Football is a game of inches, but it’s also a game of quarters. Let’s dive into a quarter-by-quarter breakdown of some Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ football. Today, the Buccaneers took on the Atlanta Falcons in round two of the rivalry.
First Quarter:
Tampa Bay’s offense, down Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, started the game with the ball and the running game. Most would have expected as much, perhaps Atlanta did as well— within the first minute of the game, the Falcons’ defense provided a jolt of momentum punching the ball out of Rachaad White’s hands. White’s fourth career fumble led to a wide-open Kyle Pitts touchdown. 7-0, Falcons.
The Buccaneers did not change their approach in drive two. Tampa Bay’s running backs are the only team with three running backs above 250 yards from scrimmage this season and they flexed their muscles on the game’s second drive. Though the drive finished with Baker Mayfield tossing a touchdown to Cade Otton, the Bucs’ second possession featured the team’s running backs more than any a Tampa Bay fan has seen in recent memory. Rachaad White and Bucky Irving, sometimes on the field simultaneously, escorted Tampa past Atlanta’s defense— 7-7…