The Atlanta Falcons were already facing an uphill battle against Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this weekend. Things just got more difficult. Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts has been ruled out with a hamstring injury.

The Buccaneers have the highest implied point total in the NFL this weekend. Brady and the Bucs offense got back on track last ween in a 41-31 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Chris Godwin is close to 100 percent. Julio Jones is back as well. It was going to require all hands on deck for the Falcons to hang around Sunday.

Kyle Pitts has not had the offensive impact many believed he would this year. He has just 10 catches for 150 yards without a touchdown in four full games. Yet, he draws a lot of coverage his way. That's allowed rookie receiver Drake London to have a solid start to his career.

Pitts has shown a strong ability as a blocking tight end as well. That will likely hurt the run game against one of the more stout fronts in the league. Falcons running back Cordarrelle Patterson was placed on injured reserve this week, leaving rookie Tyler Allgeier atop the depth chart. So, it was already going to be difficult to move the ball on the ground. But it got harder without Pitts.

Falcons coach Arthur Smith has come under fire for under utilizing his athletic tight end. Pitts is 6-foot-6, 246 pounds but runs a 4.40 40-yard dash. He looks like a wide receiver, but with the build and strength of a tight end. It's because of that many people argue he's the most athletic offensive player in the league.

Well, Smith at least won't have to fight with the media about not using him this week.