With a Tampa Bay Buccaneers win, the Bucs are effectively a game-and-a-half back on the Atlanta Falcons right now, thanks to Atlanta’s needed tiebreaker. Fending off Tampa Bay means winning often down the stretch, beginning with Week 13.
Atlanta’s now 0-3 against the AFC this year, so they’ll need to buck a trend here against the Los Angeles Chargers. A talented team with a top-flight quarterback in Justin Herbert and a capable ground game, the Chargers bring one of the league’s better defenses to bear, as well. That means the Falcons will have to be sharp on both sides of the ball to stand a chance of winning.