ATLANTA (5-3) at TAMPA BAY (3-4)Thursday, 8:25 p.m. EDT, NFL NetworkOPENING LINE -- Falcons by 2 1/2RECORD VS. SPREAD -- Atlanta 5-3, Tampa Bay 3-4SERIES RECORD -- Buccaneers lead 24-22LAST MEETING -- Buccaneers beat Falcons 31-24, Sept. 11LAST WEEK -- Falcons beat Packers 33-32; Buccaneers lost to Raiders 30-24, OTAP PRO32 RANKING -- Falcons No. 6, Buccaneers No. 25FALCONS OFFENSE -- OVERALL (1), RUSH (T14), PASS (1).FALCONS DEFENSE -- OVERALL (25), RUSH (11), PASS (T27).BUCCANEERS OFFENSE -- OVERALL (16), RUSH (12), PASS (21).BUCCANEERS DEFENSE -- OVERALL (26), RUSH (22), PASS (23).STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES -- Buccaneers have won three straight in series between NFC South rivals, including on road in season opener. ... Falcons lead NFL in scoring (32.8 points per game), while Buccaneers are 25th in scoring defense (27.0). ... Falcons QB Matt Ryan leads NFL with 2,636 passing yards after throwing for 288 and three touchdowns, including winning 11-yarder in closing seconds last week against Green Bay. ... In past three games vs. Bucs, Ryan has averaged 333.3 yards per game while throwing for five TDs vs. two interceptions. ... WR Julio Jones has 43 receptions for 859 yards and four TDs. He has seven TD catches and averaged 110.6 receiving yards per game in nine career meetings with Bucs. ... Bucs are 0-3 at home, compared to 3-1 on road. ... QB Jameis Winston arguably had best game of year vs. Falcons, completing 71.9 percent of passes for 281 yards, four TDs and one interception in opener. ... In three career games vs. Atlanta, second-year pro has thrown six TD passes vs. two interceptions, winning all three starts. ... WR Mike Evans has six TD receptions in his last seven games. ... RB Jacquizz Rodgers, who played first four years of his career with Atlanta, injured left foot during last Sundays loss to Oakland. Bucs could wind up with fourth starting RB of season. Ex-Falcons RB Antone Smith and rookie Peyton Barber are possibilities if Rodgers doesnt play. RB Mike James signed with team this week. ... Former Falcons coach Mike Smith is Bucs defensive coordinator, working under Coach Dirk Koetter, who was Smiths offensive coordinator in Atlanta for three seasons. ... Bucs yielded 626 yards last week to Raiders, including 513 passing. ... Fantasy Tip: Jones has four 100-yard games this season -- 32 total -- and is facing secondary that struggled last week against Oaklands Amari Cooper (12 receptions, 173 yards, one TD) and Michael Crabtree (eight catches, 108 yards).---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and http://twitter.com/AP-NFLCheap NHL Jerseys Authentic . The players spoke Jan. 13 during a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and Major League Baseball to overturn an arbitrators decision suspending him for the 2014 season and post-season. Cheap NHL Jerseys Online . The Olympic champion curler and TSN curling analyst immediately went online to look at the Halls long list of honoured members. Thats when the enormity of the honour sunk in. http://www.cheapnhljerseysusa.com/ . The No. 1-ranked Nadal tweaked his back warming up for the Australian Open final, which he lost almost four weeks ago in a major upset against Stanislas Wawrinka. His first stop after the layoff is the clay in Rio as he tests the back and tries to stay healthy for the French Open in three months. Hockey Jerseys China .J. Ellis hit two-run homers and the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 4-0 Saturday night. Wholesale NHL Jerseys . Coach Mike Munchak says Fokou stretched ligaments in his left knee Oct. 13 against Seattle, which could keep out up to five weeks even though the linebacker didnt need surgery. CLINTON, S.C. -- Presbyterian coach Harold Nichols resigned Sunday, acknowledging that a change was necessary for the Football Championship Subdivision program to move forward.The Blue Hose finished a 2-9 season with a 31-7 loss at South Alabama on Saturday. Presbyterian athletic director Brian Reese said Sunday that he met with Nichols and the two decided the resignation was in the best interest of the team.Nichols went 22-67 inn his eight seasons.dddddddddddd His teams best year came in 2014 at 6-5, his lone winning record during his tenure.Nichols, a Presbyterian graduate, said he enjoyed his time as coach and believes the program is stronger now than when he arrived.The Blue Hose play in the Big South Conference in the FCS. ' ' '