan to be throwing more today.
Second, the defense needs to stop the run. Martin is only the second rookie running back since 2000 to gain a thousand rushing yards in the first ten games of the season. He will get the ball plenty, but that doesn't mean the Falcons can let down on the pass defense, as Freeman can throw the ball well.
Finally, the Falcons need to show they are still the top team in the NFL. After two mediocre weeks, critics have started wondering if the Falcons are for real. They need to score aplenty. They need to silence the Buccaneers and prove they are the team to beat, not just in the NFC but in the entire league.
If Ryan can come back and have a good game and Sean Weatherspoon returns to anchor the defense, the Falcons can win. They just have to play at a higher level than what they have been playing at in recent weeks to overcome this hot Tampa Bay team. Look for the Falcons to have just enough strength to win a close game and improve their record to 10-1.