Atlanta Falcons ready to host Tampa Bay Buccaneers – NFL Week 17 Preview
Atlanta Falcons are going to host their National Football Conference (NFC) South rivals Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 17 game on Sunday, December 30, 2012, at Georgia Dome, Atlanta, GA.
Falcons have won all the games at home (7-0), and having the best record of 13-2 in NFC.
Last Saturday, they defeated Detroit Lions by 31-18. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan had tremendous performance. He scored four touchdowns, and completed 25 of 32 passes for 279 yards.
He started the score by throwing a 44-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Roddy White in first quarter.
In second quarter Ryan threw two touchdown passes to White (39 yards) and wide receiver Julio Jones (16 yards) respectively.
Falcons tight end Michael Palmer received a 1-yard pass from Ryan in fourth quarter and scored a touchdown.
According to Falcons head coach Mike Smith, his team overworked in last few months, now he wants them to relax by giving three days off before this game.
"We'll handle it differently with our workload and the days that we're going to work during our bye week and what our schedule will be. We're not going to do anything like we did the last time."
Smith is quite confident that they can win the game against Buccaneers. He really wants his team to win the eighth consecutive game at home.
He said:
"We're going to play the game to win. That's how we're going to approach it. All games are important, and in terms of the importance, does it have no bearing? It really does because we want to win every time we go out and play."
Meanwhile, Buccaneers lost their last game against St. Louis Rams by 13-28. It was their fifth straight loss in the season.
Both offence and defence failed to perform in the game. Buccaneers quarterback Josh Freeman was intercepted four times.
He got the chance to score the only touchdown for his team in third quarter of the game. He threw a 61-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Mike Williams.
Freeman considered himself responsible for the loss against Rams, he said:
"I've got to take the blame as the quarterback. Saints game, this game, not really the brand of football I want to play."
He finished the game with 30 of 54 passes for 372 yards and a touchdown.
Buccaneers have won six and lost nine games in this season, and they are standing at third position in NFC South.
New Orleans Saints are standing a step ahead Buccaneers in the division, at 7-8. If Buccaneers beat Falcons in next game, they may get a chance to reach the playoffs.
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