Falcons ‘wild’ about win Playoffs preview?
TAMPA, Fla. — Devonta Freeman pounded away all night until he finally found a way into the open field, helping the Atlanta Falcons remain in the thick of the tight NFC South race.
With sidekick Tevin Coleman out with a concussion and Matt Ryan not particularly sharp throwing the ball, Freeman rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown to key a 2421 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night.
The fourth-year pro scored on a 32-yard run midway through the fourth quarter, darting through a hole on the right side before cutting back to elude the only defender with a shot at tackling him and restore a 10-point lead for the Falcons (9-5), who barely hung on to win for the fifth time in six games.
“We had a sense this would be a big night for him. We talked about that before the game,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. “We thought he
If the NFL season ended today, the following 12 teams would be in the playoffs:
AFC
1. New England Patriots (11-3) 2. Pittsburgh Steelers (11-3) 3. Jacksonville Jaguars (10-4) 4. Kansas City Chiefs (8-6) 5. Tennessee Titans (8-6, wild card)
6. Buffalo Bills (8-6, wild card) NFC
1. Philadelphia Eagles (12-2) 2. Minnesota Vikings (11-3)
3. Los Angeles Rams (10-4) 4. New Orleans Saints (10-4) 5. Carolina Panthers (10-4, wild card)
6. Atlanta Falcons (9-5, wild card) would have his opportunities. If he could get to the next level and to a linebacker or safety or corner, make sure he had a plan how he wanted to finish.”
Freeman also caught five passes for a team-high 68 yards and had a first-half fumble recovered in the end zone by teammate Levine Toilolo for a touchdown. Ryan threw an early TD pass to Justin Hardy and finished 17 of 31 passing for 212 yards and no interceptions.
The victory kept Atlanta within one game of New Orleans and Carolina in the division standings with two to play. If the playoffs started now, the Falcons would be the second NFC wild-card.
Atlanta plays at New Orleans on Sunday, then closes the regular season at home against the Panthers.
“We’re right where we need to be at this point of the season … and we’ve got to find a way to get back to work this week, try to improve and make sure we play the best we’re capable of playing this Sunday,” Ryan said. “That’s really all our focus needs to be about. If we’re worried about anything else then you’re not as locked in as you need to be.”
Jameis Winston threw for 299 yards and three TDS for the Bucs (4-10), including a 16-yarder to Adam Humphries that trimmed Atlanta’s lead to three points with 3:51 remaining.