Following victory Monday for the Falcons, fans got a victory Tuesday as well, with the Buccaneers losing on Monday Night Football to the Chiefs.
Despite being without Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, Tampa Bay nearly knocked off the reigning two-time Super Bowl champs. Instead, the Falcons’ division foes have dropped three straight.
Baker Mayfield did all he could, including a touchdown to Ryan Miller to tie the game 24-24, but the defense, which has been a weak link for Tampa, couldn’t hold Patrick Mahomes. Mayfield completed 23-of-31 passes for 200 yards and two touchdowns. The Chiefs scored four touchdowns on third downs, and it’s not going to get any easier.
The Falcons now lead the Buccaneers by 2.0 games, but with the head-to-head tiebreaker, it’s more like a 3.0-game lead. While Atlanta travels to New Orleans this week to take on the Saints in their first game since firing Dennis Allen, the Bucs will draw the 49ers.
Fortunately for Tampa Bay, they get a bye week after. Mike Evans should also return soon, and their schedule gets considerably easier. Unfortunately for them, the Falcons schedule is also easy down the stretch.
It’s the Falcons’ division to lose at this point. Even playing .500 ball the rest of the way would force the Bucs to win seven of their final nine games. The Falcons are in complete control of their destiny and shouldn’t only have their sights set on winning the NFC South but also securing the No. 1 seed in the conference.
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Photographer: Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire
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