When it comes to the Atlanta Falcons getting their game plan together for their season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, we have already learned that they will be relying on some of their rookies to be major contributors on Sunday as they announced both Billy Bowman Jr. and Xavier Watts will be in the lineup.
"I need our young guys to step up man," 92-9 The Game's Carl Dukes said on Thursday as he and cohost Mike Bell shared thoughts on Atlanta's showdown with their division rival and the importance of Bowman and Watts, along with James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker, who are both also expected to get significant time on the field, to be impactful on Sunday.
"You've got all these young cats that are playing. Xavier Watts and Billy Bowman and obviously up front, and again if Jalon Walker is playing as much as we now anticipate and being ready as Coach (Raheem Morris) said yesterday, we need all these young guys to step up," Dukes said as he explained the Bucs will enter Sunday's contest with "a lot" of experience on the offensive side of the ball.
"Most of those guys were either there for the Tom Brady run for the few years, some of them won Super Bowls with him and then some of the new pieces are even veterans. They don't have a lot of young players on that defense," Dukes added.