Matt Ryan threw for 353 yards and one touchdown in Atlanta Falcons' 24-23 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Ryan, who overcame two turnovers Sunday, has come out victorious in seven out of his last eight starts against the Buccaneers.
"They are playing with a lot of confidence," Ryan said. "It's always been a tough place for us to come play. They play with great effort, and I think they have a good football team."
With Matt Bryant's 31-yard field goal, Atlanta took a 3-0 lead in the first quarter. Doug Martin, however, scored a touchdown for Tampa Bay, following a one-yard run, making it 7-3.
In the second quarter, Connor Barth kicked a 22-yard field goal for Tampa Bay with 3:37 remaining. Both the teams were tied at half time 10-10.
Ryan then made a reception to Julio Jones for an 80 yard gain in the third quarter, which gave the Falcons a 17-10 lead.
The Buccaneers bounced back in the fourth quarter with Doug Martin's second touchdown of the game. Barth's 48-yard field goal extended Tampa Bay's lead to 23-17.
However, the Falcons, led by Ryan, put in a final six-play 64-yard possession, which culminated in a 3-yard TD run by Michael Turner, to turn the scores around and win by a single point.
"The last drive, that's something we've done before this season," Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez said. "I really think that's a positive for us to be able to come up with plays like that when we have to like that. ... I'm really happy with the way we responded."
The Buccaneers had an opportunity to win the game, but Barth missed a 56-yard goal in the closing minutes. With this, first-year coach Greg Schiano also lost an opportunity to taste victory against the Falcons.
"It was a hard-fought game by both teams, a very physical game," Schiano said. "But I do think missed opportunities were a big part of it. There were some chances both offensively and defensively, and in the kicking game."
The Falcons have a winning record of 10-1 this season, but they are aware they will face tough competitors in the coming games.
"Ten-and-1 is great, but I'll tell you what I've said since the beginning of the season: We're just jockeying for position," Gonzalez added. "We just want to put ourselves in the best position, playing the best football. Right around this time is when you want to start gelling as a team and take it on into the playoffs because that's the most important thing."
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