Kirk Cousins #18 of the Atlanta Falcons warms up prior to an NFL football game against the Seattle Seahawks at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on December 7, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Perry Knotts/Getty Images)
TAMPA, Fla. - The Atlanta Falcons head to Tampa on Thursday night with their playoff hopes gone but their motivation clear. At 4-9, Atlanta can only play spoiler, and a win over the Buccaneers would shake up a tight NFC South race that has Tampa Bay and Carolina tied at 7-6.
What we know:
The Falcons will again turn to veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins, who faces Tampa Bay for the first time this season. Cousins missed the Week 1 loss and returned only after rookie Michael Penix Jr. suffered a season-ending knee injury. FOX Sports highlighted Cousins’ strong history against the Buccaneers, noting he threw for 785 yards and eight touchdowns in two wins last season, including a 509-yard game.
This season has been more uneven. Cousins is 1-3 in four starts with three touchdowns, three interceptions and a 76.5 passer rating.
Atlanta’s best chance to control the game continues to be Bijan Robinson, who leads the NFL with 1,683 scrimmage yards and has surpassed 1,000 yards rushing. Tampa Bay ranks ninth against the run but has allowed explosive outings to top backs this year. Robinson’s best performance in five meetings with the Bucs is 63 yards, and he has averaged 3.9 yards per carry against them.
The Falcons offense will look to stay on the field longer after going 1 for 13 on third down in last week’s loss to Seattle. Atlanta holds the league’s second-worst third-down conversion rate, better only than Tennessee.
Special teams breakdowns have also cost the Falcons. They allowed a 100-yard kickoff return touchdown and had a field goal blocked against Seattle. Atlanta ranks last in kickoff coverage at 31.2 yards allowed per return.
What they're saying:
"You never want to be in this spot," Falcons coach Raheem Morris said about being eliminated from contention. "But really, the job is to go out and play spoiler right now. You’ve got a Tampa Bay Buccaneers team on Thursday that we’ve got a lot of respect for, that we love to play. That’s always a highly competitive football game, and I expect no different."
"I don’t consider him a backup quarterback, I consider him a starter, and he has (been) for a long time," Bucs coach Todd Bowles said. "(He) knows where to go with the football, (is) very accurate, knows the offense inside and out."
The other side:
Tampa Bay enters the game needing a win to stabilize after dropping four of its last five. The Buccaneers were once 6-2 and chasing a top seed but have fallen back into a division fight. They get a major boost Thursday with the return of six-time Pro Bowl receiver Mike Evans and the season debut of Jalen McMillan.
Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield said the Falcons’ spoiler role makes them dangerous.
"It’s that playoff mentality," Mayfield said. "They would love nothing more than to beat us and screw up our chances. So that’s the mindset. It’s playoff mentality for us, and we have to expect to get their best."
What's next:
FOX Sports framed the matchup as a chance for Atlanta to disrupt the NFC South race and for Tampa Bay to keep control of its postseason path.
Kickoff is Thursday night in Tampa.
The Source: This article is based on reporting by FOX Sports and the Associated Press.