The Atlanta Falcons will be down a key voice on the sideline for their Thursday Night Football matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Running backs coach Michael Pitre will miss the game due to a personal matter, the team announced just hours before kickoff.
In Pitre’s absence, offensive assistants K.J. Black and Patrick Kramer will step in to handle running backs duties for the night at Raymond James Stadium. It’s a sudden shift, but the Falcons are leaning on internal continuity to keep things steady in a game with serious playoff implications.
Pitre, who’s been with Atlanta since 2022, has overseen a talented and dynamic backfield that includes Bijan Robinson, Tyler Allgeier, and Nathan Carter. Under his guidance, the Falcons’ ground game has been a consistent strength this season - they currently rank 12th in the NFL, averaging 123.6 rushing yards per game. That’s not elite, but it’s more than enough to control tempo and open up the play-action game when they’re clicking.
With Pitre out, Black and Kramer will be tasked with keeping that backfield humming against a Buccaneers defense that’s no pushover. Tampa Bay enters this one at 7-6, fighting for position in a tightly contested NFC South. That adds even more weight to this divisional clash under the primetime lights.
This late-breaking coaching adjustment adds a wrinkle to what’s already a pivotal game for both teams. The Falcons will need their running backs to be sharp - not just in execution, but in communication - as they navigate the game without their usual position coach on the sideline.
Also swirling around the team is the recent noise surrounding former Falcons wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud, who spoke out after being released earlier this season. While that situation doesn’t directly impact tonight’s game, it’s another subplot in what’s been an eventful year in Atlanta.
For now, though, the focus shifts to the field - and to whether this Falcons rushing attack can stay on track without its leader in the room.