Bucs fall despite Fitzpatrick’s rally

have a did.”

After the Bucs (4-7) fell behind 27-6 early in the third quarter, Fitzpatrick led them back.

He completed four passes for 62 yards, setting up a short touchdown run by Peyton Barber. After the Bucs got the ball back, he connected on five throws for 67 yards, in addition to scrambling for an 11-yard gain, before Barber punched it over again from the 1 to bring the Bucs within 27-20.

The Bucs then came up with a huge turnover, stripping the ball away from Terron Ward deep in their own territory. Brent Grimes scooped it up at his own 5 and returned it all the way out to the Tampa Bay 42. chance, which we

Fitzpatrick got the offense cranked up again, working around a sack to push Tampa Bay to second-and-2 at the Atlanta 19. A shot at the end zone fell incomplete and a short throw to Adam Humphries picked up only a yard.

Facing fourth-and-1, the Bucs passed on a field goal and took another shot at the tying touchdown. With 346-pouind Dontari Poe bearing down on him, Fitzpatrick delivered a hurried throw over the middle intended for tight end Cameron Brate. It was batted down inside the 5 by Falcons safety Keanu Neal.

“With the two-game win streak we had coming in, the way we battled back in the second half,” Fitzpatrick said, “this one hurts.”

The Falcons took it the other way, clinching the victory on Tevin Coleman’s 14-yard touchdown run with just under two minutes remaining.

“We had momentum at that time and getting a field goal and being down by four, are we going to stop them or not stop them?” Koetter explained. “We were playing pretty good on offense, moving the football and made the decision on third down if we didn't get it we would go for it on fourth.”

Koetter took the blame for the play call, but Fitzpatrick disagreed.

“I thought it was a really good play call,” he said. “I wish I would have been able to execute better.”