By Melissa Potes
EBC Florida Bureau
TAMPA, Florida (Eagle News) — The season finale of NFC South division rivals Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers featured former Pro Bowl quarterbacks, Matt Ryan and Jameis Winston, putting on a show, with the Bucs losing 34-32 on a last possession field goal by the Falcons at Raymond James Stadium.
In a high scoring affair, the Buccaneers started off hot, taking a 17-0 lead, which included a 70-yard drive lead by Winston, who hit wide receiver Chris Godwin in the endzone with 46 seconds left in the first half.
However, with the remaining time left in the first half, Matt Ryan marched the Falcons downfield 75 yards and scored on a 19-yard pass to wide receiver Julio Jones.
In the second half, Ryan (378 yds, 2 TDs, and 1 INT), led the Falcons to four straight scoring drives to take the lead over the Bucs in the third quarter. He threw a costly interception in the fourth quarter, however, which set up a Bucs scoring drive on their next possession. A failed 2-point conversion would leave the score with Tampa Bay leading 32 to 31 with 5:17 left in the game.
On Atlanta’s final possession, the Falcons drove the ball 71 yards consuming 5:10 off the clock. Kicker, Matt Bryant finished off the drive by sending the ball through the uprights and handing the Bucs their 11th loss of the season.
Despite a spectacular showing by Winston (345 yds, 4 TD, 1 Int), this would be the seventh time in 2018 that the Bucs lost by eight or fewer points.
“It’s an empty feeling when you lose…I believe I gave our team a chance to win, it just didn’t turn out the way we wanted it to,” Winston said after the game.
Bucs Head Coach, Dirk Koetter, was fired immediately after three seasons, posting a 19-29 record during his tenure.
“Today’s loss was hard, and a microcosm of the Bucs season,” the former coach said. “I just told the players, ‘it’s close but no cigar’ is just what we are right now. There’s a fine line between winning and losing in the NFL.”
(Eagle News Service)
