Falcons vs. Buccaneers 2016 live stream: How to watch ‘Thursday Night Football’ online

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in must-win territory when they host the Atlanta Falcons in an NFC South clash on Thursday Night Football. Atlanta can take a commanding lead in the division with a win, while a Bucs loss would put a big dent in their playoff contention hopes.

The Bucs are 3-4 coming off a heartbreaking overtime loss to the Oakland Raiders, which snapped a two-game winning streak. The defense fell apart when it mattered most, allowing Seth Roberts to break multiple tackles for the game-winning touchdown on a fourth-down play. Jameis Winston avoided any turnovers, but he struggled with accuracy all day, completing just 16 of 32 passes for 180 yards and two touchdowns.

In addition, the running back depth chart has been decimated by injuries. Jacquizz Rodgers (filling in for Charles Sims, who was filling in for Doug Martin) suffered a sprained foot in the loss and won't be able to play on the short week. That leaves the backfield down to a rotation of replacement-level talent in Antone Smith, Peyton Barber, and Mike James. Rodgers helped give the running game a spark with 393 yards on 4.5 yards per carry, but the Bucs are back at square one for now.

The Falcons are also dealing with key injuries of their own. Tevin Coleman sat out Week 8's win over the Green Bay Packers with a hamstring injury and is unlikely to play this week. Devonta Freeman should continue being the workhorse running back for as long as Coleman is out. Julio Jones picked up a minor knee injury that limited him to three catches for 29 yards against the Packers, but he should be good to go for this game.

Fortunately for the Falcons, Matt Ryan is playing at an MVP level this season and has them at 5-3. He had another outstanding performance in Week 8, carving up the Packers' defense with 288 yards and three touchdowns on 28 of 35 passing. The Falcons are back on track after a two-game losing streak threatened to derail their promising 4-0 start. They're the heavy favorites to win the division this year.

Ryan has been on fire this year, completing 69.2 percent of his passes for 2,636 yards (9.4 yards per attempt), 19 touchdowns, and just four interceptions. The low picks number is especially encouraging after Ryan committed 21 turnovers last season (16 interceptions, five lost fumbles) and contributed to the Falcons missing the playoffs. He may yet come back to earth, but it likely won't happen against a Bucs defense that just let Derek Carr explode for 513 passing yards. Tampa's pass defense ranks 23rd in the league and hasn't done much to stop opposing offenses this season. If Ryan keeps playing well and Jones stays healthy enough to contribute, it could be a long night for Bucs fans.