Our columnist Mark Bradley gives his take on the game.
1. Even if they had to blitz like crazy, the Falcons mustered a pass rush. They entered with 11 sacks for the season, 27th-most in the NFL. They managed three this day — most notably William Moore's forced fumble on Tampa Bay's first possession that Thomas DeCoud returned for a touchdown — and were credited with five quarterback hits. The blitzes left their cornerbacks in much man-to-man coverage, but only Vincent Jackson (10 catches for 138 yards and two touchdowns) was able to exploit it. Even so, Jackson grew so frustrated that he drew a grabbing-the-face-mask penalty against Asante Samuel late in the fourth quarter.
2. Harry Douglas, normally the No. 3 wide receiver, looked like a No. 1. He caught seven passes for a career-best 149 yards and his 37-yard touchdown gave the Falcons a 24-7 lead. With tight end Tony Gonzalez neutralized (two catches, 30 yards), Douglas became Matt Ryan's main man. Said Ryan of Douglas: "I don't think anyone in that locker room was surprised. … People just may not have known about him because we've had those other guys (Julio Jones and Roddy White, both injured) playing for so long."
3. The Bucs looked, shall we say, addled. They were penalized 11 times for 103 yards, and they committed four penalties that turned first-and-goal from the 5 into first-and-goal from the 30 and then fourth-and-goal from the 23. Coach Greg Schiano, facing that fourth-and-goal with five minutes remaining, chose to kick a field goal while trailing by 14 points. Had the Bucs gone for it on fourth-and-23, the worst they could have been was two scores down. By kicking a field goal, they ensured the best they could be was two scores down. Granted, that field goal and another with 1:55 remaining brought them within eight points, but their onside kick failed.
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