Atlanta, GA
How Falcons Defense Flipped Script, Handled Buccaneers in Second Half
Atlanta Falcons safety Justin Simmons stood in front of his locker on the left side of the room, sporting a mint green suit in the aftermath of Atlanta’s thrilling 36-30 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Simmons was a part of a rocky defensive effort, but one that proved good enough to vault the Falcons into an early-season lead in the NFC South — and that, Simmons said, is all that matters.
“The biggest thing is that win,” Simmons said. “Doesn’t matter if it’s 10-3 or 30-something to 30-something, as long as we win.”
Atlanta’s defense appeared capable of achieving both scoring thresholds Thursday night, which proved to be a tale of two halves.
The Buccaneers had four full drives in the first half and scored on each of them, netting three touchdowns, one field goal and 24 points on the scoreboard. They were averaging nearly nine yards per play.
But the Falcons came out of the locker room with an altered gameplan that led to a more stingy defensive attack. They limited Tampa Bay to just six points and 111 net yards of offense on 26 plays, an average of 4.3 yards per snap.
Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield completed 7-of-9 passes for 49 yards, though a seven-yard sack in the redzone left Tampa Bay with 42 net yards on passing plays in the second half. Atlanta, meanwhile, had 241 yards from quarterback Kirk Cousins.
Tampa Bay rushed 16 times for 69 yards, 43 of which came on six scrambles from Mayfield. The Buccaneers’ running backs, Rachaad White and Bucky Irving, totaled 10 carries for 24 yards and a crucial fumble from Irving that cost Tampa Bay three points and plenty of clock on the penultimate drive.
But how did the Falcons do it? With the same recipe they used the week prior: getting back to their style. After a blitz-heavy first half finished with no further pressure applied, Falcons defensive coordinator Jimmy Lake returned to his bend-but-don’t-break roots, and Tampa Bay struggled completing drives.
“They definitely weren’t playing as aggressive,” Mayfield said. “They weren’t pressuring as much. Kind of dropping back and making us work our way down the field.”
The Buccaneers’ first drive of the second half ended with a punt. Right tackle Justin Skule’s holding penalty put Tampa Bay behind the chains and it failed to recover.
On the next drive, the Buccaneers marched deep into Falcons territory, but defensive tackle David Onyemata sacked Mayfield on 3rd and 3 from inside Atlanta’s 10-yard line. Tampa Bay settled for a field goal.
The draft after, Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin hit a 53-yard field goal as Atlanta’s defense held serve after Tampa Bay crossed midfield.
But after a pair of scoring drives, the Buccaneers’ offense went quiet.
Tampa Bay’s seven-play, 31-yard, clock-chewing series late in the fourth quarter ended with Irving’s fumble. The possession after, the Buccaneers inherited the ball at Atlanta’s 34-yard line, with linebacker Lavonte David intercepting Cousins. Players on both sides said postgame they thought David’s takeaway effectively ended the game.
But the Falcons forced the Buccaneers to punt, as a pair of negative plays to White paired with a holding penalty on center Graham Barton pushed Tampa Bay out of field goal range.
Simmons said Atlanta’s defense merely wanted to give its offense the ball back. It did more than that, keeping the deficit at a field goal and making life significantly easier for Cousins and company.
The Falcons marched into field goal range, and kicker Younghoe Koo made a game-tying 52-yard field goal as time expired. Atlanta won the coin toss in overtime, received the kickoff and scored a walk-off 45-yard touchdown on a pass from Cousins to receiver KhaDarel Hodge.
Tampa Bay never saw the ball again after its punt.
[ Buccaneers ‘Shi–ed Down Our Leg’ in Collapse at Falcons]
White, speaking postgame, gave credit to Lake’s in-game adjustments, along with noting the importance of defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, who made four tackles over the final 30 minutes of regulation.
“I think we were just moving in circles with things,” White said. “They did a good job. Jimmy Lake did a good job. They started stunting and sending some blitzes into the line. They kind of tried to slow it down and that’s what they did. Then Grady Jarrett had a couple good plays.”
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles wasn’t as generous to Atlanta’s defense and put a significant portion of blame on Tampa Bay’s offense for a lack of execution.
