Atlanta Falcons: Big Fourth-Down Stop Propels Atlanta to First Place

With just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a 4th-and-1 on the Atlanta Falcons' 2-yard line.

Atlanta stuffed running back LeGarrette Blount for no gain, thanks in large part to Thomas DeCoud, who came up from his safety position to stop the big back.

It may have been possible for Tampa coach Raheem Morris to challenge the spot, but the team was out of timeouts and, therefore, unable to throw the flag.

The Falcons' Michael Turner was then handed the ball three times and was able to get a first down, putting the game on ice, with a final score of 27-21.

Morris made headlines two weeks ago when he proclaimed the Bucs the best team in the NFC. The Falcons used his statement as motivation heading into the game and now sit alone at the top of the NFC South.

Atlanta set the tone early with a nearly seven-minute touchdown drive that saw them convert a 4th-and-2. The drive was capped off by the first of Turner's two touchdown runs.

After forcing Tampa Bay to punt, the Falcons were pinned at their own 1-yard line.

What ensued was a 99-yard touchdown drive, ending on a 10-yard run by Turner.

The early 14-point deficit would prove too much for the Buccaneers to overcome, although they showed great resilience for a young team, not backing down and making the necessary plays to keep themselves in the game.

Tampa's defense was particularly impressive in the fourth quarter, not allowing the Falcons to score when they had opportunities to put the game away.

Bucs return man Michael Spurlock even ran back a kick for a touchdown when Atlanta appeared to be pulling away after a field goal put them up 27-14 late in the third.

Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, they were unable to score again, despite pulling out all the stops.

After the run-back, Tampa went for a surprise onside kick and initially was given the ball before an Atlanta challenge showed that there had been an illegal touch by the Bucs on the play.

Josh Freeman, the Tampa quarterback who has been so good at orchestrating game-winning fourth quarter drives this year, had a rough go of it, completing 11-of-22 passes for 189 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.

Both of his interceptions came in the second half.

Freeman's counterpart, Atlanta quarterback Matt Ryan, was solid despite missing receiver Roddy White for much of the first half.

Ryan completed 66 percent of his passes for 235 yards and one touchdown.

Tony Gonzalez filled the void with White missing, catching eight balls for 72 yards, as six different Falcons caught passes, and eight were targeted.

Turner added 107 yards on 24 carries to his two touchdowns. He was able to break off some nice-sized runs and finished with a 4.5 yards-per-carry average.

Atlanta was once again strong against the run, allowing 96 yards on the game. Tampa's leading rusher was Blount, who had just 46 yards on 13 carries.

The Falcons are now 4-0 at home this year and have a quick turnaround this week, hosting Baltimore on Thursday.

Tampa Bay is clearly a good squad, but they have struggled against upper-tier teams so far, losing 38-13 to Pittsburgh, 31-6 to New Orleans and now falling to Atlanta in a tighter game.

If both teams can continue to win, it will set up a huge Week 13 matchup between the two in Tampa.

For now, though, the Falcons are the first place team in what is shaping up to be one of, if not the, toughest division in the NFL.

Atlanta fans have to happy with the effort today, especially the big stop near the goal line near the end. The Falcons were also able to control the ball for 34 minutes and did not allow the dramatic comeback the Buccaneers have been known for.

The Falcons now have a chance to move into the No. 1 position overall in the NFC, depending on the results of some late games.