Falcons vs. Buccaneers 2013, Week 11: NFC South struggles on show

Sander Philipse of Bucs Nation is thrilled to see a comfortable win over a divisional opponent:

Caleb Rutherford of the Falcoholic is protesting Falcons games due their awful play this season:

The Falcons, who entered 2013 with sights on a conference championship, saw their nightmare season continue as they drop to 2-8.

The game started slow, with the first quarter ending 3-0 in favor of the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay broke things open in the second quarter, thanks in part to Rainey’s two rushing touchdowns. He scored his first from 43 yards out with 10 minutes remaining in the quarter. He then added a three-yard score to send the Bucs into the locker room with a 24-6 lead.

Barring a complete collapse, the Bucs will win their second game in a row, and Rainey has been a key part in their slight resurgence.

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Gonzalez was listed as a game-time decision for Sunday’s matchup after being limited in practice on Friday with a toe injury. The veteran tight end and future Hall of Famer has been steady for the Falcons’ passing attack this season, but has been limited the past three weeks with just 12 total catches. The Falcons lost all three games.

The 17-year veteran has 505 yards on 47 receptions this season with four touchdowns, aiding a Falcons passing attack that is No. 6 in the NFL at 275 yards per game. Atlanta has struggled significantly in the running game and rank last in the league with just 64.3 yards on the ground per game.

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“We are disappointed in what has transpired over the last 48 hours concerning Jason Snelling,” head coach Mike Smith said. “Any time one of our players is involved in an off the field incident we take it very seriously. Jason missed practice on Friday. After speaking with him yesterday, Jason has decided to take some personal time to deal with his situation and will miss tomorrow’s game. We anticipate him rejoining our team Monday morning.”

Snelling was arrested Friday on charges of marijuana possession, as well as possession of drug-related materials, an expired driver’s license, failure to maintain lane, and failure to maintain insurance. Snelling was initially pulled over when an officer noted he struggled to keep his Suburban in its own lane, with the running back admitting he had smoked marijuana earlier in the evening.

Game Date/Time and Location: Sunday, Nov. 17, 1 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Fla.

TV schedule and distribution map: Fox; The506.com

Despite its record, Tampa Bay has played better recently and is coming off its first win of the season. The Bucs have been better than their record would indicate, including an 0-5 record in games decided by eight points or fewer. If the Bucs flipped that record, they would be right in the thick of the playoff race.

It’s been a rough season on and off the field for Tampa Bay. There have been injury woes and other issues, with Greg Schiano’s job security called into question. The Bucs, however, appear to be improving. They jumped out to a 21-0 lead on the road against Seattle two weeks ago, but were unable to hang on. The Bucs jumped out 15-0 against Miami last week, and rallied back to win, 22-19.

Snelling, 29, was pulled over at 3:35 a.m. ET on Friday in Winder, an Atlanta suburb, after an officer said he noticed a black Suburban that was unable to stay in its lane. Snelling’s vehicle also had no valid insurance, and the registration for his car was expired.

Snelling told the officer that he had been smoking marijuana earlier in the evening and was traveling home, according to the police report. He also reportedly had marijuana in the car.

The experts are split over at CBS Sports, where four are picking the Bucs and four are going with the Falcons, but it’s all Atlanta at Yahoo Sports. Things are close over at ESPN with their experts, in what should be a close game.

A lot closer than was to be expected a month ago.