The Falcons first playoff win under Mike Smith continues to be elusive as their season comes to a very bitter end with a 48-21 loss to the Green Bay Packers. Even as the top seed, the Falcons prove to be but a minor obstacle to the red hot Packers who seemed unstoppable for almost the entire game.

Matt Ryan had a decent performance marred by two second quarter interceptions. He finished the game 20 of 29 for 186 yards and a touchdown. The Falcons running game got off to a pretty good start until the scoreboard eliminated it from the gameplan. Michael Turner finished 10 carries for 39 yards and a touchdown. Michael Jenkins and Roddy White tied for the team lead with 6 receptions each for 67 and 57 yards, respectively. Brian Finneran caught 4 passes for 47 yards. Tony Gonzalez was irrelevant for most of the game, ending up with only a single catch for 7 yards, the lone pass thrown his way. He would exit the game on that play with a leg injury. The Falcons struggled to protect Ryan, as he was sacked 5 times on the game, the most he’s ever been in his three year career.

The Falcons began the game able to move the ball somewhat, with a 9-play, 34-yard drive that ended in a punt. Three plays later the defense was able to force a turnover. Aaron Rodgers hit Greg Jennings over the middle for a 30-yard gain, but Stephen Nicholas was able to strip the ball from behind. It was recovered by Brent Grimes giving the Falcons the ball back at the Packers 48-yard line. They turned that into points with a 7-play drive capped off by a 12-yard run from Michael Turner. But the Packers answered back with a 13-play, 81-yard drive that chewed up 8 minutes of clock to tie the score. The Falcons looked poised at the start of the second quarter as Eric Weems took the ensuing kickoff 102 yards for a score to give the lead right back to Atlanta. But Green Bay managed another long drive, this time 10 plays for 92 yards. The Falcons got the ball back with little more than 6 minutes remaining in the second quarter, and were moving the ball down the field. They got the ball to the Packers 14 yard line before a false start on Harvey Dahl followed by a sack on Ryan by Charles Woodson halted their drive. Ryan underthrew a pass to Michael Jenkins in the endzone, which he slipped on and it was picked off by Tramon Williams. The Packers offense once again made the Falcons pay with a 7-play, 80-yard drive to put up more points and take their first lead with only 48 seconds left on the clock. A pooch kick by the Packers gave the Falcons fairly good field position to try and move the ball with under a minute to try and get some points before the first half came to a close. Facing a 2nd & 19 from the Packers 35-yard line with 10 seconds to go, the Falcons tried to work the sideline, but Williams intercepted his second pass by jumping the out and going 70 yards for another score as time expired. The Packers then put the game out of reach with a 12-play, 80-yard drive to start the second half. The Falcons had a three and out due to a Jenkins catch on the sideline that was reversed instead of getting them a first down. The Packers continued to move the ball at will on the Falcons defense with a 50-yard drive for another score. The Falcons finally started to show some live after that point with a scoring drive of their own as Ryan hit Roddy White for a 6-yard score to begin the fourth quarter. The Falcons attempted an onside, but Brian Finneran recovered the kick just one yard too early. The Falcons were able to get their first stop on defense of the night as a Packers missed a 50-yard field goal four plays later. But the offense was unable to capitalize with a botched snap to Ryan giving the Packers the ball right back five plays later. The Packers turned that turnover into 3 more points to take a 45-21 lead with just 6:34 left. Michael Jenkins would fumble on a 4th & 1 attempt by the Falcons, which would lead to 3 more points as the Packers were content to simply run out the clock at this point in the game to cap off the 27-point victory.

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The Falcons clinched their No. 1 seed and an NFC South division crown with a 31-10 beatdown of the Carolina Panthers to close out the 2010 regular season. The Falcons finish with a 13-3 record, their second best in franchise history. This is the second time the team has won the NFC South, their first crown coming in 2004.

Matt Ryan led the way, completing 22 of 32 passes for 236 yards and 2 touchdowns. Ryan finishes the year with career highs of 3,705 passing yards and 28 touchdowns. He was pulled at the start of the fourth quarter and replaced by Chris Redman who finished the game completing 4 of 6 passes for 20 yards. Michael Turner had a nice day on the ground with 67 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown, but also fumbled inside the redzone for the second week in a row. Jason Snelling was his primary sub late in the game with 8 carries for 17 yards. Roddy White caught 6 passes for 62 yards and a touchdown. With those numbers, he claims the single-season franchise record for receptions and receiving yards, finishing with 115 receptions and 1,389 yards. Tony Gonzalez added 6 receptions for 53 yards and a score. Michael Jenkins also contributed with 5 catches for 52 yards. It was not the sharpest day for the Falcons offense, only converting 4 of 11 on third downs, and missing both 4th down conversion attempts. But an early lead allowed them to coast for much of hte game before they were able to pull most of their starters at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Three of those failed third down conversions came with the backups on the field.

