Tampa Bay Buccaneers 27 Atlanta Falcons 24 Saturday 24 December 2005 at Raymond James Stadium
SCORING ATL 3:27-1Q Griffith 4 pass from Vick (Peterson kick) TB 0:20-1Q Cook 9 pass from Simms (Bryant kick) TB 12:50-2Q Alstott 11 pass from Simms (Bryant kick) ATL 3:19-2Q Jenkins 8 pass from Vick (Peterson kick) ATL 0:09-3Q Peterson FG31 TB 9:01-4Q Bryant FG50 ATL 4:18-4Q Duckett 2 run (Peterson kick) TB 0:25-4Q Williams 6 run (Bryant kick) TB 0:15-OT Bryant FG42
GAME REPORTS Roy Cummings' review of the game Martin Fennelly's award winning column What Rick Stroud thought of it all Gary Shelton reports on the kids who are making us believers Len Pasquarelli reports on a crazy playoff decider Matt Bryant - just so grateful of another chance to win it Another record-setting day on the ground for the Cadillac Chris Simms - the leading voice in the Buccaneer huddle What are the current playoff implications? Game notes and anecdotes The game report The gamebook and the play-by-play of the game
This went to overtime after Cadillac scored inside the final 30 seconds before Matt Bryant won it even later in overtime. This was the game where Atlanta coach Jim Mora was fined by the NFL for phoning his GM to ask if it was worth him playing for a tie in overtime because of playoff tie-breaker implications. "I don't know if I've ever played in a game where things went back and forth so much," said Chris Simms.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING BUCS: Williams 31-150, Pittman 4-17, Alstott 1-5, Simms 1-2. FALCONS: Vick 11-63, Dunn 14-59, Duckett 11-32. PASSING BUCS: Simms 42-29-285-2-2. FALCONS: Vick 26-16-161-0-2. FALCONS: RECEIVING BUCS: Galloway 8-97, Smith 8-75, Pittman 4-17, Alstott 3-32, Becht 2-28, Clayton 1-11, Williams 1-10, Cook 1-9, Hilliard 1-6. FALCONS: Crumpler 4-63, Jenkins 4-54, White 3-31, Griffith 2- 4, Dunn 1-5, Finneran 1-4, McCrary 1-0. INTERCEPTIONS BUCS: none. FALCONS: Hall 1-65, Brooking 1-17. KICK RETURNS BUCS: Shepherd 5-110, Graham 1-11. FALCONS: Cobb 5-104. PUNT RETURNS BUCS: Jones 6-55. FALCONS: Cobb 1-8, Finneran 0-0. SACKS BUCS: Rice 2-17, Jackson 1-16, Brooks 1-1. FALCONS: Coleman 1-11, Kerney 1-4.
STARTERS OFFENSE DEFENSE LT 69 Davis DE 94 Spires LG 72 Buenning DT 95 Hovan C 76 Wade DT 92 McFarland RG 79 Mahan DE 97 Rice RT 67 Walker LLB 56 Nece TE 88 Becht MLB 53 Quarles TE 81 Smith RLB 55 Brooks WR 84 Galloway LCB 25 Kelly FB 40 Alstott RCB 20 Barber RB 24 Williams SS 23 Phillips QB 2 Simms FS 34 Jackson PLAYED 3 Bryant, 9 Bidwell, 19 Hilliard, 21 Bolden, 26 Allen, 27 Cox, 28 Nicholson, 32 Pittman, 33 Graham, 39 Pearson, 43 Cook, 51 Ruud, 54 Mallard, 75 Steussie, 77 Terry, 80 Clayton, 83 Moore, 86 Shepherd, 89 Jones, 90 White, 91 Bradley, 96 Wyms DID NOT PLAY 12 McCown INACTIVES 13 Rattay, 22 Watson, 46 Adams, 58 Cooper, 61 Colmer, 64 Bryant, 74 Jackson, 89 Heller
COMMENTARY CREW Kenny Albert and Brian Baldinger