Buccaneers Vs. Falcons Final Score: 45-24 Loss Makes 10 Defeats In A Row For Tampa Bay

The Atlanta Falcons hosted the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday in the final game of the NFL regular season. The Falcons were already well aware that they are heading to the playoffs, so they entered the game with the knowledge that a win or loss could impact their seeding in the postseason. Tampa Bay, meanwhile, had only one thing on their minds: win this game to keep from ending the season with a 10-game losing streak.

The game got off to a rough start right away as the Falcons reeled off three quick touchdowns in the first quarter. By the time the Bucs got on the board with just over two minutes remaining in the half, the Falcons had already scored 42 straight points and had inserted their backup quarterback.

From the time the Bucs finally got on the board, they scored 24 unanswered points. Unfortunately, the early onslaught from Atlanta was too much to overcome and the Tampa Bay losing streak extended to ten straight games. They lost the game by a final score of 45-24 to finish the season with a 4-12 record, including going 1-7 on the road.

Josh Freeman had a drastically uneven game. He finished having gone 31-for-45 with 274 passing yards and two touchdowns, but also threw a whopping three interceptions. His two touchdown passes were both to Dezmon Briscoe, who had 53 yards on eight catches. His 11 targets made him Freeman's favorite option. Preston Parker led all Tampa Bay receivers with 74 yards on four catches, thanks to a long of 48 yards. Both teams recorded a pick-six. For the Buccaneers, Elbert Mack returned a Chris Redman interception 40 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.

For more on the Buccaneers, please visit Bucs Nation, SB Nation's Buccaneers blog. For the perspective from the other side, please visit SB Nation Atlanta and The Falcoholic, SB Nation's Falcons blog.

Buccaneers Vs. Falcons Score Update: Bucs Score 24 Unanswered Points, Still Trail 42-24 In Fourth Quarter

The Week 17 game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the hometown Atlanta Falcons has been a decidedly one-sided affair from early on. The third quarter has seen the Buccaneers narrow the difference just a bit.

After holding a 42-7 lead at halftime, the Falcons were held scoreless in the third quarter. Even more startling than that is the fact that the Bucs have now scored 24 unanswered points.

The Tampa Bay scores both came within the last 5:00 of the quarter. Connor Barth kicked a 41-yard field goal to narrow the Atlanta lead to 42-10. Just 40 seconds later, Elbert Mack grabbed an interception and ran it back 40 yards for a touchdown. After a two-point conversion pass from Josh Freeman to Kellen Winslow, the score stood at 42-18 entering the final quarter.

Freeman led the Bucs on still another drive early in the fourth quarter and ended up deep in the Falcons red zone. Freeman tossed a five-yard pass to Dezmon Briscoe, for Briscoe's second touchdown catch of the game. The two-point conversion was unsuccessful and the score stands at 42-24.

For more on the Buccaneers, please visit Bucs Nation, SB Nation's Buccaneers blog. For the perspective from the other side, please visit SB Nation Atlanta and The Falcoholic, SB Nation's Falcons blog.

Buccaneers Vs. Falcons Score Update: Michael Turner, Falcons Hold Overwhelming 42-7 Lead At Halftime

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are visiting the Atlanta Falcons in the final week of the NFL regular season. Through one half of play, it already seems inevitable that the Bucs will be finishing the season with a dismal 10-game losing streak. The Falcons have opened up a 42-7 lead in just two quarters.

After racking up a 21-point first quarter, the Falcons kept piling it on. Michael Turner got things started in the second quarter with a one-yard touchdown run. Less than a minute later, Curtis Lofton intercepted a tipped Josh Freeman pass and ran it back 26 yards for a touchdown. Four minutes after that pick-six, Turner had another touchdown, this time breaking off an 81-yard run.

The Bucs were finally able to get on the board with 2:09 left in the half, when they capped off a seven-play, 80-yard drive with a short pass from Freeman to Dezmon Briscoe.

For more on the Buccaneers, please visit Bucs Nation, SB Nation's Buccaneers blog. For the perspective from the other side, please visit SB Nation Atlanta and The Falcoholic, SB Nation's Falcons blog.

Buccaneers Vs. Falcons Score Update: Matt Ryan, Falcons Open Up 21-0 Lead After First Quarter

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers headed to Georgia on Sunday for the final game of the regular season against the hometown Atlanta Falcons. The Bucs were hoping to snap a nine-game losing streak on New Year's Day, but through one quarter of play it is looking exceedingly unlikely that will come to pass.

The Falcons have come out with guns blazing and unloaded on Tampa Bay right away. Jacquizz Rodgers scored on a one-yard touchdown run midway through the first quarter to cap off an 80-yard, 16-play drive and open the scoring. Five minutes later, Matt Ryan hooked up with Julio Jones on a 17-yard touchdown pass. One Josh Freeman interception later, Ryan launched a 48-yard touchdown pass to Jones to put the Falcons up 21-0 with the second Atlanta touchdown in 24 seconds.

That's where the score would stand for the remainder of the first quarter.

