Atlanta Falcons: 5 Players to Watch vs. Tampa Bay

Adrian Clayborn spent his first four seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The former first round pick by the Bucs out of Iowa had two great seasons on the defensive line and two injury-plagued ones as well. His inability to stay healthy for the Bucs let the talented pass rusher from St. Louis join an NFC South rival.

I see this game as a personal one for Adrian Clayborn. This is the first of two fantastic opportunities Clayborn has to make the Bucs regret letting him go after 2014.  With the Atlanta Falcons’ pass rush being the one facet of the defense that is lacking in 2015, will Clayborn ignite the unit against an improving Tampa offensive line?

Tampa Bay can put up points and probably will for the foreseeable future. How do you not like the Winston/Koetter combination with their array of offensive weaponry? Falcons fans can respect a great receiving corps when they see one. Tampa has balance on offense with RB Doug Martin returning to form in 2015.

I look for Adrian Clayborn to stand as the one Atlanta Falcons’ pass rusher that has both the quickness and the size to bring down Winston in the pocket. Others might disrupt the passer in other ways, but if there is one player on the Falcons that will have a quarterback sack in this game, it’s Adrian Clayborn.

Next: A Battle for Seminole Pride