schemagen/nflpreviewxml/nflpreviewxml.xml

   1 <?xml version="1.0" standalone="no" ?>
   2 <!DOCTYPE message PUBLIC "-//TSN//DTD Preview 1.0/EN" "nflpreviewxml.dtd">
   3 <message>
   4 <XML_File_ID>6796800</XML_File_ID>
   5 <heading>ABV!PREVIEW-ATL-TAM</heading>
   6 <game_id>2344</game_id>
   7 <schedule_id>2344</schedule_id>
   8 <category>Previews</category>
   9 <sport>NFL</sport>
  10 <title>
  11 NFL Preview - Atlanta (3-10) at Tampa Bay (8-5)
  12 </title>
  13 <Game_Date>12/16/2007</Game_Date>
  14 <Game_Time>01:00 PM</Game_Time>
  15 <vteam>Atlanta</vteam>
  16 <hteam>Tampa Bay</hteam>
  17 <body>
  18 <P>
  19                             By Tony Moss, NFL Editor
  20
  21 </P>
  22 <P>
  23  (Sports Network) - Is there anywhere better to put an end to a tumultuous week
  24  than beautiful Tampa, Florida?
  25
  26 </P>
  27 <P>
  28  Perhaps not, though the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be trying to prolong, not
  29  curtail, the misery of the visiting Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.
  30
  31 </P>
  32 <P>
  33  The struggling Falcons began the week with a 34-14 home blowout at the hands
  34  of the New Orleans Saints, a game that came just hours after one-time face-of-
  35  the-franchise Michael Vick was sentenced to 23 months in federal prison for
  36  his role in a dogfighting venture.
  37
  38 </P>
  39 <P>
  40  Less than 24 hours after the pummeling at the hands of the Saints, the Falcons
  41  were blindsided by the news that first-year head coach Bobby Petrino had
  42  resigned with three games left in order to take the same job at the University
  43  of Arkansas.
  44
  45 </P>
  46 <P>
  47  Petrino will be replaced on an interim basis by defensive backs coach Emmitt
  48  Thomas, who gets his first opportunity to serve as a head coach after 27
  49  seasons spent as an assistant with the Cardinals (1981-85), Redskins
  50  (1986-94), Eagles (1995-98), Packers (1999), Vikings (2000-01), and Falcons
  51  (2002-Present). Thomas, who will be trying to halt Atlanta's losing streak at
  52  four games, was a defensive coordinator with Philadelphia, Green Bay, and
  53  Minnesota.
  54
  55 </P>
  56 <P>
  57  Thomas' first head coaching assignment will be a difficult one, as his team
  58  goes into battle against a Tampa Bay club on the verge of wrapping up its
  59  second NFC South title in the last three years.
  60
  61 </P>
  62 <P>
  63  The Buccaneers missed on an opportunity to clinch the division title when they
  64  came out flat in a 28-14 loss at Houston last Sunday, but Jon Gruden's squad
  65  needs just one win in its final three games, or one New Orleans loss in its
  66  final three, to take the NFC South crown.
  67
  68 </P>
  69 <P>
  70  Tampa Bay (8-5) begins Week 15 ranked fourth in the NFL hierarchy behind
  71  Dallas (12-1), Green Bay (11-2), and Seattle (9-4).
  72
  73 </P>
  74
  75 <P>
  76  SERIES HISTORY
  77
  78 </P>
  79 <P>
  80  Tampa Bay holds a 16-12 edge in its all-time series with Atlanta, including a
  81  31-7 win at the Georgia Dome when the teams met in Week 11. The Falcons swept
  82  the home-and-home last season, scoring a 14-3 home win in Week 2, and claiming
  83  a 17-6 decision in the return matchup at Raymond James Stadium in Week 14.
  84  The Bucs scored a home-and-home sweep of the Falcons in 2005.
  85
  86 </P>
  87 <P>
  88  Gruden has a career mark of 8-4 against the Falcons, including a win while
  89  with the Oakland Raiders in 2000. Thomas, who served on the Philadelphia
  90  Eagles staff with Gruden from 1995 through 1997, will, as mentioned, be acting
  91  as a head coach for the first time since breaking in as an assistant with the
  92  St. Louis Cardinals in 1981.
  93
  94 </P>
  95
  96 <P>
  97  WHEN THE FALCONS HAVE THE BALL
  98
  99 </P>
 100 <P>
 101  With Petrino no longer calling the shots, and Thomas having made his career on
 102  the defensive side of the ball, the Atlanta offense figures to be in the sole
 103  control of coordinator Hue Jackson on Sunday. Jackson's unit ranks 24th in the
 104  league in total offense (301.1 yards per game), including 16th in passing
 105  (209.7 yards per game) and 26th in rushing (91.4 yards per game). Chris Redman
 106  (479 passing yards, 4 TD, 2 INT) will get his second straight start behind
 107  center, after completing 23-of-40 passes for 298 yards, two touchdowns, and an
 108  interception in the New Orleans loss. Wideouts Roddy White (65 receptions, 5
 109  TD) and Michael Jenkins (51 receptions, 4 TD) both caught TDs in the defeat,
 110  with Jenkins' nine catches for 83 yards both pacing the team. White needs five
 111  more receiving yards to become Atlanta's first 1,000-yard receiver since
 112  Terance Mathis in 1999. Warrick Dunn (603 rushing yards, 3 TD, 33 receptions)
 113  and Jerious Norwood (463 rushing yards, 1 TD, 25 receptions) once again figure
 114  to share carries in the running game. An injury-depleted Falcons line has
 115  allowed 42 sacks on the year, fourth-most in the league.
