Despite the defensive effort, the Falcons' offense struggled again as they were shut out in the first half as the Buccaneers took a 7–2 lead at halftime due to a 79–yard return of a blocked field goal by CB Mike Washington.

[31][32] In the matchup on September 28 in Tampa during the 1986 season, the Falcons rallied from a 20–7 halftime deficit to send the game into overtime, in which they won on a game-winning 34–yard field goal to complete the comeback and win 23–20.

Additionally, he granted LB Jesse Solomon, who had been cut by Wyche and the Bucs in the preseason, the opportunity to carry the ball twice on the final drive.

Unfortunately, injuries to key players dashed those hopes, leading to a lackluster 2-7 record when they faced the Buccaneers on November 21 in their first matchup at the Raymond James Stadium.

Another pivotal play occurred when DT Warren Sapp, while being brought down by OT Todd Weiner after catching an interception, threw a lateral pass to LB Derrick Brooks, who ran it back for a touchdown.

[55] Additionally, Sapp could be seen taunting the sold-out Georgia Dome crowd during timeouts, walking up and down the line of scrimmage and flapping his arms.

[56] The Falcons overcame their slow start and won their next seven games, including a tie against the Pittsburgh Steelers, with Michael Vick showcasing impressive performances as they held an 8-3-1 record.

[57] In a highly anticipated rematch, which garnered such attention that NFL Commissioner Paul Tagliabue himself decided to attend, the Buccaneers emerged victorious in a dominant fashion as their defense controlled the game throughout.

The Buccaneers' defense swarmed Doug Johnson, filled in as quarterback for the Falcons after Michael Vick suffered a fractured right fibula in a preseason game, and limited him to 95 passing yards and 3 interceptions.

With aspirations of defending their Super Bowl championship, they had been plagued by internal strife, various issues, and injuries, resulting in a disappointing 7-7 record before this game.

Despite coming off a fibula injury and a subpar showing against the Indianapolis Colts, Michael Vick overcame the once formidable Buccaneers' defense and converted the turnovers into points.

[71] Throughout his time as general manager, McKay selected future hall-of-fame athletes like Warren Sapp, Derrick Brooks, and Ronde Barber, and assembled the 2002 Buccaneers' Super Bowl-winning team which included seven Pro Bowl players.

However, in a pivotal defensive play, Derrick Brooks leaped over RB Warrick Dunn's block attempt and sacked Vick at Atlanta's 34-yard line, causing a fumble that was recovered by LB Shelton Quarles.

[88] With the loss, the Buccaneers were officially eliminated from playoff contention and finished the season going winless in their division, going 0-6, just a year after winning the NFC South.

[89] This was the last season Michael Vick played for the Falcons, after which he pleaded guilty to his role in the Bad Newz Kennels dog fighting investigation.

[95] In their matchup on December 16 in Tampa, Falcons QB Chris Redman finished with 4–of–15 for 34 yards, two interceptions and a fumble, posting a passer rating of 0.0 in the process.

[102] In their matchup in Atlanta on November 29 during the 2009 season, the Falcons faced a challenging situation when key offensive players like Matt Ryan and Michael Turner had to leave the game due to injuries.

In the final minutes, the Buccaneers faced a 4th-and-1 situation at Atlanta's 2-yard line, but their attempt was stuffed, and the Falcons held on to a 27–21 victory, claiming sole possession of first place in the NFC South.

However, the Packers secured their spot in the playoffs due to a superior strength of victory (.475) compared to the Giants (.400) and Buccaneers (.344), ultimately eliminating both teams.

After leading an 80-yard touchdown drive, Buccaneers' QB Josh Freeman celebrated by mimicking Atlanta's famous "Dirty Bird" dance by flapping his arms.

Despite already securing a playoff spot, the Falcons swiftly established a commanding 42-0 lead by the middle of the 2nd quarter, highlighted by Jones scoring two touchdowns in just 26 seconds.

In the fourth quarter, trailing by 6 points, Matt Ryan orchestrated a game-winning touchdown drive for the Falcons, securing a 1-point lead with about 8 minutes left on the clock.

Jackson had a clear path to the end zone but couldn't maintain control of the ball, causing it to roll out of bounds and sealing a 34-29 victory for the Falcons.

[137] The Buccaneers ended their five-game losing streak against the Falcons in the 2019 season in Atlanta on November 24, in part of a great defensive performance[138] DT Vita Vea made history by catching a one-yard touchdown pass from Jameis Winston, weighing in at 347 pounds, making him the heaviest player in NFL history to catch a touchdown pass.

Simultaneously, the Buccaneers defense applied pressure on Ryan, as the Falcons managed 33 total yards and a single field goal in the second half.

[152] In the playoffs, the Buccaneers defeated the Washington Football Team, Saints and Packers all on the road to reach their second Super Bowl appearance.

However, keen observers pointed out that a clock positioned adjacent to Brady's left shoulder indicated the time as 3:28, likely a subtle reference to his remarkable comeback against the Falcons in the Super Bowl.

[161] On March 13, 2022, Tom Brady, after declaring his retirement 40 days earlier, announced that he was reversing his decision and confirming that he would be playing for the Buccaneers again in the upcoming 2022 season.

But instead of punting the ball back to the Falcons, which could have given them a chance for a potential game-winning drive, the officials made a controversial call, penalizing Jarrett for roughing the passer.

[173] Throughout the six games played against the Falcons as a divisional rival, Brady proved to still be a nightmare for them, boasting impressive statistics including a passer rating of 111.7, throwing 1,868 yards, 17 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions.