Atlanta Falcons: Survive Tampa Bay and Keep Playoff Hopes Alive
By Kit Anderson
The Atlanta Falcons kept their playoff hopes alive on Monday night with a nail biting win over the Tampa Bay Bucs. A late game tying field goal attempt and miss from Tampa sealed the game for Atlanta and boosted their playoff chances.
Winning on Monday night ensured the Atlanta Falcons a shot at the playoffs with any win in the last two weeks clinching a playoff berth. The Falcons survived Tampa in a game that was at times was slow and seemed to consistently hang in the balance against a bad Tampa team.
The 24-21 win over the Bucs gives a Falcons a clear path to a division title and the ability to host a playoff game or with one win clinching the playoffs. The one win is the most likely scenario considering that the Falcons will face the Panthers and Saints both playoff teams themselves.
Considering the up-and-down confusing season that the Falcons have had the close win on Monday night shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. The Falcons in fairness, were missing a starting offensive lineman and did little creatively running the ball down Tampa’s throat with the obvious objective of coming out of Tampa with a win and most of their tricks still in the playbook.
Playing conservatively worked out for the Falcons and has put them in the perfect position to either run the table and win the division or find a way to win one of the two remaining games and get into the playoffs with a shot.
With the win the Falcons knocked the Green Bay Packers out of contention for a playoff spot leaving the Lions, Seahawks, and Cowboys trailing the Falcons for the last playoff spot. Atlanta owns the tiebreaker over all three teams.