Buccaneers vs. Falcons 2015 live stream: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch online

The Atlanta Falcons are hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for their first of two meetings this season and both teams need a strong start to shake off poor showings a week ago. The Falcons are currently second in the NFC South and are coming off an uninspiring win over the Tennessee Titans. On the other hand, the Bucs rank last in the division and let a 24-lead evaporate against Washington.

Despite a one-point loss, quarterback Jameis Winston had a pretty good game in Week 7, throwing for 297 yards and two touchdowns with zero (!) interceptions on the day. He did fumble once, but was quick to jump on it for the recovery. This was his first regular season game without a turnover, and he withstood a second-half comeback by Washington without panicking and continued to make good decisions through four quarters.

The bad news for Winston is that he will have one fewer target the remainder of the season with wide receiver Louis Murphy tearing his ACL against Washington. That puts additional pressure on wideouts Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson, who was also sidelined with a knee injury last week and is expected to miss more time. Alleviating some of the workload is running back Doug Martin, who has 541 rushing yards, 129 receiving yards and four touchdowns on the season.

The Bucs' defense was a big issue last week, surrendering an early 24-0 lead for a 31-30 loss. The secondary gave up big plays all game and seemingly lacked focus according to cornerback Mike Jenkins. The team failed to force Washington to punt in the second half. That, coupled with the communication and coverage issues, set them up for heartbreak late in the game. The dagger came from a short, game-ending touchdown pass by Kirk Cousins.

The Falcons should benefit from facing the Bucs' questionable secondary. Despite boasting a top-10 passing offense, led by quarterback Matt Ryan, Atlanta is second-to-last in the league in drops. The receivers have already totaled 21 drops this season, with Leonard Hankerson (7) and Julio Jones (6) leading the way. They were only able score 10 points against the the Titans in Week 7, and won't be able to beat the Bucs with a similar performance.

Running back Devonta Freeman hasn't shown signs of slowing down, recording his fourth 100-plus yard rushing game this season when he put up 116 yards against Tennessee. He's been a big contributor all year and has given a rocky offense some stability on the ground. The offensive line will be the key to the Falcons' success. If they can create running lanes and efficiently pass protect, the Falcons can get some sort of momentum to keep them in the game.

The Falcons' defense is good enough to bail the team out week after week, but could be challenged against the Buccaneers. With Winston making better decisions in the pocket, Atlanta's secondary will need to stay on its toes. But the Falcons are coming off a strong game, with Paul Worrilow and Robenson Therezie both forcing interceptions in Week 7.