TAMPA (SNN-TV) – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons have a long shared history that has often been contentious, but rarely has it qualified as a battle for first place.
The Buccaneers have won two Super Bowls since the NFC South was formed and the Falcons were in the title game as recently as 2016 but the two franchises haven’t often been simultaneous contenders. The Buccaneers certainly were considered prime contenders before the season after Tom Brady elected to play another season, but consecutive losses to Green Bay and Kansas City have slowed them down after a 2-0 start to the season.
The Falcons were largely believed to be in rebuild mode by outside observers before the season, with projected win totals of about six or seven games. However, they have already played four very tight games and come to Tampa with the exact opposite set of results so far, riding a two-game winning streak after two narrow losses to start the year.
Kickoff Sunday from Raymond James Stadium is set for 1pm.
