Roy Cummings' Keys To Bucs-Falcons

Win The Battle Of Time Of Possession

The Falcons are 3-0 when they win the time-of-possession battle, so the Bucs will want to get them off the field quickly and get the ball back for their offense. Stopping Dunn is the key. The Bucs will have to get a lot of bodies after him and be sound with their tackling. If the Bucs can do that and control the ball themselves on offense, they'll have a leg up.

Make Sure To Run The Ball

The Falcons were having trouble stopping the run even before they let 350-pound run-stuffer Grady Jackson go. They come into this game ranked 23rd in the league against the run, so the Bucs certainly will look to exploit this obvious weakness by making generous use of all their backs and pounding away at the defensive front. The Falcons are having a hard time stopping the run even when they fill the box with extra run stoppers such as Lawyer Milloy, so the Bucs should keep pounding the rock, even if the early results aren't what they want.

By running the ball consistently between the tackles, the Bucs should be able to control the clock, open big pass-play options and soften the defense to the point where Michael Pittman, Earnest Graham or Michael Bennett can shred them for a back-breaking gain.

Bucs Must Finish Things Off

The Bucs are still having trouble finishing. And we're not just talking about the offense. The defense has had trouble finishing, too, especially late in games, which is an even greater concern. The Cardinals put together a fourth-quarter drive two weeks ago that allowed them to stay alive long after they should have been finished off. It's important for the Bucs to correct this problem, and fast.

The Bucs lost at Detroit partly because their defense couldn't get off the field late in the game, and they put themselves in danger of losing to Arizona for the same reason. The Bucs have allowed 65 fourth-quarter points, which works out to more than a touchdown per game. If that trend continues, the Lions won't be the only team that rallies to beat them.

Don't Take These Guys Too Lightly

Atlanta's two-game winning streak is comprised of victories over a bad 49ers team and an underachieving Panthers team. That doesn't mean the Falcons' sudden surge isn't for real. They're a team brimming with confidence because their defense is humming and they're making plays on offense. The running game really has hit stride, and if Byron Leftwich starts at quarterback today, they'll have a strong-armed thrower who is deadly accurate when he's given time to deliver the ball.

The Bucs can't do what New Orleans did a week ago and think they can show up and win. The Falcons are playing for their lives. They have a chance to get back into a wide-open NFC South title race, so they'll be out to give the Bucs the best game they've given anyone all season. If they succeed, the Bucs will have to counter with one of theirs to secure the victory.

Exploit The Falcons' Weaknesses

No team has lost more players to season-ending injuries this year than the Bucs. The Falcons come close, though. They've especially been hit hard up front on offense, where they are starting backups at each tackle position and a rookie at left guard. Inexperienced players handle run-blocking assignments easier than pass-protection schemes, so the Bucs should try to take advantage of the Falcons' woes by stunting their linemen and running blitzes.

Tactics of that nature should help the Bucs break through the Falcons' front and get into the backfield, where they can stuff the running game or pressure the QB into mistakes. Byron Leftwich and Joey Harrington become quite ordinary when they're hurried and forced to throw on the run, so pressuring them is a must.