Buccaneers Catch a Big Break

Michael Vick and the Atlanta Falcons looked unstoppable.

Then Derrick Brooks took matters into his hands.

Brooks, always at his best against the Falcons, forced a fumble by Vick with slightly more than a minute to go, leading to Matt Bryant’s 45-yard field goal that gave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a 30-27 victory Sunday.

The Buccaneers (7-3) moved into a tie for first in the NFC South with Carolina. The Falcons (6-4) remained one game back in the division after their second consecutive loss at home.

“That was a gritty game, man,” Tampa Bay cornerback Ronde Barber said. “Two equally matched teams. There’s big plays all over the field when we two play each other.”

Brooks came up with a big play after Carnell “Cadillac” Williams scored on a nine-yard run to tie the score, 27-27, with 1 minute 55 seconds to play.

Blitzing up the middle, he leaped over Warrick Dunn’s block attempt and caused Vick to lose the ball as he dropped back to pass. Shelton Quarles fell on it at the Atlanta 34.

Four plays later, Bryant kicked the winning field goal with 42 seconds left.

Vick, who threw for 306 yards in only the second 300-yard game of his career, wasn’t sure what happened.

“I don’t know if Warrick hit the ball or if Derrick Brooks hit the ball,” Vick said. “We fought back. We were able to make plays. We just didn’t win the game. That’s what matters most.”

Brooks didn’t know whether he got a hand on the ball either, speculating that he may have knocked Dunn into the quarterback, which caused the fumble.

Atlanta trailed, 13-0, then Vick led five consecutive scoring possessions, including a 10-yard touchdown pass to Michael Jenkins that gave the Falcons a 27-20 lead with 7:36 remaining.

The Falcons were sharp in third-down plays, converting 11 of 17 -- many of them in long-yardage situations -- against a team that ranked second in the league in that defensive category.

After Williams’ touchdown, Atlanta got the ball back at its 20. Vick connected with Dunn on an 11-yard pass, and Dunn broke several tackles for an eight-yard run. Then Brooks broke through.

“I don’t care about stats,” Vick said. “I don’t care how many yards I pass for as long as we win.”

Vick drove the Falcons to the Buccaneer 37 with five seconds remaining. Michael Koenen tried a 55-yard field goal on the last play, but couldn’t duplicate a 58-yard kick he made on his only other try this season.

Koenen, who normally handles the punting and kickoff duties, is also used on long field goals because he has a stronger leg than Todd Peterson. His kick had plenty of distance but sailed wide right.

“I hit it good. I hit it solid,” Koenen said. “I just pushed it a little bit.”

Bryant kicked three field goals, including two from 45 yards.