The Falcons offense kicked off the game strong with a 10-play 77 yard drive that ended with Ryan hitting Gonzalez for six. A three and out by the defense created good field position as the Falcons were able to drive from midfield into the redzone in five plays. But Turner fumbled the ball at the Panthers 13-yard line and was recovered by the Panthers at the 3-yard line. But another three & out led to Eric Weems returning a punt 55 yards for a score to take a 14-0 lead 8 minutes into the first quarter. The Falcons defense forced another three and out, leading to another drive starting at midfield. The Falcons drove all the way to the Panthers 4-yard line, but Ryan missed Roddy White in the endzone on a fourth down conversion.  The Panthers took over, but Mike Goodson fumbled six plays later which was recovered by Mike Peterson at their own 25-yard line. The Falcons would begin another long drive, but were stuffed on a QB sneak on a 4th & 1 at the Panthers 26 for another turnover on downs. Two possessions later the Falcons got the ball back after a fourth down stop at the Panthers 40-yard line. Ryan led them on a 7-play, 60-yard drive in the final two minutes of the half, hitting Roddy White on a 14-yard touchdown strike to take a 21-0 lead into halftime. The Panthers got their act together a bit with a field goal on their opening drive in the third quarter to prevent the shutout. That drive’s success was largely due to a 60-yard run on an end-around to Brandon LaFell. The Falcons answered back with a field goal of their own. Clausen was intercepted four plays later by Dunta Robinson, his first of the season. The Falcons answered with a 9-play drive for 54 yards, which was capped off by a 3-yard scoring run from Turner. After another stop by the defense, the fourth quarter began with the Falcons substituted most of the key starters for reserves. Neither team saw much offensive success at that point, with three missed third conversions for the Falcons, and two from Carolina before the Panthers got the ball back with 3:21 on the clock. The Panthers started to move the ball after the two minute warning and were able to get a garbage time touchdown on a 2-yard toss from Clausen to Jeff King to get their first touchdown of the game with just 24 seconds left on the clock. The Falcons would kneel down to end the game.

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The Falcons lost a heartbreaker to the New Orleans Saints 17-14, their first home loss since in Week 14 of the 2009 season, and their first home loss since with Matt Ryan as a starter since November 16, 2008. The Falcons are now forced to win in the season finale vs. the Carolina Panthers in order to clinch their No. 1 seed in the NFC playoffs and the NFC South division crown.

Matt Ryan led a tough offensive effort, completing 15 of 29 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown. The Falcons got little going on the ground, with Michael Turner rushed for 48 yards on 17 carries. Ryan added 26 yards on 4 carries. Michael Jenkins led the receivers with 5 catches for 40 yards. Roddy White caught 4 passes for 43 yards and a touchdown. The Falcons offense struggled on third downs, only converting 3 of 12 attempts. Their 215 total offensive yards was the lowest output of the Falcons offense since December 16, 2007.

This was a defensive battle between both teams. Only one first down was gained between the two teams on each of their first two possessions. The Saints got their first points on the board on their third offensive series with a 52-yard field goal from Garrett Hartley. On the very next series at the start of the second quarter, Todd McClure botched a snap which led to the Saints getting the ball back in Falcons territory. Five plays later, Pierre Thomas marched in from 2 yards to get a touchdown, taking the Saints lead to 10-0. But the Falcons were able to counter on their next series with an 8-play, 78-yard drive helped by a 27-yard run by Turner and several Saints penalties. Ryan hit White from 7 yards for six to cut the Saints lead to 10-7 which carried over into halftime. The Falcons were impressive on their opening drive in the second half, going 80 uyards down the field thanks in large part by a pass interference on Tracy Porter against Michael Jenkins giving the Falcons the ball at the Saints 1-yard line. But two plays later, Michael Turner fumbled, preventing the Falcons from taking their first lead of the ballgame. Both teams traded unsuccessful possessions until the end of the third quarter. But at the start of the fourth quarter, Jonathan Babineaux pressured Drew Brees, who flipped an errant ball into the waiting hands of Chauncey Davis who return it 26 yard for a touchdown. On the ensuing series, Brees had another pass intercepted on a tipped pass from John Abraham, but the Falcons were unable to take advantage to stretch their lead. The Saints rebounded with a 13-play, 90-yard drive to take back their lead 17-14 with 3:24 to go in the game. The Falcons got the ball back, but were unable to convert and punted with 2:52 left on the clock. On the very next play, Brees hit tight end Jimmy Graham on a 7-yard throw, but he fumbled. But the refs reviewed the play and rightly ruled Graham down by contact, reversing the call. Two plays later the Saints converted a first down with 2 minutes on the clock, sealing their victory.

