Buccaneers Opponent Film Study: 2017 Atlanta Falcons Pt. 1

GAMEPLAN

So what might the Buccaneers do with this information?

BUCS ON SPECIAL TEAMS

If anyone is putting money on Tampa to shutout the Falcons, I hope you’re playing with free money.

Bottom line is, the Falcons will score in Week 12. It’s just a matter of how often and in what fashion. Had the Seattle Seahawks not given this offense so many short fields and a defensive score on top of it, last week may have had a different result.

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So, step one is for the defense to hold to field goals as much as possible. Two field goals in three scores is a salvageable situation. Three touchdowns is exponentially harder for the Buccaneers to recover from.

I looked at the film from Week 10 when Atlanta last played at home. The Falcons beat the Cowboys, 27-7, so there was plenty of kickoff film to watch.

Kickoff specialist Matt Bosher put the ball deeper than two-yards into the end zone just twice. However, the Cowboys only returned two kicks. One of which was returned for more than 30-yards.

It’s simple really. Jacquizz Rodgers was back returning kicks in Week 11 following the release by Tampa of return man and wide receiver Bernard Reedy.

Stand on the inner coloring of the Falcons logo in the end zones. If the ball lands in front of you, you’re returning it. If it forces you to backpedal, then down it. If Bosher’s kicks go like they did against Dallas, then all but one is being returned.

Better yet, put Adam Humphries or DeSean Jackson back to return kicks. Both are quicker through gaps, and neither plays with a whole lot of hesitation.

Either way, it’s time to roll some dice, and the Falcons have shown they are susceptible to big returns on kickoffs.

Not only does this help in the momentum business, but it puts Ryan Fitzpatrick and his offense in better position.

Must Read: Bradley Chubb Scouting Report

BUCS ON OFFENSE

Throw the ball to O.J. Howard!

Listen, good things have happened when the Buccaneers tight ends are getting involved. Cameron Brate should be active, but he’s got an ankle injury, and those can be hard to play with.

Getting Howard going early prevents linebackers and safeties from crashing running lanes, which makes the running game better, which makes the play-action pass an option, etc.

It just makes sense. He cannot disappear like he did in the second half of Week 11. For Howard specifically, the Bucs are 2-1 when he has two or more catches. They’d be 3-0 had it not been for a very ill-timed first lost fumble in Humphries’ career up in Buffalo.

Oh, also, can I make a request?

Can we add this formation to the playbook? It’s beautiful. It forces Atlanta to cover, and restricts pressure automatically. This

lessens the strain on the offensive line and gives Fitzpatrick, or Jameis Winston when he returns, a better shot at making his reads cleanly.

Look at the pocket Wilson has five yards into his receivers’ routes. And the play options are seemingly endless. This one, I drew up while writing this. It’s got low, medium, and high options and is a relatively simple progression.

If this is first-and-ten, second quarter, one score game: We want yards. Read one can be the running back releasing from the backfield. Unconventional, maybe. Who cares, we just want yards on this play. That’s our objective.

As the running back chips out, I’m watching my linebacker. Is he crashing down on my running back or sticking to my tight end. Sticks to the tight end? Great. Now where’s my corner? Is he crashing down or playing off.

If he plays off, I float it into the flat for a solid five-to-ten-yard gain depending on what my running back can do against the defensive back. Maybe more if he can get around him cleanly.

Defensive back is a little aggressive and crashes down on my running back? Great, put the ball on the numbers and tell Adam Humphries to go get it while he’s crossing behind the middle linebacker who’s now forced to flip his hips quickly and chase down the ball. As long as it isn’t under-thrown, it’s a reception more times than not.

Next: Week 12 Fantasy Advice

STRATEGY:

All Madden stuff aside, the Buccaneers really have nothing to lose. Return every kick, and there’s a solid chance one of them gets stopped shy of the twenty. It happens. There’s also a realistic chance the ball gets out to the fifty or more. Gamble on this.

Defensively, it’s all about forcing the Falcons to make plays. Don’t let the big play happen. Four or fewer explosive plays, and the team has a fighting chance.

Matt Ryan is still the same quarterback. He will give the defense chances for turnovers, they just have to be ready and take advantage.

Whenever Terron Ward touches the ball, we’re going for the strip. The young man is hungry and knows he only has so many chances to show he’s a quality NFL talent. Use this against him. He won’t want to go down, so stop his momentum, and then gang up on the ball.

Play physical in the secondary. Don’t let the receivers get clean releases, especially Taylor Gabriel.

Julio Jones and Mohammed Sanu have significant height and strength advantages over defensive backs, so positioning is going to be the key. They can’t get behind the secondary. Ever. If they come over the middle, Lavonte David, Kwon Alexander, and Kendall Beckwith need to make them regret it.

Finally, get the tight ends involved early to force the coverage to watch out for them. Once this happens, receivers and running backs out of the backfield will have better space to work with. It’ll only take one or two hits to Howard or Brate between the linebackers and safeties to compact the coverage.

Once this happens, Fitzpatrick will have open lanes somewhere.

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This is a little bit of what I saw. What have you seen from either team you think could have an impact on today’s action? Let me know in one of the many ways listed below!

Comment, find me on Facebook, Twitter, or email me at walkingtheplankpodcast@gmail.com to discuss this or anything Buccaneers related.