Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6 Atlanta Falcons 17 Sunday 10 December 2006 at Raymond James Stadium
SCORING TB 6:43-1Q Bryant FG42 TB 11:42-2Q Bryant FG24 ATL 9:51-3Q Williams 54 fumble return (Andersen kick) ATL 3:24-3Q Griffith 21 run (Andersen kick) ATL 3:14-4Q Andersen FG23
Another game without a touchdown and the endzone-free streak stretched to nearly three hours. Jon Gruden made the switch from Bruce Gradkowski to Tim Rattay during the 3rd quarter but without any effect. Matt Bryant missed a 51-yard field goal on the third which was followed by Gradkowski being sacked by John Abraham and Demorrio Williams scooped up the fumble and returned it 54 yards for a TD.
INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS RUSHING BUCS: Williams 20-48, Alstott 2-20, Gradkowski 2-8, Pittman 3-4, Rattay 2-0. FALCONS: Griffith 12-57, Dunn 11-45, Norwood 7-32, Vick 3-5, Schaub 1-0. PASSING BUCS: Gradkowski 24-13-121-0-0, Rattay 13-9-83-0-0. FALCONS: Vick 23-14-155-1-0. RECEIVING BUCS: Pittman 7-73, Galloway 5-64, Hilliard 4-32, Smith 2-17, Alstott 2-4, Warren 1-9, Williams 1-5. FALCONS: Lelie 3-49, Crumpler 3-30, Dunn 2-27, White 2-17, Blakley 1-14, Griffith 1-8, Jenkins 1-6, Norwood 1-4. INTERCEPTIONS BUCS: Buchanon 1-0. FALCONS: none. KICK RETURNS BUCS: Cox 2-34, Pittman 1-17. FALCONS: Rossum 3-44. PUNT RETURNS BUCS: Hilliard 2-22. FALCONS: Rossum 2-7. SACKS BUCS: Quarles 1.5-10.5, Nece 0.5-3.5 FALCONS: Abraham 1-12.
STARTERS OFFENSE DEFENSE LT 69 Davis DE 94 Spires LG 79 Mahan DT 95 Hovan C 76 Wade DT 96 Wyms RG 75 Joseph DE 90 White RT 65 Trueblood LLB 56 Nece TE 88 Becht MLB 53 Quarles TE 81 Smith RLB 55 Brooks WR 84 Galloway LCB 31 Buchanon RB 40 Alstott RCB 20 Barber RB 24 Williams SS 23 Phillips QB 7 Gradkowski FS 37 Allen PLAYED 3 Bryant, 9 Bidwell, 13 Rattay, 19 Hilliard, 21 Bolden, 27 Cox, 32 Pittman, 33 Sowell, 34 Graham, 39 Pearson, 46 Adams, 50 Winborn, 51 Ruud, 52 Cash, 54 Mallard, 71 Haye, 74 Green, 77 Terry, 82 Warren, 83 Moore, 85 Stovall, 91 Jenkins DID NOT PLAY 98 Bradley INACTIVES 12 McCown, 29 Zemaitis, 30 Nicholson, 66 Mihlhauser, 70 Penn, 86 Jolley, 89 Jones, 93 Bennett
GAME REPORTS Rick Stroud reports on the call for a star quarterback Martin Fennelly's award-winning column And a welcome return for Tom McEwen to the reporting stakes Gary Shelton never misses a chance to rip the coaching staff Joey Johnston has been writing about the Bucs for decades And yet the defense managed to contain Michael Vick Some turn-around from going 5-1 in the NFC South last season Team notes and anecdotes from the Buc locker room The game report from Raymond James Stadium The gamebook and the play-by-play from the game
COMMENTARY CREW Dick Stockton and Darryl Johnston