For more on the Buccaneers, please visit Bucs Nation, SB Nation's Buccaneers blog. For the perspective from the other side, please visit SB Nation Atlanta and The Falcoholic, SB Nation's Falcons blog.

Buccaneers Vs. Falcons: Arrelious Benn, Brent Grimes Lead List Of Inactives

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are heading into the final game of the season riding a nine-game losing streak and hoping that New Year's Day of 2012 will be a bit kinder to them. They'll visit the Atlanta Falcons, who are playoff bound and present a formidable challenge.

Here is the full list of inactive players for both teams in Sunday's game.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Inactives:
QB Rudy Carpenter
WR Arrelious Benn
WR Sammie Stroughter
CB Anthony Gaitor
DE Daniel Te'o-Nesheim
T Jeremy Trueblood
G Derek Hardman.

Atlanta Falcons Inactives:
QB John Parker Wilson
CB Brent Grimes
LB Stephen Nicholas
C Brett Romberg
OL Kirk Chambers
WR Kerry Meier
DE Cliff Matthews

Brent Grimes is a key component to the Atlanta secondary. His being out of the game is a very beneficial thing for the Bucs.

For more on the Buccaneers, please visit Bucs Nation, SB Nation's Buccaneers blog. For the perspective from the other side, please visit SB Nation Atlanta and The Falcoholic, SB Nation's Falcons blog.

Buccaneers Vs. Falcons: Time, TV Schedule, Radio Streaming And More

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-11) travel to Atlanta Sunday to face the playoff-bound Falcons (9-6), looking to avoid a season-ending 10-game losing streak.

Week 17 NFL Lines And Odds: Buccaneers Vs. Falcons

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers can earn some pride against the Falcons in Week 17.

Buccaneers vs. Falcons: Last Show for Raheem?

The last time the Buccaneers and Falcons met, Tampa Bay defeated the Dirty Birds 16-13 to take control of the NFC South. The Bucs raced to a 4-2 start, including a win over the Saints and seemed ready to take the next step.

Then reality hit. 9 consecutive losses later, Bucs coach Raheem Morris may be coaching for his job (if his fate isn’t already sealed with the past four putrid performances).

Meanwhile, with the NFC South in the hands of the Saints, it’s all about playoff positioning for the Falcons. Would they rather return to New Orleans – where they were trounced last week – or would they like to try their luck against the NFC East champions?

A win by Atlanta combined with a loss by Detroit in Green Bay (a certainty – at least for the last 20 years or so) would give the Falcons the fifth seed and a game against the fourth seed winner of NY Giants-Dallas Sunday night showdown.

Here’s the capsule of Sunday’s game, courtesy of the Associated Press:

TAMPA BAY (4-11) At ATLANTA (9-6)

Sunday, 4:15 p.m. Fox

OPENING LINE — Falcons by 10½

RECORD VS. SPREAD — Atlanta 7-7-1; Tampa Bay 4-11

SERIES RECORD — Buccaneers lead 19-17

LAST MEETING — Buccaneers beat Falcons 16-13, Sept. 25

LAST WEEK — Falcons lost to Saints 45-16; Buccaneers lost to Panthers 48-16

BUCS OFFENSE — OVERALL (21), RUSH (30), PASS (16)

BUCS DEFENSE — OVERALL (30), RUSH (21), PASS (24)

FALCONS OFFENSE — OVERALL (10), RUSH (20), PASS (7)

FALCONS DEFENSE — OVERALL (12), RUSH (8), PASS (19)

STREAKS, STATS AND NOTES — Falcons 25-6 at Georgia Dome since Mike Smith hired as coach in 2008. Only New England and Baltimore have won more home games during that stretch. … Atlanta in playoffs two straight years for first time in franchise history. … Tampa Bay will attempt to sweep Falcons for fourth time since NFC South created in 2002. … Bucs victory in September snapped five-game series losing streak. … Tampa Bay has lost nine straight overall. … Josh Freeman needs 82 yards passing to become first Tampa Bay QB with consecutive 3,400-yard seasons. He is 1-4 against Falcons with 56.8 passer rating that includes pair of interceptions in Week 3. … CB Ronde Barber can pass retired LB Derrick Brooks with 224th game played for Tampa Bay, a franchise record. Barber has made 199 consecutive starts, another franchise high. … Falcons have won four of last six. … QB Matt Ryan coming off season-high 373 yards passing in blowout loss at New Orleans. His 52 attempts matched season high from Nov. 13 overtime home loss to Saints. … Falcons 27-2 when RB Michael Turner has at least 21 rushing attempts. … WR Roddy White leads NFC with 96 catches and has 1,000-plus yards receiving for franchise-best five straight years. … TE Tony Gonzalez needs 53 yards receiving to reach 13,383 and pass Torry Holt for 10th place on NFL career list. … DE John Abraham needs 1 1/2 sacks for seventh season with 10 or more.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press.

NFL Picks Week 17: DLT's Deadlocks

The last week of the regular season is upon us. SB Nation Tampa Bay's JC De La Torre gives us his week 17 NFL picks.