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Despite going down to an early 7-0 deficit, the Falcons came back and never looked back as they took down the Seattle Seahawks on the road by a score of 34-18. The Falcons finish their road schedule with a record 6-2, and are now 12-2 going into the final two weeks. This week’s win also clinches a playoff berth for the Falcons.

Matt Ryan led the Falcons, completing 20 of 35 passes for 174 yards, 3 touchdowns, and 1 interception. On the ground, Michael Turner rushed for 82 yards on 25 carries. Roddy White led receivers with 7 receptions for 65 yards and a score. Tony Gonzalez added 4 grabs for 26 yards. Jason Snelling (4 catches, 15 yards) and Michael Jenkins (3 catches, 48 yards) each had touchdown receptions as well. The Falcons were able to dominate time of possession for most of the game, especially in the second and third quarters where they held the ball for 21 minutes vs. the Seahawks 9.

The game kicked off with a long, methodical drive by the Seahawks to march 80 yards on 12 plays, finishing with a 1-yard run from Marshawn Lynch for the score. That drive ate up the first 7:32 of the first quarter. The Falcons answered back with their own 15-play, 51-yard drive that consumed just over eight minutes. That drive included two gutsy 4th & 1 conversions to extend those drives. Ryan finished it with a 3-yard pass to Jason Snelling for the score. After a three and out by the Seahawks offense, the Falcons got the ball back and continued their long, methodical drives with another 51-yard drive for over 7 minutes. It ended with a 27-yard field goal from Matt Bryant. Another Seahawks three and out would give the Falcons the ball back with over 4 minutes remaining in the half, but Matt Ryan threw an interception to Jordan Babineaux, which set up a field goal from Seahawks kicker Olindo Mare to tie up the game. But with getting the ball back with 2:05 on the clock, Matt Ryan led the team on a 13-play, 80-yard drive, hitting Michael Jenkins for a 24-yard touchdown pass with 19 seconds to go to take a 17-10 halftime lead. The second half got off to a promising start after the Falcons punted on their opening possession. On the first play, Jamaal Anderson stripped Matt Hasselbeck in the endzone, which led to a recovery for a touchdown by Jonathan Babineaux. The next Seahawks drive led to another turnover, with Brent Grimes picking off Hasselbeck. That turned into another Bryant field goal to give the Falcons a 27-10 lead. Another interception on a tipped pass from Grimes landed in the hands of William Moore on the very next possession. And the Falcons capitalized four plays later with Ryan’s 5-yard scoring pass to White. With a 34-10 lead going into the fourth quarter, the Falcons proceeded to run out the clock. With a quarterback change, the Seahawks were able to score again under the command of Charlie Whitehurst, who scrambled for the touchdown from the 1-yard line. And then hit Ben Obamanu on the two-point conversion, after a pass interference penalty on Chris Owens negated the Falcons stop on the previous conversion attempt. But it was the Seahawks parting shot as the Falcons were able to run down the clock and close out the game for the win.

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The Falcons take their win total to 11 with a 31-10 over the struggling Carolina Panthers. The Falcons can clinch a playoff spot if either the New York Giants or Philadelphia Eagles lost this afternoon. The Falcons got off to a quick start against Carolina, but let the Panthers start to claw their way back into it before putting them out of their misery late.

