2024 Week 8: Falcons 31, Buccaneers 28
For the second time this month, the Falcons hand it to the Buccaneers, and for the second time this month, Kirk Cousins has a monster game.
The Falcons (5-3) are now in firm control of the NFC South, winning two games over the Bucs, they aren’t a great team but they keep finding a way to win close games.
The Bucs (4-4) on the other hand, are collapsing under the various injuries they’ve had over the season, as well as by Baker’s hand. Baker has thrown 10 TDs and 7 INTs in their last 3 games.
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QB Report:
- Baker Mayfield (37/50 for 330 yards, 3TDs/2 INTs) is the only reason the Bucs have 4 wins, carrying them in every game… but he’s too loose with the ball and is the reason the Bucs have 4 losses. It’s a double-edged sword but it’s the only choice they have, behind a weak run game, bad O-line, and bad defense.
- Kirk Cousins (23/29 for 276 yards, 4 TDs) season is a tale of two stories, one against the Bucs, and one against everyone else.
Against TB he is averaging 388 yards, 4 TDs, and 32.3 FF-ppg.
Against everyone else: 220.2 yards, 1 TD, 1.2 INT, and 8.7 FF-ppg.
- Why is this the case? Tampa has an extremely flawed pass defense that Kirk can take advantage of. On the tape, he doesn’t look any different, still old and weak passes. This is a sell-high event. Cousins is no longer ‘him’.
RB Report:
- By this point, everyone knows what’s going on with the Bucs backfield. Rachaad White (6-29-0; 5 catches for 38 yards, 1TD) has scored three times in their last two games, he is also a sell-high.
WR/TE Report:
- This is where this report gets interesting, Darnell Mooney (4-86-1/6) got his nice Bucs-Bump and is averaging 22.3 FF-ppg against TB and 10.3 FF-ppg versus everybody else… a third sell-high from this game.
- Kyle Pitts (4-91-2/5) was one of the two TEs who scored twice in this game. Pitts is playing fine this year but watching him side-by-side with Cade Otton, he doesn’t come close to Otton’s talent. What everyone expected from Pitts is what we see in Otton now. What a strange TE world we live in right now.
- Cade Otton (9-81-2/10) was the winner of the Mike Evans injury, he will be the #1 until Evans returns which should be soon, but I think the overall winner of the two WR injuries will be Rakim Jarrett (3-58-0/3). Jarrett has great hands, he gets open, and Baker was looking for him as TB was trying to get back into this game. All good signs, especially the last one.
Jarrett is the most slot-like receiver in this group that isn’t A) in his 30’s or B) missing practice this week like Sterling Shepard (3-18-0/5). There’s 100% an opening this season and I think Jarrett will rise to the occasion, but more importantly, this is the end of Chris Godwin’s contract which means TB could groom Jarrett into a younger, cheaper version of his predecessor.
image source: (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)