Thursday Night Football features an NFC South rivalry with aspiring playoff teams in Week 5.
Kirk Cousins and the new-look Atlanta Falcons will host Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Thursday night.
Both teams enter the game after victories last Sunday: The Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints in a thrilling 26-24 win, while the Buccaneers dominated the Philadelphia Eagles at home 33-16.
The NFL schedule makers have been kind to Atlanta (2-2), who will host their third consecutive home game and fourth overall. But the Falcons needed kicker Younghoe Koo to make a career-best 58-yard field goal to secure last week’s win and avoid a 0-3 start at home.
Meanwhile, Mayfield rebounded from Tampa Bay’s bad loss to the Denver Broncos with 347 yards passing and three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing) to help the Buccaneers start 3-1 this season under third-year coach Todd Bowles.
NFL STATS CENTRAL: The latest NFL scores, schedules, odds, stats and more.
Here’s everything you need to know about the Bucs and Falcons on Thursday Night Football:
When is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Atlanta Falcons game?
The Falcons host the Buccaneers on Thursday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta at 8:15 p.m. ET.
How to watch Buccaneers vs. Falcons on Thursday Night Football
The game between the Buccaneers and Falcons can be streamed on Amazon Prime Video.
Al Michaels (play-by-play) and Kirk Herbstreit (analyst) will be in the broadcast booth for Prime Video, with Kaylee Hartung (sideline) and Terry McAulay (rules analyst) providing additional coverage.
The Prime Video pregame, halftime and postgame shows feature Charissa Thompson as host, as well as former NFL players Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tony Gonzalez, Richard Sherman and Andrew Whitworth as analysts. Taylor Rooks is the feature reporter for Prime Video’s ‘Thursday Night Football’ coverage.
What are the betting odds for Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Atlanta Falcons?
The Falcons are moneyline favorites (-125) to win at home over the Buccaneers (+105), with an over/under set at 43.5 points, and a 1.5-point spread, according to BETMGM.
Spotlight on QBs: Baker Mayfield vs. Kirk Cousins
Mayfield is second in the NFL with eight touchdown passes, and sixth with 984 yards passing, despite being one of the most sacked quarterbacks (15) through four games. Mayfield also has two rushing touchdowns this season and continues to be a reliable starter for the Buccaneers, who lost in the second round of the playoffs last year to Detroit.
Cousins hasn’t been as productive to start the season with four touchdown passes, four interceptions and 216.0 yards per game (17th in NFL) to start the season as he progresses after an Achilles injury last season. The veteran quarterback signed a four-year, $180 million deal in the offseason before the Falcons selected Michael Penix Jr. with the eighth overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft.
Players to watch: Buccaneers RB Bucky Irving
While star receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin are doing their part with three touchdown catches each, Buccaneers rookie running back Bucky Irving has been more reliable on the ground than incumbent starter Rachaad White to start the season.
Irving has six fewer carries (35 vs. 41), but has gained 203 yards rushing, while White has 115 yards and no touchdowns through the first four games.
White, however, has more total yards (248 vs. 237) from catching 14 passes for 133 yards out of the backfield, showing the Buccaneers might just have a dynamic 1-2 punch on their hands instead of a running back controversy.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