Matt Ryan led the Falcons, completing 20 of 34 passes for 227 yards with a touchdown and interception. Michael Turner rushed 28 times for 112 yards and 3 scores. Roddy White led receivers with 8 grabs for 79 yards. Tony Gonzalez caught 4 passes for 28 yards and a score. Michael Jenkins and Brian Finneran each added two receptions for 26 and 13 yards, respectively. While the Falcons offense was able to convert 9 of 17 third down attempts and produce 327 total yards, there were times throughout the game where they couldn’t push a big lead against the lowly Panthers and take advantage of a strong defensive effort in the first half.

The game began with Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart fumbling on their first offensive play, forced by Mike Peterson and recovered by Dunta Robinson. The Falcons would score three plays later on Ryan’s touchdown pass to Tony Gonalez. The Falcons would then score on their next offensive series on a Turner 1-yard run. That series was helped by a 46-yard deep strike to Harry Douglas. While the Falcons defense held the Panthers offense in check, the Falcons offense would grow stagnant on their next two series as well. An 18-play, 64-yard drive that lasted almost 9 minutes resulted in a Matt Bryant field goal in the second quarter. The Falcons would get the ball back from the Panthers with less than a minute to go in the first half, but Ryan threw an interception to end the half trying to get the Falcons into field goal range with just seconds left on the clock. The Falcons got the ball to start the second half, but their first series resulted in a quick punt. A 48-yard run by Stewart set up the Panthers for their first touchdown. The Panthers attempt to go for it on fourth down on their next series resulted in a Chauncey Davis sack which gave the Falcons good field position at midfield. Five plays later, Michael Turner was in for 3 yards for his second touchdown of the day to push the lead to 24-7. The Panthers started out the fourth quarter with a field goal, helped by another big run (43 yards) from Stewart. On their next series, Stephen Nicholas tipped a Jimmy Clausen pass into Mike Peterson’s hands for an interception with promising field position at the Panthers 16-yard line. Turner would run it in for his third score four plays later to cap the Falcons win.

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The Falcons pulled off a come from behind victory over division rival Tampa Bay with a 28-24 on the road. The Falcons got a huge boost from a 102-yard kickoff return from Eric Weems in the fourth quarter to get back into the game, and Matt Ryan engineered a game-winning drive to take the lead. The Falcons record moves to 10-2 and they are still in the driver’s seat in the NFC playoff race.

Ryan led the way, completing 18 of 36 passes for 205 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions. It was not the sharpest performance from Ryan overall, but he came through in the end. Michael Turner got off to a strong start with 48 yards and a touchdown on 9 carries in the first quarter, but only finished with 88 yards on 24 carries. Roddy White led receivers with 7 grabs for 74 yards. He got help from Tony Gonzalez, Ovie Mughelli, and Michael Jenkins who each had 3 grabs for 38, 32, and 30 yards respectively. Jenkins caught the game-winning touchdown pass from Ryan, and Ovie Mughelli had a score of his own. Gonzalez left the game late with an ankle injury, the severity of which is not known yet.

The Falcons took an early lead on their second offensive series mainly due to the work that Turner put in on the ground, capping off their drive with a 5-yard scoring run. But the Bucs bounced back with a drive of their own off the legs of LeGarrette Blount to tie the game. Both teams then traded shots until midway through the second quarter, when a personal foul on the Bucs allowed the Falcons to convert a 2nd & 28 near midfield. It gave them prime position to score 3 plays later on a 17-yard pass to fullback Ovie Mughelli. A quick three and out gave the Falcons the ball back with about 2 minutes to go, but Ryan threw an interception which gave the Bucs good field position and they were able to tie up the score 14-14 going into halftime. The second half started with the Bucs marching down the field and getting a 33-yard field goal to take their first lead of the game. The Falcons appeared to wake up when Brent Grimes intercepted a Josh Freeman pass on the Bucs next possession, but replay overturned the call. But the Falcons defense was able to make a stand and force a Bucs punt several plays later. The Falcons offense couldn’t get much of anything going, and things looked dreariest when Ryan threw his second interception on the opening play of a drive with 12:33 remaining in the 4th quarter. The Bucs capitalized four plays later with another touchdown. But Eric Weems returned the ensuing kickoff 102 yards to get the Falcons back into the game, down only 24-21 with 10 minutes to go. The Falcons defense made an excellent stand, capped off by a sack by Jonathan Babineaux giving the Falcons the ball back with 8:30 to go. Things didn’t look good with the Falcons facing a 3rd & 20 following a holding call on Harvey Dahl on first down. But Ryan hit Roddy White for a 25-yard strike to convert and move the chains. The Falcons were able to get another third down conversion on a pass interference call against Gonzalez. A horse collar tackle on Michael Turner two plays later had the Falcons inside the redzone. And three plays later Ryan hit Jenkins for the game winner with 4:36 to go. The Bucs would get one more chance to go ahead and appeared to be driving when Josh Freeman hit Sammie Stroughter for 19 yards to convert a 4th & 12 and give the Bucs the ball at the Falcon 27. But the next play, Grimes had a make-up interception for the one that was taken away previously. The Bucs challenged, but the ruling on the field was upheld giving the Falcons the ball back and the game. The Falcons proceeded to run out the last two minutes of the game to get the victory.