 116
 117 </P>
 118 <P>
 119  The Tampa Bay defense ranks third overall (298.2 yards per game) in the NFL
 120  but comes off an overall rough day in Houston, one in which it allowed Texans
 121  backup QB Sage Rosenfels to throw three touchdown passes and complete 27-of-36
 122  pass attempts for 209 yards. A secondary that had been an overall team
 123  strength all year behind the work of cornerback Ronde Barber (57 tackles, 1
 124  sack, 1 INT) and safety Jermaine Phillips (76 tackles, 3 INT, 1 sack) will be
 125  seeking a bounce-back effort against the Falcons. That group will need help
 126  from a pass rushing group led recently by emerging first-year end Greg White
 127  (23 tackles). The 28-year-old former Arena League star finished with three
 128  sacks, two forced fumbles, five tackles, and a pass deflection in the loss to
 129  Houston, a team that drafted him in 2002 before cutting him. Despite working
 130  in a situational role, White leads Tampa Bay with 8.5 sacks on the year, and
 131  has six sacks and six forced fumbles in his last four games combined. The
 132  Buccaneers are 15th in the league against the run (103.3 yards per game), with
 133  linebackers Barrett Ruud (100 tackles, 2 INT) and Derrick Brooks (101 tackles)
 134  ranking as the team's best ground stoppers this season.
 135
 136 </P>
 137
 138 <P>
 139  WHEN THE BUCCANEERS HAVE THE BALL
 140
 141 </P>
 142 <P>
 143  After playing the better part of three games without starting quarterback Jeff
 144  Garcia (2135 passing yards, 11 TD, 3 INT) in the lineup, the crafty veteran is
 145  slated to make his return from a back injury this week. Tampa Bay went 1-1 in
 146  games started by backup Luke McCown (588 passing yards, 2 TD, 1 INT), who
 147  threw for 266 yards in last week's loss to Houston but was also sacked four
 148  times and lost a key fumble that set up the Texans' final touchdown. A bigger
 149  injury concern for the Bucs entering Sunday's contest concerns wideout Ike
 150  Hilliard (58 receptions, 1 TD), who leads Tampa Bay in receptions and left the
 151  Houston game with what was termed an upper back injury. Hilliard is considered
 152  questionable, and will likely be replaced by Michael Clayton (10 receptions)
 153  if he can't go. Joey Galloway (55 receptions, 6 TD), who is 22 yards shy of
 154  going over 1,000 yards for the third straight year, will continue to serve as
 155  the Bucs' deep threat. Running back Earnest Graham (798 rushing yards, 9 TD,
 156  42 receptions) scored both Tampa TDs last week but was otherwise quiet on a
 157  day in which he carried 15 times for 61 yards. The Buccaneers are just 19th in
 158  the league in total offense (323.6 yards per game), but have thrown an NFL-low
 159  five interceptions on the season.
 160
 161 </P>
 162 <P>
 163  The Falcons have had their struggles against both the run and the pass this
 164  season, problems that were both in evidence in Monday's loss to the Saints.
 165  Atlanta surrendered 100 ground yards on 20 carries to one-time New Orleans
 166  third-string running back Aaron Stecker, marking the first 100-yard
 167  performance by a Saints back this year. The Falcons also had little clue
 168  against the New Orleans passing attack, allowing Drew Brees to throw for 328
 169  yards and three touchdowns without a sack, while wideouts Marques Colston and
 170  David Patten combined for 18 catches and 214 yards through the air.
 171  Cornerbacks DeAngelo Hall (54 tackles, 4 INT) and Chris Houston (47 tackles)
 172  will have to be much better against Galloway and company than they were on
 173  Monday night. A run defense that ranks just 27th in the league (123.7 yards
 174  per game) has received its biggest contributions this year from the
 175  linebacking corps of Keith Brooking (82 tackles, 2 sacks) in the middle and
 176  Michael Boley (101 tackles, 3 sacks, 2 INT) and Demorrio Williams (60 tackles,
 177  2 INT) on the flanks. Williams had a team-high eight tackles against the
 178  Saints.
 179
 180 </P>
 181
 182 <P>
 183  FANTASY FOCUS
 184
 185 </P>
 186 <P>
 187  Redman put up a nice passing total against the Saints, but remember that the
 188  Tampa Bay defense is much stronger than that of New Orleans. If the former
 189  Louisville product throws for 200 yards this week, it will be an
 190  accomplishment. Roddy White remains a solid start at the receiver position,
 191  and Alge Crumpler always has potential as a tight end, but don't risk your
 192  fantasy playoff chances by using any other Falcons.
 193
 194 </P>
 195 <P>
 196  On the Tampa Bay side, Galloway and Graham are must-starts against the Atlanta
 197  defense, and Garcia, though probably rusty coming off the injury, is worth
 198  considering due to his lack of mistakes. The Buccaneer defense doesn't force a
 199  ton of turnovers, but has the ability to put strong sack numbers up against
 200  the Falcons.
 201
 202 </P>
 203
 204 <P>
 205  OVERALL ANALYSIS
 206
 207 </P>
 208 <P>
 209  Coming off an emotional and important win in New Orleans the week before, the
 210  Buccaneers' flat effort against a desperate Texans team in Houston last Sunday
 211  wasn't a huge surprise. Now back home with their starting quarterback in tow,
 212  look for the Buccaneers to get back to the business of playing solid football
 213  this week. Atlanta might come out fired up for a quarter or so given the
 214  circumstances of a difficult week, but once things start going poorly for
 215  this less-than-talented team, they'll begin packing it in.
 216
 217 </P>
 218
 219 <P>
 220  Sports Network Predicted Outcome: Buccaneers 27, Falcons 7
 221
 222 </P>
 223
 224 </body>
 225 <time_stamp>December 13, 2007, at 01:25 PM ET</time_stamp>
 226 </message>