The 2-5 Tampa Bay Buccaneers return home from a rousing and critical intra-division win at Carolina in Week Seven and dive right back into NFC South competition in Week Eight with a visit from the 3-4 Atlanta Falcons. The Buccaneers' victory over the Panthers evened the all-time series between those two teams at 26 each, and now they can do the same thing in their shared history with the Falcons, who own a 33-32 all-time edge in the head-to-head battle. The Bucs' offense produced 258 rushing yards against Carolina, their second outing with 240-plus yards on the ground in the last three weeks, but will face a sturdy Atlanta run defense. The Falcons are coming off their own impressive win at home against the previously-undefeated San Francisco 49ers, in which Michael Penix threw three touchdowns and no interceptions and the Atlanta defense picked off red-hot Niners quarterback Brock Purdy twice. With the Panthers' holding just a slim division lead at 3-3, Sunday's game at Raymond James Stadium will be extremely important for both teams trying to stay in the division race.
Here are some additional numbers to know about the state of the Buccaneers and their upcoming game against the Falcons in Week Eight:
1.5
The number of games back the Buccaneers are in the NFC South standings after defeating the division-leading Panthers in Week Seven. That was Tampa Bay's first game against a division foe this season, meaning they still have five more head-to-head opportunities to make up ground in the division race, beginning on Sunday against Atlanta.
3.7
The average margin of victory in the last six meetings between the Buccaneers and Falcons, with all six games being decided by six points or fewer. That included both meetings last year, when the Buccaneers won in Atlanta in the season opener, 23-20, on a stunning comeback and the Falcons countered in Week 15 with a 29-28 victory in Tampa that included an even more improbable late-game rally.
10
The number of sacks piled up by Tampa Bay's defense over the last two games, after it produced just six during the first six contests. Atlanta's offense ranks 23rd in sacks allowed per pass play (7.96%) but Penix was not sacked in last week's win over San Francisco. If the Buccaneers can get five sacks again on Sunday, it will tie the team record for consecutive games with five-plus sacks.
19
The number of combined passes defensed so far this season for the Buccaneers' outside cornerback duo of Zyon McCollum and Jacob Parrish. Parrish leads the NFL with 11 passes defensed and has allowed an opponent passer rating of 73.5 when targeted. McCollum's passer rating allowed when targeted is 58.5.
28.2
The average starting line of scrimmage after a kickoff by Buccaneers' opponents, representing a massive improvement in that category over 2025, when Tampa Bay ranked 30th in that category. This year, the Buccaneers rank third in opponent average kickoff drive start, and in Week Seven they kicked off into the landing zone eight times against the Panthers and didn't allow a return longer than 28 yards.
57.5
The difference in yards between what the Buccaneers' ground game has generated per game this season and what the Falcons' run defense has allowed. Tampa Bay ranks third in the NFL with 146.4 rushing yards per game but will be facing an Atlanta defense that has allowed only 88.9 yards per game, fourth lowest in the NFL. It will be a similar battle when the Falcons have the ball, as that differential is actually greater at 62.6 yards per game. Atlanta is generating 139.9 rushing yards per outing so far but the Bucs are allowing only 77.3. Something has to give.
629
The number of career receiving yards that Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts has in eight games against the Buccaneers, his most against any opponent. Pitts, who has scored four touchdowns in Atlanta's last three games, also has six scores in his career against Tampa Bay, double his highest total against any other opponent. When the Falcons visited Raymond James Stadium in Week 15 last year, Pitts mounted a stunning stat line with 11 catches for 166 yards and three touchdowns, helping his team leave with a one-point win.