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The Falcons won another tight one with a last minute game-winning field goal by Matt Bryant to squeak past the Green Bay Packers 20-17. The Falcons record moves to 9-2 atop the NFC and remain unbeaten at home in their last fifteen outings under Matt Ryan.

Matt Ryan led the team, completing 24 of 28 passes for 198 yards and 1 touchdown. Ryan was nearly perfect in the second half, completing 14 straight passes until his last throw was incomplete. Michael Turner led the team on the ground with 110 yards on 23 carries and a touchdown. Tony Gonzalez led receivers with 6 grabs for 51 yards and a touchdown. Roddy White had 5 catches for 49 yards. Jason Snelling (4 catches and 32 yards) and Michael Jenkins (3 catches for 24 yards) also contributed.

The Falcons started off strong on the opening possession of the game, but a 15-yard penalty on Harvey Dahl killed their momentum. And they were forced to settle for a field goal from Bryant. The Packers were able to tie up the game with a late first quarter drive, but a goalline stand by the Falcons at their own 4-yard line forced them to settle for three. The Packers were on the verge of going up on their next drive, but Aaron Rodgers fumbled the ball into the endzone leading to a touchback. The Falcons capitalized with a 14-play drive that lasted over 7 minutes, ending with Ryan’s touchdown pass to Gonzalez with 12 seconds to go in the half. In the second half, the Packers were able to make some big plays in the air and drove down to tie the game 10-10. Another long drive by the Falcons closed out the third quarter and ended with Turner’s 1-yard touchdown run at the start of the fourth. The Packers were able to bounce back two series later with Rodgers hitting Jordy Nelson in the back of the endzone on a 10-yard score to match the Falcons. It left with just a minute left in the game. The Falcons final drive was kicked off by a 40-yard return by Eric Weems, with a 15-yard face mask penalty tacked on for good measure. Four Ryan completions later the Falcons were in field goal range. Bryant hit a 47-yarder with 13 seconds left to go. A big pass play failed for the Packers, and the Falcons earned their ninth victory.

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Despite a somewhat sluggish start, the Falcons prevailed in a road win over the St. Louis Rams by a score of 34-17. The team’s record moves to 8-2, currently atop the NFC.

Matt Ryan led the team with 26 completions on 39 attempts for 253 yards and 2 touchdowns. Michael Turner added 131 rushing yards on 28 carries, including a 39-yard scoring run to seal the game. Roddy White had another strong performance, finishing with 9 receptions for 83 yards. Michael Jenkins added 5 catches and 58 yards with Tony Gonzalez having 4 catches and 46 yards as well. Brian Finneran’s lone reception was a 12-yard scoring strike from Matt Ryan. Justin Peelle caught Ryan’s other touchdown pass, and finished the game with 2 catches for 14 yards.

The Rams were able to get on the board first with a 25-yard touchdown throw to tight end Michael Hoomanuwanui. The Falcons answered back with a 42-yard field goal from Matt Bryant. The Rams would go up again on the ensuing drive with a field goal of their own. But a 55-yard kick return from Eric Weems set up the Falcons to make another score, where Ryan hit Finneran to answer. The Falcons were able to take their first lead on their ensuing possession, and stretch it with another field goal from Bryant to go into halftime up 16-10. Both field goals came as a result of the Falcons offense stalling inside the Rams 10-yard line. The Rams would answer back at the start of the third quarter after a Falcons three-and-out to take a 17-16 lead. The Falcons would answer two possessions later with Peelle’s touchdown catch with 2 minutes left in the third quarter. The Falcons would start the fourth quarter with a long, methodical 14-play drive that lasted seven minutes and wind up with another field goal after pushing the ball inside the Rams 10-yard line once more. The Rams tried to answer back with a drive of their own to cut the 9-point lead. But William Moore intercepted an errant Sam Bradford shovel pass at the 1-yard line with 3:31 left in the game. With 2 minutes left in the game and the Falcons running out the clock, Turner broke loss on a 39-yard scamper to end any chance for a comeback from the Rams. Ryan would hit White on a two-point conversion afterward.

