Falcons release official depth chart for Bucs’ game

The Falcons return home Sunday to face Tampa Bay in a key division game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Here's a look at six key players to watch in the battle between NFC South rivals.

The Steelers opened against the Falcons with 21 personnel – two tight ends, one running back and two wide receivers and forced the Falcons to play their base defense.

The Falcons (1-4) are set to hose the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (2-2) at 1 p.m. Sunday at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

The Falcons answered the grouping by playing their base 4-3 alignment, which kept Vic Beasley and McKinley off the field. Brooks Reed and Steven Means opened the game and played 34 and 23 of 61 defensive snaps respectively.

“They did a good job, they forced us to play a lot of base (defense),” McKinley said. “Me and Vic, we don’t play too much base. They did a good job the first pretty much three drives forcing our defense to play base. There was pretty much nothing we could do about that. When the opportunity comes, we have to perform.”

McKinley and Beasley both would like to play in the base defense.

“You have to ask DQ,” McKinley said, referring to coach Dan Quinn.

Beasley said: “I think coach had a good game plan. I think that would be a good question to ask him about what his intentions were. I think we were in the right position at times, but too many mistakes on my end and other guy’s, too. We have to be better.”

The Bucs, who are expected to be without tight end O.J. Howard, who has a knee injury, may try to emulate Pittsburgh’s approach.

The Bucs opened the game against the Bears in 11 personnel – one tight, one running back and three wide receivers.

“They had only played maybe up until that time 10 percent of their game in that package,” Quinn said. “So in this game, they did more. You probably saw in the second or third series we put them into that package.

“So, we're equipped to do that, too. It was just different design. I'm sure they were probably trying something new to them as well.”

HERE’S THE DEPTH CHART

OFFENSE

WR 11 Julio Jones, 14 Justin Hardy,17 Marvin Hall

LT 70 Jake Matthews, 74 Ty Sambrailo

LG 71 Wes Schweitzer, 63 Ben Garland

C 51 Alex Mack, 71 Wes Schweitzer

RG 65 Brandon Fusco, 68 Zac Kerin

RT 73 Ryan Schraeder, 77 Matt Gono

TE 81 Austin Hooper, 82 Logan Paulsen, 85 Eric Saubert

WR 12 Mohamed Sanu, 18 Calvin Ridley, 83 Russell Gage

QB 2 Matt Ryan, 8 Matt Schaub

RB 24 Devonta Freeman, 26 Tevin Coleman

25 Ito Smith, 32 Brian Hill

FB 30 Ricky Ortiz

DEFENSE

DE 44 Vic Beasley Jr., 90 Derrick Shelby, 56 Steven Means

DT 99 Terrell McClain. 94 Deadrin Senat, 93 Michael Bennett IV

DT 97 Grady Jarrett, 95 Jack Crawford

DE 98 Takk McKinley, 50 Brooks Reed

LB 42 Duke Riley, 36 Kemal Ishmael

LB 54 Foyesade Oluokun, 55 Bruce Carter

LB 59 De’Vondre Campbell

CB 23 Robert Alford, 20 Isaiah Oliver, 33 Blidi Wreh-Wilson,

CB 21 Desmond Trufant, 34 Brian Poole, 28 Justin Bethel

FS 27 Damontae Kazee, 35 Keith Tandy

SS 29 Jordan Richards, 41 Sharrod Neasman

SPECIALISTS

K 3 Matt Bryant

KO 5 Matt Bosher

P 5 Matt Bosher

KR 14 Justin Hardy, 18 Calvin Ridley

PR 14 Justin Hardy, 17 Marvin Hall

LS 47 Josh Harris

H 5 Matt Bosher