Tampa Bay 23, Atlanta 19
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, December 6, 2015
Where: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, Florida
Temperature:
79°
Head Official:
Ed Hochuli
Attendance:
58221
By The Sports Xchange
TAMPA -- Rookie quarterback Jameis Winston threw a touchdown pass to receiver Mike Evans with 1:39 left to give the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a 23-19 comeback win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.
The Bucs (6-6) went 80 yards on the touchdown drive, with Winston converting a third-and-19 with a wild 20-yard scramble. Linebacker Lavonte David clinched the win by intercepting quarterback Matt Ryan's pass on the first play after the touchdown, the Bucs' first takeaway in two games.
The win keeps the Bucs alive for the wild card, while the Falcons (6-6) have dropped five in a row and six of seven games after a 5-0 start.
"To win in the fashion we did, it's really special to me," said tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, back after missing nine games with a shoulder injury. "When you're out for a long time, you just miss the game of football. I'm really happy to be back. This is an amazing feeling."
The Bucs led 7-0 late in the first quarter after Winston's keeper for his fifth rushing touchdown of the season, matching a Bucs record for a quarterback.
The Falcons moved the ball but well but had to settle for field goals by kicker Shayne Graham, filling in admirably for the injured Matt Bryant. Graham's second field goal cut the Bucs' lead to 7-6 with 1:01 left in the half.
Winston's pass went off the hands of wide receiver Mike Evans and was intercepted by cornerback Desmond Trufant. Ryan completed five passes in 29 seconds, and Graham's 52-yard kick gave Atlanta a 9-7 halftime lead.
"We have to do better, we have to focus on those things in the game in those situations," Falcons linebacker O'Brien Schofield said. "Collectively, as a group, we have to do a better job of rallying to the ball."
Atlanta got a fourth Graham field goal to open the second half for a 12-7 lead, but the Bucs got a spark -- a 29-yard pass to wide receiver Vincent Jackson and 25-yard run by Charles Sims -- to set up running back Doug Martin's 1-yard touchdown for a 13-12 lead. Tampa Bay chose to go for two and failed.
Tampa Bay looked to have a safety for Ryan being flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone, but he was ruled at the 1-yard line. Bobby Rainey's 28-yard punt return set up a short field, but the Bucs stalled at the 5 and settled for Connor Barth's 23-yard field goal and a 16-12 lead.
"We kept fighting and the defense played great, carried us to the end," Evans said. "Our goal is to make the playoffs."
Martin fumbled on the next drive, and the Falcons converted that with a 55-yard touchdown drive, with Ryan hitting receiver Nick Williams for a 19-16 lead with 10:41 left in the game.
"Really, no excuses. They came out and played a better football game than we did," Falcons returner Devin Hester said. "Opportunities we had, we didn't execute and make the play. They did when they got the opportunity."
NOTES: Bucs RB Doug Martin finished with 95 rushing yards, with backup Charles Sims getting 56 on seven carries. The Bucs held Falcons RB Devonta Freeman to 47 yards on 14 carries, though he had a team-best 10 catches for 56 yards. ... The Bucs swept the season series, one year after trailing the Falcons 56-0 in one game and being swept ... Bucs CB Jude Adjei-Barimah left the game with an elbow injury and had his right arm in a sling after the game. Former starter Johnthan Banks stepped in at corner after his injury.
Top Game Performances
Team Stats Summary
| |
Yards |
Scoring |
Defense |
| Team |
Tot |
Rus |
Pas |
TD |
FG |
INT |
Sck |
FF |
| Atlanta
|
319 |
64 |
255 |
1 |
4 |
1 |
1.0 |
1 |
| Tampa Bay
|
388 |
166 |
222 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
3.0 |
1 |
Upcoming Games
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Tampa Bay will play their next game at home against New Orleans. The Buccaneers have a W/L % of .167 after a win and .833 after a loss.
-
Atlanta will play their next game on the road against Carolina. The Falcons have a W/L % of .714 after a win and .200 after a loss.
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