Date: Sunday, September 25, 2011 Kickoff: 4:15 p.m. ET
Site: Raymond James Stadium (65,908) 2011 Records: Tampa Bay 1-1, Atlanta 1-1 Network Television: FOX
Play-by-Play: Thom Brennaman, Analyst: Brian Billick, Sideline: Laura Okmin National Radio: Compass Networks
Play-by-Play: Matt Smith, Analyst: Tony Hill
Bucs Radio: US 103.5, flagship station (103.5 FM, 620 AM) Play-by-Play: Gene Deckerhoff, Color: Dave Moore, Sideline: T.J. Rives Last Game: Tampa Bay won at Minnesota, 24-20; Atlanta defeated Philadelphia, 35-31
Niko’s point
The Bucs will host the Atlanta Falcons today in Raymond James Stadium, and not only are they playing a football game, but they are hosting an opportunity; several of them in fact.
Within one game these Buccaneers can overcome and change no less than 5 key issues they are dealing with, whether they know it or not.
1) Chance to end Atlanta’s dominance over them. Since the lowly Falcons back in 2007 got swept by the Bucs, these dirty birds have had much better luck. Even though the second game of Matt Ryan’s rookie season was against the Bucs and Tampa Bay beat him, the Falcons have beaten the Bucs in 5 straight games, all of them close, but games none the less that Tampa Bay cant seem to win against their division mates.
2) The Bucs can take an early leg up in the division race they clearly have their sites on to win. Tampa Bay doesnt want to have to deal with a wild card and score board watching. They want go to the playoffs as division champion; well it starts here.
3)Bucs want to show they are better than what they have shown us so far. Tampa Bay came out week one and stunk up the place, then week 2 they stunk up the whole dome in Minnesota for the entire first half, before coming out and playing like they know they can in the second half. If Tampa Bay can play that way for a full game, there is no team that can beat them, or come close.
4)Rookies have a chance to show they are ‘Getting It’. Defensive Ends Adrian Clayborn and Da’Quan Bowers can show they are learning how to play run defense, and middle linebacker Mason Foster who has the entire weight of the defense on his shoulders now can show he is deserving of his draft choice position, and the intentions of the Bucs to make him the future of the Bucs defense as the Defense Quarterback.
5) Bring back the fans, in time for Monday Night Football. Win the game, give the fans something to see, and they will be back and sell out this place for the first time in a couple of years. And that experience could be the key needed to turn around this homefield advantage.
So far, LeGarrette Blount has not run for more than 17 times in any game. If that can change, if the defense can prevent an early lead by the Falcons, the Bucs D can play with a lead, and bull rush Matt Ryan, who is not that good with alot of pressure in his face. Josh Freeman on the other hand actually DOES play like he has ice in his veins. Imagine what he can do with a 3 point lead going into the 4th quarter. A win could find the Bucs with a 3-1 record going into the second season. Hey, WE are allowed to look ahead!
All-Time Series
The Buccaneers lead the all-time series 18-17, but the Falcons have won five consecutive meetings with the Buccaneers. Since the NFC South was cre- ated in 2002, the series is tied 9-9 with the Buccaneers sweeping the series in 2002, 2005 and 2007, on the way to NFC South titles. Tampa Bay is 11-8 all-time at home against the Falcons, including wins in four of the last seven meetings at Raymond James Stadium. The two teams first met in 1977, with Atlanta notching a 17-0 win at Tampa Stadium (11/27/77). The Bucs picked up their first win the next season, a 14-9 victory that evened Tampa Bay’s record at 2-2, marking the first time the club hit the .500 mark. Tampa Bay’s 48-10 home victory to open the 1987 season represents the most points ever scored by a Buccaneer squad in the regular season, a mark that was later tied. Tampa Bay also posted a six-game winning streak in the series, beginning with a victory in 1997. In 2010, the Falcons won the first meeting between the two teams at the Georgia Dome, 27-21 (11/7/10), as well as the second meeting at Raymond James Stadium, 28-24 (12/5/10).
