ATLANTA -- With help from ESPN Stats & Information, Elias Sports Bureau and the media relations department of the Falcons and Buccaneers, here are some interesting NFC South numbers.
Before kicking a 37-yard, game-winning field goal, Carolina’s John Kasay made a 55-yard kick. That gives Kasay 39 field goals of 50 yards or longer in his career. There are only two guys in NFL history with more than that. Jason Hanson holds the record with 42 and Morten Andersen had 40 in his career.
Carolina rookie receiver David Gettis had eight catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns Sunday. Prior to Sunday, Gettis had 119 receiving yards on the season.
Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman hit Cadillac Williams with a 1-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds left Sunday to lift the Bucs to an 18-17 victory against the Rams. That was Freeman’s third fourth-quarter, game-winning touchdown pass since he joined the Bucs last season. In that same span, only Peyton Manning has thrown more game-winning touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. Manning’s done it three times. Freeman joins Jay Cutler, Carson Palmer and Atlanta’s Matt Ryan as quarterbacks who have done it three times and Freeman didn’t start playing until about the midway point of last season.
Freeman also has led five fourth-quarter comeback victories in his brief time as a starter. In those five games, Freeman has completed 33 of 51 passes for 423 yards and five touchdowns without an interception.
The Bucs didn’t commit a turnover Sunday. Since 2002, they’re 20-2 in games when they haven’t turned the ball over.
Atlanta receiver Roddy White has been particularly dominant against AFC opponents. In his past five games against AFC teams, White has 37 catches for 552 yards and five touchdowns. White’s also had 100 receiving yards in each of those games.
Atlanta’s Michael Turner rushed for 121 yards in the victory over Cincinnati. The Falcons now are 13-2 in games in which Turner has rushed for 100 yards. They’re 3-0 this season when Turner has gained 100 yards.
Ryan is now 18-1 in games he’s started in the Georgia Dome.
Since coach Mike Smith took over the Falcons in 2008, Atlanta is 11-3 in games following a loss.
The New Orleans Saints made history Sunday when they lost to quarterback Colt McCoy and the Cleveland Browns. The Saints became the first defending Super Bowl champion ever to lose two to starting rookie quarterbacks in the same season. They also lost to Arizona and Max Hall a couple weeks ago.