Atlanta Falcons: Winners and Losers from Dirty Birds' Loss vs. Buccaneers

The Buccaneers proved to be too much for the Atlanta Falcons. Though there were bright spots in Atlanta, they were overshadowed by the sloppy play of the offensive line and young quarterback. 

This loss is a tough one for Atlanta, which is now 1-2 after it dominated the division with a 13-3 record in 2010. The biggest loser in this contest was the Falcons, not a specific player. However, some Falcons did all they could to propel the Falcons to the top.

The winners deserve to be praised, the losers to be shamed. 

Loser: Michael Turner

Michael Turner just looked slow. 

He carried the ball 11 times for 20 yards and made the life of Matt Ryan extremely difficult. Every time Turner was handed the ball it seemed like he had lost the steam he had, even last year, that earned him the nickname "The Burner." 

Turner rightfully earns his "loser" status for this game. For an offense that Roddy White called the next "Greatest Show on Turf," Turner looks absolutely nothing like Marshall Faulk. 

Winner: Julio Jones

Julio Jones was one of the biggest blockbuster trades we've seen in awhile. He's young, but he looks like the real deal. 

Jones was targeted seven times during the game and brought in six of them for 115 yards and a whopping 19.2 average. When they drafted Jones they wanted a guy to go and take the top off the defense, and he's doing just that. 

Even better, he shows power after running the ball. On one catch in particular, Jones reeled it in and ran over a defensive back for an extra 10 yards. The offense may have been out of sync today, but it wasn't because of Jones. 

Loser: Matt Ryan

Matty Ice seems to be losing his cool. 

Ryan met his clutch counterpart Josh Freeman today, and when it came down to the wire Ryan walked away with a field goal instead of a touchdown.

Ryan also lost two fumbles and threw an interception, which virtually destroyed the Falcons' momentum. Losing three possessions is a huge blow, and the turnovers are beginning to pile up for Ryan and the Atlanta offense. 

Winner: Sean Weatherspoon

The Falcons defense kept them in it in this game, and Sean Weatherspoon was a big reason for that. 

Weatherspoon, a Missouri product and 17th overall pick in the 2010 draft, had a big game. He was all over the field, making 11 tackles—10 of which were solo—and had two tackles for losses. 

He's a developing player, and a good one at that. Weakside linebackers don't get a lot of press, but Weatherspoon should start being noticed around the league. He now has 20 tackles on the season and shows up to make plays all over the field. 

Loser: Falcons Offensive Line

The offensive line is getting beat often, and it's causing a lot of problems for Matt Ryan and Michael Turner. 

The offensive line let up four sacks tonight, on top of numerous hits and pressures. It was absolutely obliterated in the run game, as Turner found little room to run and even when he did he was slow to the hole. 

The big guys up front were a relative strength for Atlanta last year. So far they're playing very poorly in the first three games, allowing 11 sacks and taking seven penalties. The woes of this offense start up front, and until they get those problems fixed, "Air Atlanta" will be put on hold. 

Winner: Tony Gonzalez

Tony Gonzalez has been improving upon his spectacular career early this season.

For a guy many have think has lost a step, he continues to beat coverage, especially in the end zone. Gonzalez caught the Falcons' lone touchdown for the day, and without him the offense would struggle mightily inside the 20. 

It's his third touchdown reception in two weeks. The Falcons need Gonzalez to keep producing, especially since Julio Jones is playing more off raw talent right and needs to settle into the system.