TAMPA, Fla. -- Here are five things to know before today’s Falcons (0-1) at Buccaneers (1-0) kickoff at 4:05 p.m. at Raymond James Stadium:
1. Mayfield to get another shot. After considering all options at left guard, the Falcons are staying with rookie Jalen Mayfield, Falcons coach Arthur Smith said.
“He’s a young guy that had to go out there,” Smith said. “He did enough this week to justify getting another opportunity.”
The Falcons (0-1) are set to face the Buccaneers (1-0) at 4:05 p.m. Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.
Mayfield and the rest of the offensive line is on the hot seat for this game.
2. Darby is out. Rookie wide receiver Frank Darby, who suffered a calf injury Thursday, will not play against the Bucs.
Darby, who was drafted in the sixth round of the NFL draft out of Arizona State, was inactive for the opener against the Eagles in Week 1.
Also, the Falcons re-signed kicker Elliott Fry to the practice squad and released guard Danny Isidora.
3. Series history: This will be the 56th meeting. The Falcons lead the series (28-27), but the Bucs swept the two games last season. They won 31-27 on Dec. 20 in Atlanta and 44-27 on Jan. 3 on their way to the title.
4. Where to watch, listen and stream. The game will be on Fox Sports with Kevin Burkhardt handling play-by-play, Greg Olsen with color analysis and Pam Oliver as the field reporter.
5. Three key matchups: Here are three key matchups to watch:
Falcons LG Jalen Mayfield or Drew Dalman vs. Eagles DT Ndamukong Suh: Both rookies made their NFL debuts in the opener Sunday against the Eagles. As expected, they both struggled and committed false-start penalties. Coach Arthur Smith said “all things are on the table at left guard” for this week. It will be interesting to see if the staff stays with Mayfield or switches to Dalman. Suh continues to play at a high level and has Vita Vea next to him. Vea also requires a double-team on some plays. Vea came back after suffering an ankle injury in the fifth game last season and helped the Bucs on their playoff run to the Super Bowl title.
Falcons NCB Isaiah Oliver vs. Bucs WR Antonio Brown: Brown got loose against the Cowboys for five catches for 121 yards, including a 47-yard touchdown catch, in the Bucs’ season opener. Brown, who played out of the slot, had the key touchdown catch in the Bucs 31-27 win over the Falcons on Dec. 20 Mercedes-Benz Stadium last season. Nickel back Oliver will have his hands full with Brown.
Falcons RB Mike Davis vs. Bucs LB Lavonte David: Davis, who had 15 rushes and was targeted six times in the passing game, is a key cog in the attack. Davis had 77 scrimmage yards (49 rush, 23 receiving) in Week 1 against the Eagles. He had eight catches for 74 yards in his only career game at Tampa Bay last season with the Panthers. David, who’s in his 10th season in the NFL, had 11 tackles against the Cowboys. David has had at least 101 tackles in eight of his previous nine seasons.
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Falcons’ 2021 schedule features trip to London, January trip to Buffalo
Atlanta Falcons Schedule
Sunday: Falcons at Tampa Bay, Sept. 19 at 4:05 p.m.
Falcons at New York Giants, Sept. 26 at 1 p.m.
Washington FT at Falcons, Oct. 3 at 1 p.m.
New York Jets vs. Falcons in London, Oct. 10 at 9:30 a.m.
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