ATLANTA -- In a game defined by wild momentum swings, the Falcons had the ball last.
And that made all the difference.
Jason Elam's 34-yard field goal with 4:08 remaining in overtime lifted Atlanta to a 13-10 victory over the visiting Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The win moves Atlanta (9-5) into a second-place tie in the NFC South and keeps playoff hopes very much alive with just two weeks left in the season.
Running back Michael Turner picked up 34 of his game-high 152 rushing yards on the game-winning drive, setting up Elam for his second game-winning kick in the Georgia Dome this season. Tampa Bay won the coin toss to start the overtime period and took the ball, but John Abraham sacked quarterback Brian Griese on third-and-8 with 11:07 left to force a punt.
Abraham notched three sacks in the game to move his career-high sack total to 15.5 for the season.
"It was just one of those days," said Abraham, who got one sack by simply forcing an offensive lineman into Griese's back. "We worked hard this week. We tried to come out and play well as a team and I think we did a good job."
Turner rushed for more than 100-yards in a game for the seventh time this season. His first-quarter touchdown run (15) also broke the Falcons single-season record set by Jamal Anderson in 1998.
"We wanted to be able to feed him the football and, as the game went on, he got stronger and stronger," Head Coach Mike Smith said. "That's the best thing about Michael; he gets stronger as the game goes on. He did a great job."
Turner carried a Falcons offense that jumped out to a 10-0 first quarter lead but stalled in the second half. Quarterback Matt Ryan threw a pair of interceptions. A third-quarter drive collapsed when tight end Jason Rader fumbled at the goal line. Another possession ended with a blocked punt that set up the Bucs game-tying field goal.
"We struggled today on offense," said wide receiver Roddy White, who finished with four catches for 61 yards. "We turned the ball over a lot and we felt that we were stopping ourselves. Although we were moving the chains, our defense really bailed us out today... I really appreciate their hard work. If they continue playing like they did today, we'll always have a shot to win."
The defense forced momentum shifts after almost every offensive miscue.
Cornerback Domonique Foxworth intercepted his first pass as a Falcon on the drive following Rader's fumble. He would later knock the ball away from tight end Alex Smith and tip a pass intended for Antonio Bryant on consecutive plays. That forced one of nine Buccaneer punts.
"We played great defensively all day long," linebacker Keith Brooking said. "We were talking about it on the sidelines saying 'regardless of what takes place, we have to get a stop. We have to find a way to make a stop and put the football back in the hands of our offense.' We gave them enough opportunities and they found a way to get down there and try to win the game."
"The defense played well throughout the entire game," added Smith. "They bounced back from last week. We did not defend the run like I had wanted to last week. It was a great effort. They were put in some difficult situations and were able to rise to the occasion."
The defense also benefited from a missed field goal with 3:38 remaining in regulation. The Bucs rushed for for just 99 yards in the game and committed five false start penalties, which Smith attributed to crowd noise in an energized Georgia Dome.
"I can't say enough about the crowd," the coach said. "We got 25 free yards that were directly contributed to the fans. It was electric in there. Our fans are without a doubt the most-educated (around). They know when to scream and yell. They do a great job. Those 25 yards were big for us today."
Tampa Bay finished with 11 penalties for 76 yards.
Bryant finished with eight catches for 108 yards and touchdown. Griese, playing in place of an injured Jeff Garcia, helped engineer that scoring drive just before halftime and cut into the Falcons lead, 10-7. But the Falcons re-directed that momentum swing as well, holding the Bucs No. 1 receiver to just one catch the rest of the game.
With the win a playoff picture is starting to take shape for the Falcons. Sunday's thriller also improved the Birds to 6-1 in the Dome and improved the overall division record to 25-2 at home.
"It is important for our team to take one win at a time," Ryan said when asked about a playoff berth. "It was a great atmosphere out there in the Georgia Dome and we definitely needed (fan) support against a division foe. Our fans had it extremely loud and it was a great thing to be part of."
MORE FROM THE FALCONS-BUCS GAME:
- GAME CENTER: Stats and more on the game from NFL.com
- GAME RECAP: Turner, defensive stops key in overtime victory
- GAME NOTES: Falcons and Bucs game notes straight from the Georgia Dome press box
- GAME BLOG: Notes on the Falcons victory over the Bucs on FalconsLIFE
- J. MIKE'S MISSIVES: News and comment from the managing editor
- VIDEO: Head Coach Mike Smith | Ryan | White | Foxworth | Turner | Elam | Abraham
- NFL NETWORK: Falcons-Bucs Game Highlights
- TRANSCRIPTS: Head Coach Mike Smith | Falcons | Bucs
- INACTIVES: Inactives and starters from the Falcons-Bucs game
- FORUMS: Talk about the game with other fans on FalconsLIFE
- PHOTOS: Images from Falcons-Bucs games present and past
