• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Battered Buccaneers look to rebound against Falcons

Dec 9, 2008 - 6:02 PM Tampa Bay (9-4) at Atlanta (8-5), 1:00 pm EST

ATLANTA (Ticker) -- For a Jon Gruden-coached team, the numbers the Tampa Bay Buccaneers allowed in Monday's 38-23 loss at Carolina were stunning - 464 total yards, including 299 yards on the ground.

After their defense was manhandled on national television, the Buccaneers have a short week to recover as they visit the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday in another key NFC South clash.

The loss dropped Tampa Bay (9-4) one game behind Carolina (10-3) in the competitive NFC South and kept them only one game ahead of Atlanta (8-5).

The Buccaneers entered Monday's contest riding a four-game winning streak and boasting the NFL's fourth-best defense, yet allowed the second-highest rushing total in franchise history.

The bad news for Tampa Bay is that it stays on road, where NFC South teams are 0-10 this season against division foes.

There was one bright spot for the Buccaneers, as Antonio Bryant grabbed nine passes for 200 yards and two scores - career highs in all three categories.

The Buccaneers would love to see Bryant, their leading receiver with 57 receptions for 736 yards and three TDs, stay hot down the stretch.

"We saw a couple of teams take some big (losses) this weekend, but I think we just need to focus on winning every game and playing every game and approaching them like they are playoff games already," Bryant said.

If the Buccaneers do bounce back Sunday, they will go a long way toward clinching at least a wild card spot with their 10th win. They also would lock up no worse than second place in the NFC South, having also beaten Atlanta at home, 24-9, in Week Two.

Led by rookie quarterback Matt Ryan, the Falcons (8-5) have been one of the NFL best feel-good stories this season, but they are coming off a damaging 29-25 loss to New Orleans.

Atlanta, which squandered a fourth-quarter lead, remained tied with Dallas (8-5) in the battle for the NFL's second wild card spot.

Ryan completed 24-of-33 passes for a career-high 315 yards, but the Falcons couldn't stop New Orleans second-year running back Pierre Thomas, who ran for 102 yards and two TDs - both in the fourth quarter.

While a loss Sunday won't eliminate the Falcons, it would severely weaken their chances.

Atlanta would have no chance of catching Tampa Bay, which would open a two-game lead over the Falcons and win the tiebreaker based on a season sweep.

In the earlier meeting, Ryan threw two interceptions and running back Michael Turner was held to 42 yards, his lowest total of the season.

Brian Griese started for Tampa Bay in place of Jeff Garcia, who was benched after playing poorly in a season-opening 24-20 loss at New Orleans.