The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have an 18-15 all-time edge over the Atlanta Falcons, but the Birds have won three straight. Falcons head coach Mike Smith is 3-1 against Tampa, while the NFC’s best coach has yet to beat the Falcons in two attempts.
Last year the Falcons won 20-17 in Atlanta after losing QB Matt Ryan early on. Backup Chris Redman drove the team into the red zone with seconds to go, throwing the winning touchdown to TE Tony Gonzalez. In week 17, the Falcons needed a win over the Bucs to clinch their first-ever back-to-back winning seasons. Tampa kept it close for most of the game, but Atlanta pulled away to win 20-10 due to clutch work by WR Roddy White, CB Brent Grimes, and others.
In 1977 the Falcons won the teams’ first-ever meeting, 17-0, holding the second-year Bucs to 78 total yards. The Bucs are probably Atlanta’s third biggest rival at the moment, after the New Orleans Saints and Carolina Panthers.
For a more detailed series history, including the best individual performances in Falcons-Bucs games, check out Troy’s post here.