SERIES BY THE NUMBERS
Overall Regular Season Series:……………Tampa Bay leads series, 18-17
Home Record vs. Atlanta Falcons:………………………………………..11-8
Road Record vs. Atlanta Falcons:…………………………………………..7-9
Current Streak:………………………………… Falcons, five games (2008-10)
Buccaneers Longest Streak:……………………….. Six games (1997-2003)
Falcons Longest Streak:………………………………..Five games (2008-10)
Regular Season Point Total:……………….. Buccaneers 726 – Falcons 611
Most Points, Buccaneers:……………………. 48, Buccaneers 48-10 (1987)
Most Points, Falcons:…………………………………43, Falcons 43-7 (1991)
Most Points, both teams: ……………. 58, twice, last Falcons 30-28 (2003)
Fewest Points, Buccaneers: ………………………….0, Falcons 17-0 (1976)
Fewest Points, Falcons: …………………………. 0, Buccaneers 27-0 (2004)
Fewest Points, both teams: …………..17, twice, last Falcons 14-3 (2006)
LAST GAME RECAP
Tampa Bay 24, Minnesota 20 (Sept. 18, 2011) MINNEAPOLIS – Battling back from a 17-point halftime deficit—and tying for the second-largest comeback in team history in the process—the Tampa Bay Buccaneers overtook the Minnesota Vikings to earn a 24-20 Week 2 victory on the road. The win also marked the eighth fourth-quarter/OT comeback win of 14 career wins for QB Josh Freeman. Tampa Bay had difficulty finding an offensive rhythm early in the game, while Minnesota managed to put up points on three of their four first-half drives. RB Adrian Pe- terson scored the first points of the game late in the first quarter, following a 90-yard Vikings drive that cumulated with his one-yard run up the middle for the touchdown. The Buccaneers punted to begin the second quarter, and when the Vikings took posses- sion, they ended their drive with a 22-yard K Ryan Longwell field goal. Freeman was then sacked, forc- ing another Buccaneers punt, of which the Vikings again took full advantage. While rookie LB Mason Foster recorded his first career sack, taking down QB Donovan McNabb, McNabb then hit RB Toby Gerhart with a short pass two plays later on third down that Gerhart took 42 yards to the Tampa Bay four-yard line. Buccaneers rookie DE Da’Quan Bowers stopped McNabb for a loss of five yards on the next play, but then Peterson struck again, notching his second score of the day with a nine-yard touchdown run and sending Tampa Bay into halftime down 17-0. In the second half, however, the momentum shifted. Rookie TE Luke Stocker nabbed a 17-yard pass—the first reception of his career—on Tampa Bay’s first drive of the third quarter, bringing the ball into Minnesota territory. RB LeGarrette Blount took it from there, grabbing a handoff and powering 27 yards to the end zone to put the Buccaneers on the board. Tampa Bay attempted an onside kick on the ensuing kickoff, which was recovered by Buccaneers CB Elbert Mack. The offense returned to the field, but the drive ended after Freeman was intercepted in the end zone by S Husain Abdullah, as he attempted to find TE Kellen Winslow for another score. The ball then returned to the Buccaneers when S Sean Jones sacked McNabb on third-and-thirteen and Minnesota punted. Tampa Bay used the opportunity to narrow Minnesota’s lead to seven after K Connor Barth hit a 36-yard field goal for the 17-10 score. The Vikings answered quickly, opening the fourth quarter by putting up another Longwell field goal and again leaving the Buccaneers in a 10-point hole. Tampa Bay’s young receiving corps was unfazed, and on the next drive, Freeman con- nected with WR Dezmon Briscoe on a 19-yard pass, which set up a deep 25-yard touchdown reception by WR Arrelious Benn. Down by three, Tampa Bay’s defense then managed to force another Minnesota punt, putting the ball back in Freeman’s hands with just over four minutes left of play. Freeman proceed- ed to engineer the Buccaneers’ notable comeback, marching the offense downfield. A completed pass to WR Preston Parker on third-and-four from the Min- nesota 10 led to a grinding four-yard run from Blount for the touchdown and first Tampa Bay lead of the game, 24-20. With 31 seconds left, the Vikings at- tempted to match with a score of their own, but were unable to do so, sealing the Buccaneers’ win.
HEAD TO HEAD Atlanta Falcons with stat sheets by Bucpower.com!
All-time record: 18-17
| Click on the date to review the game in question | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 Nov 1977 | H | Lost 0-17 | |||
| 24 Sep 1978 | H | Won 14-9 | 04 Nov 1979 | A | Lost 14-17 |
| 06 Dec 1981 | H | Won 24-23 | |||
| 09 Dec 1984 | H | Won 23-6 | |||
| 28 Sep 1986 | H | Lost 20-23 | 27 Nov 1988 | A | Lost 10-17 |
| 13 Sep 1987 | H | Won 48-10 | 17 Nov 1991 | A | Lost 7-43 |
| 02 Dec 1990 | H | Won 23-17 | 31 Oct 1993 | A | Won 31-24 |
| 13 Dec 1992 | H | Lost 7-35 | 09 Oct 1994 | A | Lost 13-34 |
| 22 Oct 1995 | H | Lost 21-24 | 09 Nov 1997 | A | Won 31-10 |
| 21 Nov 1999 | H | Won 19-10 | 05 Nov 2000 | A | Won 27-14 |
| 8 Dec 2002 | H | Won 34-10 | 5 Oct 2002 | A | Won 20-6 |
| 20 Dec 2003 | H | Lost 28-30 | 21 Sep 2003 | A | Won 31-10 |
| 5 Dec 2004 | H | Won 27-0 | 14 Nov 2004 | A | Lost 14-24 |
| 24 Dec 2005 | H | Won 27-24 | 20 Nov 2005 | A | Won 30-27 |
| 10 Nov 2006 | H | Lost 6-17 | 17 Sep 2006 | A | Lost 3-14 |
| 16 Dec 2007 | H | Won 37-3 | 18 Nov 2007 | A | Won 31-7 |
| 14 Sep 2008 | H | Won 24-9 | 15 Dec 2008 | A | Lost 10-13 |
| 2 Jan 2010 | H | Lost 10-20 | 29 Nov 2009 | A | Lost 17-20 |
| 5 Dec 2010 | H | Lost 24-28 | 7 Nov 2010 | A | Lost 21-27 |
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