SportsDirect Inc. staff
Nov 9, 2014
Falcons 27, Buccaneers 17: Matt Ryan threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Roddy White in the fourth quarter and Matt Bryant booted four field goals as Atlanta won at Tampa Bay.
Julio Jones caught eight passes for 119 yards and Steven Jackson rushed for a season-high 81 yards and a touchdown for the Falcons (3-6), who have recorded two of their three wins at Tampa Bay's expense. Ryan was 20-of-31 for 219 yards as Atlanta won for the first time since Week 3 - also against the Buccaneers (1-8).
Josh McCown was solid in his return to the starting role, going 27-of-43 for 301 yards and two touchdowns, but he threw an interception in the end zone with less than two minutes left and was picked off again on a desperate heave with 21 seconds remaining to seal Tampa Bay's fifth straight loss. Rookie Mike Evans had seven receptions for 125 yards and caught his fifth TD pass in his last five games for the Buccaneers.
McCown hit Austin Seferian-Jenkins for a 1-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter to give Tampa Bay a 17-16 lead, but the rookie tight end was flagged for using the ball as a prop in his celebration and Atlanta took advantage of the favorable field position resulting from the penalty on the ensuing kickoff. The Falcons went 65 yards in 10 plays, with Ryan hooking up with White for a 5-yard score and finding Harry Douglas for the two-point conversion.
The Bucs opened the scoring on Patrick Murray's 51-yard field goal on their opening series, but Atlanta answered with a 78-yard drive culminating with Jackson's 1-yard plunge and tacked on a 37-yard field goal on its next possession. Evans and McCown connected for a 22-yard TD with 46 seconds left in the half to tie it, but Devin Hester's 48-yard kickoff return set up Bryant for a 43-yard field goal that gave Atlanta a 13-10 halftime lead.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Marcus Thigpen's 53-yard punt return in the third quarter was Tampa Bay's longest since Michael Spurlock took one 77 yards against New Orleans on Dec. 27, 2009. กญ Evans has at least four receptions in each of the first eight games of his career. กญ DL Kroy Biermann and Osi Umenyiora each had 1 1/2 sacks for Atlanta.