With only four weeks left in the 2025 NFL regular season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the Atlanta Falcons in the third-to-last Thursday Night Football of the year, looking to put their rough stretch behind them and secure the division, which is now threatened by the Carolina Panthers. Here’s everything you need to know about this matchup.
Will the Buccaneers Bounce Back Against the Falcons?
The Buccaneers’ season can be split into two phases, pre- and post-bye week. Through the first eight games, Tampa Bay picked up six wins and lost only twice to quality opponents, and Baker Mayfield was playing at an MVP-caliber level. Since then, everything has shifted.
After the bye, the team has just one win and four losses, and Mayfield has gone four straight games without reaching 200 passing yards. He also suffered an injury, playing only the first half against the Los Angeles Rams. The drop-off has been widespread, and the defense has allowed at least 24 points in four of the last five games.
On the other side, the Falcons are having one of the most disappointing seasons in the NFL in 2025. For a brief moment, there was optimism, especially after the Week 6 win over the Buffalo Bills, which brought Atlanta to 3-2 coming out of its bye. But the momentum evaporated with five straight losses, two of them in overtime.
The team collapsed, lost Michael Penix Jr. to an ACL injury in Week 12, and now sits at 4-9 without a 2026 first-round pick after trading up to select James Pearce Jr., pairing him with Jalon Walker in what was expected to be a promising 2025 defensive class.
We can expect a tough matchup between these two teams, especially in primetime, where head coach Raheem Morris will try to get every last bit out of his roster as he fights to keep his job in 2026.
Meanwhile, Mayfield and the Buccaneers can feel the Carolina Panthers closing in fast in the race for the division, and they know they need to show more on offense if they want to secure a playoff spot this season.
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The matchup features two offenses that are not well ranked in the PFSN OFFi, with Atlanta sitting at 16th with a 74.1 score and Tampa Bay at only 27th with a 68.5 score. Defensively, the Falcons also hold the edge in the PFSN DEFi, ranking 15th with a 74.9 score compared to the Buccaneers at 18th with a 74.1 score.
How To Watch And Listen To The Game?
TV channel
Amazon Prime Video
Live stream
Amazon Prime Video and NFL+ (mobile only)
Radio and Live Audio
Buccaneers Radio Network (WXTB 97.9 FM in Tampa)
Falcons Radio Network (92.9 The Game in Atlanta)
SiriusXM NFL Radio (nationwide)
The game kicks off at 8:15 PM EST this Thursday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, with Al Michaels on the play-by-play, Kirk Herbstreit as the color analyst, and Kaylee Hartung reporting from the sideline.
