NFL Preview: Falcons at Bucs in Key NFC South Battle

Atlanta Falcons (9-2) at Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-4)

Falcons Notes:

— A quick heads-up for those watching on television: This game will be played at 4:15 rather than its originally-scheduled 1 p.m. start time. The NFL is utilizing “flex scheduling” on Sundays in Weeks 11-17. Flexible scheduling will ensure quality matchups in all NFL Sunday time slots in those weeks and gives teams a chance to play their way onto prime time and into the late-afternoon 4:15 p.m. time slot on CBS and FOX. An unexpected divisional battle like this one — nobody had Tampa Bay going 7-4 after 12 weeks — is exactly the reason why flex scheduling was brought into effect.

— Congrats to Falcons TE Tony Gonzalez for moving into 15th place all time on the NFL career receiving yardage leaderboard. By catching a four-yard TD pass against Green Bay last Sunday, Gonzalez moved past Jimmy Smith with 12,306 yards. Next on the list for T-Gonz? Washington Redskins great Art Monk, who has 12,721 receiving yards.

Bucs Notes:

— Huge injury loss for Tampa Bay: Safety Cody Grimm broke his left fibula and will be out for the remainder of the season. Grimm was one of the stars of the Buccaneers secondary this season.

— More bad injury news for Tampa Bay: Guard Davin Joseph suffered a broken foot in the first quarter against the Ravens. It’s expected that backup G Brandon Carter, who has spent most of the year on Tampa Bay’s practice roster, will be called up to take Joseph’s spot.

New Orleans Saints (8-3) at Cincinnati Bengals (2-9)

Saints Notes:

— This season has really tested the depth of the ground game. RB Pierre Thomas has missed eight straight games with a sprained left ankle and his status for Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals was unknown early in the week; RB Ladell Betts (neck) didn’t play last week against the Cowboys and is uncertain for this weekend; RB Chris Ivory (shoulder/knee) is banged up and unsure if he can go against the Bengals. That basically leaves Reggie Bush as the lone healthy candidate for carries, and he’s only a week removed from being shelved with a broken leg.

Bengals Notes:

— Crazy to think that, just a year ago, Cincinnati was 8-3 after 12 weeks and on its way to a AFC North divisional championship.  My, how times have changed. Now the Bengals are coming off a dreadful loss to the Jets, a game where QB Carson Palmer posted a 41.0 QB rating. That’s the third-lowest he’s had in his career.