Keys for Falcons vs. Buccaneers

The Falcons have noticed an improved Bucs defense.

"I think over the last four weeks they are playing as well as anybody in the league," Falcons coach Mike Smith said.  "They've won two in a row, both of them on the road. They are playing very inspired football on defense."

2. The Cadillac rolling again: Tampa Bay running back Carnell "Cadillac" Williams is rounding back into form.

He ran for 129 yards and powered the ball at the Saints in overtime last Sunday. The Bucs amassed 176 yards rushing, the most for them in a span of 27 games. Since 2005, the Bucs are 15-1 when they have a 100-yard rusher.

"Cadillac ran the ball extremely well last week against a very good Saints defense," Smith said. "I think they'll want to come in and try to run the football against us."

Off the run, the Bucs are trying to set up some play-action passing for rookie quarterback Josh Freeman. His favorite targets are tight end Kellen Winslow and wide receiver Antonio Bryant.

The Falcons' defense has been stingy against the run. Only one back (New England's Fred Taylor) has rushed for more than 100 yards against them. The defense has held five of the past six teams to under 100 yards rushing overall.

3. Freeman's continued development: Since taking over the quarterbacking duties, Freeman has posted a 3-5 record, with impressive wins over playoff-bound teams Green Bay and New Orleans.

He has passed for 1,683 yards, the most in a single-season by a Tampa Bay rookie quarterback. He also has nine touchdown passes.

Smith has seen improvement in Freeman since the Nov. 29 matchup at the Georgia Dome.

"He's a big guy, who's got the skill set to throw the football," Smith said. "He's learning from week to week. He's put up a bunch of yards in a couple of those ball games."

In the previous game against the Falcons, Freeman competed 20 of 29 passes for 250 yards and touchdowns. After the Falcons went up 10-0 and appeared prime to blowout the Bucs, Freeman came back with a two-play, 80-yard touchdown drive. He completed a 38-yarder to Bryant, followed by a 42-yard touchdown.

4. Spurlock back with Bucs: The Bucs were able to win their first NFC South game of the season Sunday with some strong special-teams play.

They tied the game on Michael Spurlock's 77-yard punt return touchdown in the fourth quarter and won it with a 47-yard field goal.

Spurlock, fresh off a stint in the United Football League, was re-signed by the Bucs on Dec. 22 after Pro Bowl returner Clifton Smith suffered a season-ending injury.

In 2007, Spurlock, a former Mississippi quarterback, scored on a 90-yard kickoff return against the Falcons to become the first Bucs player in history to return a kickoff for a touchdown.

The Bucs' special teams were key in the previous game this season. Corey Lynch blocked a Michael Koenen punt to set up a Tampa Bay touchdown drive and give them a 17-10 lead.

5. Silence the cannons: Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan has had two of the more significant games of his pro career against Tampa Bay.

In the second start of his career last season, the Bucs jumped on Ryan in the first half on the way to a 24-9 victory. Ryan battled back to play a good second half, but struggled when former defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin tossed everything, including the kitchen sink, at the Falcons' offense.

In the first matchup this season, Ryan was knocked out of the game with a toe injury on the first series of the game and did not return. Redman came on to pull out the victory in the final minute, but the Bucs had six sacks and were quite disruptive.

The Bucs have won only one game at home this season. But if they can get rolling and start firing the cannons from the Pirate ship in the endzone, it can be a long day for the Falcons.

"We don't want to hear those cannons," Smith said. "Just like you don't want to hear the horn in Minnesota. We are definitely aware of that."

3 key matchups

1. Bucs DE Stylez G. White vs. Falcons LT Sam Baker/Will Svitek: The artist formerly known as Greg White had a big day in the previous meeting. He beat Baker to flush Ryan out of the pocket and dragged him down, creating that troublesome turf-toe injury. Baker, who has played with a myriad of injuries, was getting used to an elbow brace that game. He said he thought he was replaced in the game by Svitek because he wasn't effective. White leads the Saints with 6.5 sacks and 31 quarterback pressures.

2. Falcons CB Brent Grimes vs. Bucs WR Antonio Bryant: Earlier this season, Bryant got loose on right cornerback Tye Hill for a 42-yard touchdown. Grimes has replaced Chris Houston on the right side and has put together three strong games. He appears to be more instinctive on the right side. Grimes has three interceptions over the past two games.

3. Bucs TE Kellen Winslow vs. Falcons SS Erik Coleman: Coleman is a key part of the Falcons' run support, but he could be busy in pass coverage with Winslow, who leads the Bucs' with 72 catches for 828 yards. Winslow had seven catches for 81 yards in the first match-up with the Falcons. Coleman leads the secondary in tackles with 129 tackles.

The Falcons will win if ...

1. The run defense continues to play strong: The Bucs have discovered their formula for success. They absolutely have to run the ball. The Falcons defense is on a roll against the run. They are coming off games in which they held the New York Jets, who have the NFL's top-ranked rushing offense, to 99 yards (67.6 yards below their average) and held the Buffalo Bills to 40 yards rushing.

2. They establish some balance: Running back Michael Turner (high right ankle sprain) is unlikely to play. His backups, Jason Snelling and Jerious Norwood, will continue to share the load. Last week, they combined to rush for 120 yards on 28 carries. Overall, the Falcons rushed for 157 yards against the Bills and averaged 4.2 yards per carry. They will need some balance to slow down Tampa's pass rush.

3. The secondary holds up: Cornerbacks Brent Grimes and Christopher Owens have played well late in the season. They've helped the defense create six turnovers, including five interceptions over the past two games. Grimes has three interceptions over the past two games and leads the team with five. Owens, a rookie third-round pick, recorded his first career interception last week against Buffalo.