Gameday

By STEPHEN F. HOLDER
Published November 20, 2005

INSIDE THE BUCS MEETING ROOM

STICK WITH THE RUN: Patience could pay dividends. The Falcons are giving up 4.5 yards per carry, fifth most in the league. That means they are susceptible to long runs, and rookie running back Cadillac Williams is more than due. Get the running game going and the Bucs can move to play-action passing, which gives quarterback Chris Simms another weapon in the passing game. Also, look for fullback Mike Alstott to get some situational carries that could soften up Atlanta's front.

TICK, TOCK: If Simms tries to hold the ball too long, it won't end well. Atlanta is adept at getting coverage sacks because it drops so many defenders into pass coverage. As a result, the Falcons have 25 sacks. Simms will have to work his short and underneath routes. The Falcons have only allowed nine passes of 30 or more yards this season.

STAY DISCIPLINED: Accountability on defense is the only way to contain quarterback Michael Vick. That accountability was absent last weekend as the Redskins rushed for 185 yards. Bad angles and shoddy tackling allowed running back Clinton Portis to run wild, but the Falcons' top-ranked rushing offense will be an even bigger challenge. Linebacker play, in particular, will be critical today.

SCREEN THIS: The Bucs will be paying particular attention to the screen pass to Warrick Dunn. The running back is a jitterbug in the open field and delivering the ball via the screen pass might help give the former Buc some room to run. This will call for careful recognition by defensive ends Simeon Rice and whoever starts at the other end (injured Greg Spires or Dewayne White).

COPYCATS: Expect Atlanta to try to duplicate the Redskins' rushing efforts. The Falcons prefer to keep it on the ground anyway, where Vick can be a killer and Dunn is a clever and shifty runner. If Atlanta gets its run game going, it could be another long day for the Bucs' thin defense, which isn't built to stay on the field long.

NO DEEP BALLS HERE: The Falcons are going to prevent the Bucs from beating them deep at all costs. Simms' strength appears to be throwing long; it's the shorter passing game he sometimes struggles with. The Falcons know this. They also know Joey Galloway has been the Bucs' best weapon of late, so expect the secondary to keep receivers in front of it.

PRESSURE SIMMS: Simms was a new man when he could waltz around in the pocket last weekend. The Redskins didn't blitz nearly as much as expected, and therefore failed to get pressure on the young quarterback. The Falcons have to find a way to get penetration to force Simms to make rushed decisions. When he gets time to throw, he gets into a rhythm, and that means trouble.

ALL HANDS ON DECK: Or, better yet, the ball. The Falcons have lost five of nine fumbles the past two games. Against a Tampa Bay defense that has a nose for the ball, the continuation of such a trend could send the game south quickly. Vick had three fumbles last weekend against the Packers, losing one.

Bucs cornerback Juran Bolden on a bad dream named Michael Vick:

"That's any (defensive back's) nightmare. You have a guy that can throw the ball, probably out of the stadium. You got a guy who can run, basically out of the stadium. So it just makes us have to cover longer and focus longer in our coverage and everything. Just cover as much as possible. And allow our defensive guys up front, our front seven, to put some pressure on him up front. And hopefully make him make some bad decisions."

[Last modified November 20, 2005, 00:54:20]