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As what has become seemingly the norm for the Falcons this season, the team won a thrilling victory at home against the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 26-21. This moves the Falcons record to 7-2 and at the forefront of the NFC hunt for home field advantage come January.

Matt Ryan led the way, completing 32 of 50 passes for 316 yards and 3 touchdowns. His attempts and completions mark career highs, and his touchdown total matches his career high. HIs 316-yard mark is the second-most of his career and certainly a season high. Michael Turner was bottled up by the stout Ravens defense, being held to 17 carries for 39 yards. Roddy White had a strong performance, despite being listed as questionable going into tonight’s game with a knee injury. He finished with 12 receptions for 138 yards and 2 scores, including a 33-yard game-winner with 45 seconds left on the clock. Jason Snelling added 6 catches for 56 yards and a score himself. Michael Jenkins contributed with 5 grabs for 48 yards, Tony Gonzalez added 4 catches for 38 yards.

The Falcons were the first on the board, but did not do so until their third offensive series. It was a 14-play drive for 91 yards that ended in a 28-yard scamper by Snelling on a Ryan pass. The defense held firm, and when the ensuing Falcons possession ended with a punt, the special teams were able to create a turnover by stripping Ravens punt returner Lardarius Webb for a fumble.  The Falcons then went 43 yards to close out the first half, ending in a field goal by Matt Bryant. Their opening possession of the second half was caused by a Brent Grimes interception, leading to another field goal. The Ravens would strike back with a Anquan Boldin touchdown catch to get their first points and cut the game to a one-score lead midway through the third quarter. The Falcons would get their first score from White on a 4-yard pas from Ryan with 11:39 left in the fourth quarter. The Ravens marched down the field to cut it back to a 6-point deficit on a 11-play 75-yard drive ending in a Derrick Mason touchdown catch for 6 yards. The Ravens would then take the lead on their next possession with 1:10 left in the game on a 9-yard pass to Todd Heap. On the ensuing drive, Matt Ryan hit Michael Jenkins for 24 yards on a 3rd & 10 to get the ball to midfield. The following play had Ryan hit White for 15 yards to get the ball to the Ravens 41.  On the ensuing third down, Ryan tried to link up with Tony Gonzalez, but the pass was incomplete. But a pass interference call on Tavares Gooden led to a first down. The next play the Falcons hit White for the game-winning score. The Ravens got the ball back with 20 seconds left in the game and were unable to score.

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The Falcons may not quite have a firm hold of the title of best team in the NFC, but they are currently reigning supreme in the NFC South, after a 27-21 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers moves the team’s record to 6-2.

Matt Ryan led the team, completing 24 of 36 passes for 235 yards with a touchdown. Michael Turner added 107 yards on the ground on 24 carries with two touchdowns of his own. Tony Gonzalez led receivers with 8 catches for 72 yards. Jason Snelling added 5 grabs for 24 yards. Roddy White was limited to 4 catches on 49 yards, partially because he missed much of the second quarter due to a knee injury. Michael Palmer caught the lone Ryan touchdown strike, the first of his career. He finished the day with 2 catches for 11 yards.

The Falcons offense got off to a strong start, moving the ball on their first three drives and ending up with two touchdowns and a field goal to hold a 17-14 halftime lead. The came out in the third quarter and scored on both of their offensive possessions, which with defensive help was enough to hold off the Bucs. They had two offensive possessions that had favorable field position in the fourth quarter to try and put the Bucs away, but were unsuccessful. The first came on a botched onside kick recovery by the Bucs where the Falcons got the ball at their opponent’s 39 yard-line. But three plays later they punted in back to Tampa Bay. The Bucs turned it over on their ensuing drive, with the Falcons getting the ball on Tampa’s 49-yard line, but again the Falcons were forced to punt. A long drive ensued for the Bucs, starting at their own 9 yard line. But a defensive stand on 4th and goal from the Falcons 2-yard line turned the ball over to the Falcons with 2:37 left in the game. And the Falcons were able to run out the clock to seal the win.

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