Michael Penix Jr. is making a return to Tampa, Fla. on Sunday, but the homecoming may come with a mess attached.
The Falcons are set to face the Buccaneers at 1:00 p.m., and the forecast around Raymond James Stadium points to a rough afternoon. The Weather Channel calls for scattered thunderstorms starting at 10:00 a.m., then a 100% chance of heavy thunderstorms from Noon until 3:00 p.m.
After that, the storms are expected to ease, though scattered thunderstorms are still in the picture until 5:00 p.m. EST.
That means wet conditions for everyone in the building. Raymond James Stadium does not permit umbrellas, so fans making the trip will have to leave them behind.
The bigger issue, though, is lightning. The NFL will keep games going through rain, but if lightning is close enough, the stadium will be cleared - and that possibility looks very real.
The weather could shape the game as much as anything on the field. Both teams lean on the run and both defend it well.
Tampa Bay ranks No. 3 in rushing offense at 146.4 yards per game, while Atlanta is right behind at No. 6 with 139.9. On the other side, the Buccaneers hold the NFL’s No. 2 run defense at 77.3 yards allowed per game, and the Falcons sit at No. 4 at 88.9.
A sloppy game would seem to tilt things toward Tampa Bay, especially if it helps take away Atlanta’s edge through the air. Even with two starts from Cooper Rush, the Falcons still own the No. 4 passing offense in the league at 255.6 yards per game.
Tampa Bay, meanwhile, has dealt with its own quarterback issues. Baker Mayfield missed three games this season, and even in his return last week he needed only 64 yards in the Buccaneers’ blowout of Carolina.
The Bucs are averaging 217.4 passing yards per game, which ranks 19th.
Tampa Bay also enters the game without star wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, who has been ruled out with a concussion.
The kicking game could get tricky, too. Falcons kicker Nick Folk has struggled from beyond 50 yards this season, and Atlanta may avoid trying long field goals altogether if the conditions turn as bad as expected.
For now, the biggest hope is simple: no lightning delays. Dry fans seem out of the question. And if the forecast holds, a muddy, stormy game could give the home team the kind of edge it wants.
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