The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on a dismal slide, and after losing to the worst team in the NFC South on Sunday, the New Orleans Saints, Todd Bowles can ill afford a similar result with the whole world watching on Thursday Night Football against another struggling division rival in the Atlanta Falcons.
Bucs star quarterback Baker Mayfield has been slowed by a shoulder injury, but even before that, he was not looking like his MVP self earlier this season. Injuries around him to star wide receivers, running back Bucky Irving, and multiple offensive linemen have obviously hampered him, but with Irving, Chris Godwin, and more reinforcements coming for Mayfield, all the noise around him sounds like a whole bunch of excuses.