“They made some adjustments, but we missed a lot of plays, too,” Bowles said. “We missed a lot of plays. We can’t play the Bucs and the Falcons.”
Tampa Bay’s box score shows 30 points, 333 net yards and 6.5 yards per play. It had only one turnover, and Mayfield completed 19-of-24 passes.
But the Buccaneers ultimately didn’t do enough to win, in part because of Atlanta’s offense having its most productive game of the season but also due to a strong defensive effort down the stretch.
Falcons head coach Raheem Morris is also pleased with the strides his defense made stopping the run. Tampa Bay totaled 26 carries for 160 yards, but Morris believes context is important.
White sprung a 56-yard run in the second quarter. Mayfield had 42 yards as a scrambler on designed passing plays. On the Buccaneers’ other 19 carries, they rushed for just 62 yards, an average of 3.3 yards per carry.
But White’s big play and an inability to contain the quarterback post-snap can’t simply be removed — and the Falcons know it.
“We didn’t play nearly well enough on defense, myself included,” Simmons said, citing tackling struggles. “But what a game from our offense. Obviously, it’ll always come down to a team win — we did better in the second half defensively — but man, offense, just [a] heck of a job from them.”
Rookie linebacker JD Bertrand, who played 72% of Atlanta’s defensive snaps in his first extended action due to the injury-related absence of starter Troy Andersen, said the Falcons entered Thursday night with two specific goals.
Atlanta wanted to stop Tampa Bay’s rushing attack and eliminate star receiver Mike Evans. The Buccaneers averaged 6.2 yards per carry, and Evans caught five passes for 62 yards and two touchdowns.
But within context, the Falcons’ run defense was serviceable. The same is true for Atlanta’s coverage on Evans, whose biggest play — a 23-yard touchdown grab — came in a one-on-one against backup nickel Antonio Hamilton Sr., who entered the game due to starter Dee Alford’s concussion.
The raw numbers aren’t great. The context is much better. And in Bertrand’s eyes, the most important number — the final score — shows Atlanta’s defense satisfied the goal enough to win.
“Obviously, we’re going to go back there and there’s going to be some plays we want,” Bertrand said. “That’s how it’s always going to be.”
But the Falcons have the luxury of entering their mini-bye week with a victory. Film sessions and resulting corrections were a given. Being able to do them after winning was not.
A key message in Atlanta’s locker room throughout the summer and into the regular season centers around running the NFC South. The Falcons beat the two teams ahead of them in the division at the time of their meetings in the New Orleans Saints and Buccaneers.
In both games, Atlanta struggled in one phase.
Against the Saints, the Falcons failed to score an offensive touchdown. Their defense and special teams each found the endzone while succeeding enough in their own facets to win.
On Thursday night, while Atlanta’s defense had no answer in the first half for the Buccaneers’ offense, Cousins kept the game close — and when the Falcons needed a stop late, their defense delivered. The offense capitalized. The special teams unit tied the game, and the offense won it in overtime.
Atlanta’s next step is playing complementary football for all 60 minutes — but in the meantime, the Falcons are winning, and they’re proving more and more about their intangible makeup in the process.
“We’re finding different ways to win,” Simmons said, “and we’re winning early, so it’s a good confidence builder for us.”
Atlanta Hawks (46-36, sixth in the Eastern Conference) vs. New York Knicks (53-29, third in the Eastern Conference)
New York; Monday, 8 p.m. EDT
LINE: Knicks -5.5; over/under is 216.5
EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Knicks lead series 1-0
BOTTOM LINE: The New York Knicks host the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference first round with a 1-0 lead in the series. The Knicks won the last matchup 113-102 on Saturday, led by 28 points from Jalen Brunson. CJ McCollum led the Hawks with 26.
The Knicks are 35-17 in Eastern Conference games. New York has a 9-4 record in one-possession games.
The Hawks are 27-25 in Eastern Conference play. Atlanta is third in the league scoring 18.1 fast break points per game. McCollum leads the Hawks averaging 5.0.
The Knicks are shooting 47.8% from the field this season, 0.4 percentage points higher than the 47.4% the Hawks allow to opponents. The Hawks are shooting 47.4% from the field, 1.4% higher than the 46.0% the Knicks’ opponents have shot this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Karl-Anthony Towns is averaging 20.1 points and 11.9 rebounds for the Knicks. Brunson is averaging 19.9 points over the last 10 games.
