And much more than a midseason claim to "Best in the NFC" on the line.
Down by six with 2:44 to play, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed just a few inches to make Raheem Morris look like a very smart coach and cutting-edge motivator. The visiting Bucs, behind second-year quarterback Josh Freeman and crazy-legged kickoff man Micheal Spurlock, had erased an early two-touchdown deficit to move within a foot of sending a message to the rival Atlanta Falcons and the rest of the conference.
"That's what you want. That's why you play the game," Falcons safety Thomas Decoud said. "You want it to come down to one play. You want it to be on you."
Bucs tailback LeGarrette Blount took a handoff and veered off right tackle -- failing to see a gaping hole up the middle -- where Falcons defensive lineman Jamaal Anderson and linebacker Stephen Nicholas submarined Blount's blockers, allowing Decoud to dive into the fray and stuff the 247-pound Blount for no gain.
"I just saw a swarm of buzzards going after him," linebacker Curtis Lofton said. "And then they went in and ate him up."
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