The Atlanta Falcons have allowed more yards than any team in the league and are the only one yet to register a sack.

Josh McCown and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, though, could be hard-pressed to take advantage as the second-worst passing team in the NFL.

The Falcons are hoping a return home will help Matt Ryan bounce back from a rough performance when they take on the injury-plagued Buccaneers on Thursday night.

Atlanta (1-1) allowed 472 yards for the second straight game in Sunday's 24-10 loss at Cincinnati. The 635 passing yards the Falcons have given up represents the second-highest total in the league.

Along with no sacks, Atlanta has been credited with one hit on the quarterback -- and that came as it surrendered a 76-yard touchdown pass to the Bengals.

"We've got to put more pressure on the quarterback," coach Mike Smith said. "It's not where we want to be at after the first two games. I think that's translated into us not playing the type of defense that we want."

Tampa Bay (0-2) is off to another winless start after dropping its first eight games a season ago. McCown, in his first year with the club, is guiding a unit that's averaging 168.5 passing yards. He's thrown three interceptions.

"At the end of the day, you hear about quarterbacks being measured by wins and we're 0-2 so for me that's how I evaluate it," McCown said. "I look at what could I have done better to help us win the ballgame. I look at it for both games, I really felt like I did a lot of good things except for three turnovers in those games and those have been critical."

Running back Doug Martin was inactive in Sunday's 19-17 home loss to St. Louis with a knee injury, but Bobby Rainey was outstanding in filling in with 144 yards on 22 carries.

The offensive woes aren't the biggest concern for defensive-minded first-year coach Lovie Smith, who is more worried that his team has forced one turnover.

"A lot is being said about the offense, and what we're doing in certain situations, but where we're really not performing well enough right now is on the defensive side," he said. "From long drives to taking the ball away. Our first goal on the defensive side is to score. We haven't come close to doing any of those things at this stage. ... But we will."

The Buccaneers have major injury problems, with two-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and middle linebacker Mason Foster unlikely to play this week. McCoy has a broken left hand and Foster left Sunday's game with a shoulder injury.

Tampa Bay's defense figures to be tested by an Atlanta offense that's averaging 438.5 yards for the league's second-best mark. That number, however, is due largely to a 568-yard performance in a 37-34 win over New Orleans on Sept. 7.

Ryan threw for a career-best 448 yards with three touchdowns in that contest. It was a far different story against the Bengals, as he went 24 of 44 for 231 yards with one touchdown and three interceptions.

The absence of Jake Matthews proved to be an issue, as the left tackle was out with a left ankle injury. He could return Thursday.

Ryan is 5-1 as a starter against Tampa Bay at home with seven touchdowns, no interceptions and two sacks in the last four such meetings.

The teams split two matchups last year, with an injured Julio Jones missing both for Atlanta. Jones, fourth in the NFL with 204 receiving yards, has totaled 394 yards receiving with three touchdowns in four career games against Tampa Bay.

Both teams are wary of the short turnaround preceding this contest.

"Normally when you're playing a division opponent, and as you know most of the Thursday night games are division opponents, we have some familiarity with them," Mike Smith said. "This is a new (Bucs) coaching staff, so I think we're at a little bit of a disadvantage compared to other years."

Lovie Smith mentioned his familiarity with Atlanta players who played for him in Chicago in lineman Gabe Carimi and wide receiver Devin Hester, and also said that he watched the HBO program 'Hard Knocks' to learn about the Falcons.

"Of course Hard Knocks is a great show when someone else is doing it of course," Lovie Smith said. "We got a chance to know the Atlanta Falcons fairly well from watching the show. A lot of their personalities really did come out, coaches and players, I might add."