Dyson Daniels is scoring 11.9 points per game and averaging 6.8 rebounds for the Hawks. Nickeil Alexander-Walker is averaging 21.3 points and 2.9 rebounds over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Knicks: 6-4, averaging 110.4 points, 40.7 rebounds, 26.2 assists, 8.4 steals and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting 49.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 106.9 points per game.
Hawks: 5-5, averaging 117.2 points, 43.5 rebounds, 27.7 assists, 8.4 steals and 4.7 blocks per game while shooting 47.2% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 112.0 points.
INJURIES: Knicks: Tyler Kolek: day to day (oblique), Mitchell Robinson: day to day (ankle), Karl-Anthony Towns: day to day (elbow).
Hawks: Jock Landale: out (ankle).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks prediction, pick for Game 1 of 2026 NBA Playoffs first round
Sean Barnard details his preview and prediction for Saturday’s Atlanta Hawks vs. New York Knicks matchup in the NBA Playoffs.
The NBA playoffs are officially underway with a loaded opening round. Taking place in the No. 3 vs. No. 6 matchup in the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks will take on the New York Knicks.
You can check out the full series preview on DraftKings Network here.
Looking at the odds for the series opener, the Knicks enter as 6.5-point favorites on DraftKings Sportsbook. The Hawks are +205 underdogs with the game total set at O/U 218.5 points.
This article will look at a preview and prediction for the Eastern Conference series opener.
Hawks vs. Knicks prediction, preview
The Atlanta Hawks went through a midseason transition, moving on from Trae Young after he headlined the production for the franchise for the past eight years. The Hawks have not missed a beat amid the major midseason shakeup, finishing as the sixth seed in the conference with a 46-36 overall record. On the season, Atlanta has gone 44-38 against the spread, and the game total has gone 41-41 to the over/under.
Jock Landale is the only player set to miss the matchup tonight. Jalen Johnson headlines the production, posting averages of 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, and 7.9 assists per game. Nickeil Alexander-Walker has had a breakout season in a new location, adding 20.8 points, 3.7 assists, and 3.4 rebounds per game. CJ McCollum adds 18.7 points and 4.1 assists across his first 41 games with the organization, while Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu, Jonathan Kuminga, and Zaccharie Risacher also play notable roles.
Quin Snyder’s group scores 118.5 points per game, which ranks sixth in the NBA. The Hawks also rank 14th in offensive rating, 13th in field goal percentage, and fifth in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring 116.0 points per game against Atlanta, which ranks 18th in the league. They also rank ninth in defensive rating, 18th in opponent field goal percentage, and 12th in opponent three-point percentage.
The New York Knicks entered the season with legitimate title aspirations. They have had some notable ups and downs, but now face this opportunity. New York finished the regular season with a 53-29 record and sit in third place in the East. The Knicks have gone 44-39 against the spread, and the game total has gone 38-45 to the over/under.
The Knicks enter this matchup with a clear injury report and a large sample size of the team playing together. Jalen Brunson headlines the production with 26.0 points, 6.8 assists, and 3.3 rebounds, while Karl-Anthony Towns pitches in 20.1 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.0 assists of his own. OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges are responsible for the production at the wing positions, while Josh Hart sets the tone for this team from a hustle standpoint. New York also did an impressive job building out the bench unit this season, with players like Jordan Clarkson, Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, and Tyler Kolek capable of serving as X-factors off the bench.
As a team, the Knicks are scoring 116.5 points per game, which ranks 10th in the NBA. New York also ranks third in offense rating, 11th in field goal percentage, and fourth in three-point percentage. Defensively, opponents are scoring 110.1 points per game against the Knicks, which ranks fifth in the league. They also rank seventh in defensive rating, fifth in opponent field goal percentage, and 20th in opponent three-point percentage.
