Tampa Bay wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are putting up Pro Bowl-like numbers this season.
Godwin leads the team with 63 receptions, and Evans has 58 catches for 993 yards. Both have seven touchdowns. Falcons cornerbacks, Desmond Trufant and Isaiah Oliver, will be on the hot seat when the teams meet at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“This will be the most down-the-field attacking offense that we’ve faced this year,” Falcons defensive passing-game coordinator Jerome Henderson said. “Look, they are a vertical team first.”
The Bucs will try to run it enough inside, but they really just want to throw it deep under offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich.
While Godwin is having a good season, Evans, who’s 6-foot-5 and 231 pounds, is the major concern.
“When you’ve got a guy that is that big and physical, and you’ve got to commit guys to take care of the run game, that gives him one-on-one matchups outside,” Henderson said. “He’s a big physical guy, and he uses his physical size and strength to create space down the field.”
Oliver, who’s coming off a strong game against the Panthers, is aware of the major challenge.
“A lot of big-play ability, that’s the thing that jumps off the screen at you,” Oliver said. “Any given play, they can go for a 70-yard touchdown bomb with the quarterback and receivers that they have.”
The Falcons have simplified things since the bye week and have had excellent results. They are playing more zone and less man-to-man, according to Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians.
“We are just trying to limit them,” Oliver said. “There is not really much you can to do to take them out the game especially with the offense that they run. You try to limit their success and its completion percentage.”
---
Subscribe to "The Bow Tie Chronicles" podcast with the AJC's D. Orlando Ledbetter on iTunes or on the new AJC sports podcasts page.
About the Author
