Falcons vs. Buccaneers: a quick look at the series history

What would a 3-game winning streak mean to you? Maybe it’d mean nothing. And that’s fair, given how the first half of the season played out. But it’d confirm what we’ve been saying saying since the Falcons beat the Panthers last week: that when Dan Quinn’s back was up against the wall, he orchestrated an incredibly unlikely but successful turnaround. To be sure, it’s a turnaround that won’t go anywhere, but a turnaround nonetheless.

Focusing in on tomorrow’s game, the Falcons and the Buccaneers have an interesting history. The Falcons presently lead the series, 27-24. But that’s only the result of a 5-game head to head winning streak by the Falcons.

These teams first played on November 27, 1977, a 17-0 Falcons victory. Haskel Stankback took it to the house twice, both 1 yard rushes. Interestingly that game came in the middle of Stankback’s best year as a professional. He’d rack up 1,134 all-purpose yards, including 6 touchdowns.

These teams last played on December 30, 2018, a 34-32 Falcons victory. The undisputed highlight of that game was Matt Ryan’s first career reception, a 5-yard strike from Mohamed Sanu that put 6 on the board. Ryan threw in 378 passing yards and 2 passing touchdowns free of charge.

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