Hawks vs. Knicks pick, best bet
These are two teams at different stages of their timeline, but neither will be afraid of this playoff spotlight. The Knicks pushed their chips in around this core and are hoping to be rewarded for it. They fell to the Indiana Pacers in the Conference Finals last year and have made the postseason in four consecutive seasons. Atlanta missed out on the playoffs in back-to-back years and turned a new page direction with Jalen Johnson now leading the charge. Without Trae Young, the Hawks now lean on more of a defensive-minded identity and have a roster loaded with athleticism.
During the regular season, these teams faced off three times. They split the first two matchups, which took place on December 27th and January 2nd. New York picked up a narrow 108-105 victory in the most recent game, which took place on April 6th. Both sides were aware that this was a potential postseason matchup, and this game had some major seeding implications. It was an evenly matched game in which neither team was able to extend a lead beyond 10 points, and the rebounding battle was separated by just one board. The biggest discrepancy came with the Knicks shooting 50% compared to the Hawks shooting 40%, and New York outscoring Atlanta 52-34 in the paint.
While there are higher expectations for this Knicks team in the postseason outlook, the Hawks stack up fairly well in this matchup. Jalen Brunson will be at the heart of the offensive attack for New York. But his biggest weakness is when he is guarded by high-level athletes with a size advantage over him. The Hawks have built out a roster loaded with this archetype of player, and there is not a clear matchup for Brunson to hunt in most lineup combinations.
Brunson has enough experience and savvy to will settle in over the course of the series. But expect some growing pains in the early parts of this matchup, and for this to be a huge hurdle for this Knicks team. I am backing the Hawks to cover the 5.5-point spread and would not be shocked if they steal the opening game. This is a series in which neither side should be expected to pull away by major margins throughout. Count on Atlanta to have defense success and have a clear gameplan for limiting the impact of Brunson. Expect this matchup to come down to the wire and take the points in the series opener.
Best Bet: Hawks +6.5 (-112)
Atlanta child hunger rates rising
The Atlanta Community Food Bank is launching a retail fundraiser to combat a 70% surge in local food insecurity caused by rising inflation.
ATLANTA – One in six children in Atlanta will go hungry tonight, according to data from the Atlanta Community Food Bank.
The organization, which provides food for nearly 300,000 households every month, reports that the need for assistance in the community is both significant and expanding. Greg Sims, a representative of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, said the pantry network has experienced a 70% increase in visitors over the last four years.
What they’re saying:
“Neighbors, kids, seniors, hard-working adults that are struggling to make ends meet and afford enough food,” Sims said. “We have seen 70 percent increase in neighbors visiting our pantry network over the last four years.”
Rising costs have forced many local families to make difficult financial trade-offs. Sims noted that inflation has played a major role in the growing demand for food assistance, as families often prioritize fixed costs over their grocery budgets.
“It’s easiest in budget to cut food you can’t cut utilities you can’t cut your rent, so what gets left off is food,” Sims said. “Parents may go skip meals so kids can eat that often-common coping.”
Local perspective:
To combat these rising numbers, the food bank is participating in the annual “Fight Hunger, Spark Change” campaign through May 3. The initiative raises funds when customers round up their totals or purchase specific products at Walmart or Sam’s Club locations. Officials confirmed that every dollar donated through the program stays within the local community.
“Last year’s campaign generated almost 400K to support our work, which in the end, abled us to provide more than a million meals to our community,” Sims said.
The Atlanta Community Food Bank currently partners with approximately 700 food pantries throughout the state to distribute resources. Sims emphasized that food insecurity can affect anyone, regardless of their circumstances or appearance.
“Folks all different backgrounds are dealing with food insecurity, and you may not know it looking at a person standing next to you in the shopping aisle,” Sims said. “We are here for you, and we have resources available to you.”
By the numbers:
- 1 in 6: The number of children in Atlanta who will go hungry tonight.
- 300,000: Households served by the food bank every month.
- 70%: The increase in pantry visitors over the last four years.
- 700: The number of food pantries throughout the state that partner with the food bank.
- $400,000: The amount generated by last year’s campaign to provide millions of meals.
What you can do:
The organization added that it is also in constant need of volunteers to support its daily operations. Learn more at https://www.acfb.org/
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Atlanta Community Food Bank, which provided data on local hunger rates and campaign details, as well as Greg Sims, a representative for the organization who spoke about the impact of inflation on Georgia families.
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