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TAMPA Stitched Giorgio Tavecchio Jersey , Fla. (AP)nto the open field, helping the Atlanta Falcons remain in the thick of the tight NFC South race. With sidekick Tevin Coleman out with a concussion and Matt Ryan not particularly sharp throwing the ball , Freeman rushed for 126 yards and a touchdown to key a 24-21 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday night. The fourth-year pro scored on a 32-yard run midway through the fourth quarter, darting through a hole on the right side before cutting back to elude the only defender with a shot at tackling him and restore a 10-point lead for the Falcons (9-5), who barely hung on to win for the fifth time in six games.Article continues below ... ”We had a sense this would be a big night for him. We talked about that before the game,” Falcons coach Dan Quinn said. ”We thought he would have his opportunities. If he could get to the next level and to a linebacker or safety or corner, make sure he had a plan how he wanted to finish.” Freeman also caught five passes for a team-high 68 yards and had a first-half fumble recovered in the end zone by teammate Levine Toilolo for a touchdown. Ryan threw an early TD pass to Justin Hardy and finished 17 of 31 passing for 212 yards and no interceptions. The victory kept Atlanta within one game of New Orleans and Carolina in the division standings with two to play. If the playoffs started now, the Falcons would be the second NFC wild-card. Atlanta plays at New Orleans next Sunday, then closes the regular season at home against the Panthers. ”We’re right where we need to be at this point of the season … and we’ve got to find a way to get back to work this week, try to improve and make sure we play the best we’re capable of playing this Sunday,” Ryan said. ”That’s really all our focus needs to be about. If we’re worried about anything else then you’re not as locked in as you need to be.” Jameis Winston threw for 299 yards and three TDs for the Bucs (4-10), including a 16-yarder to Adam Humphries that trimmed Atlanta’s lead to three points with 3:51 remaining. Winston, who also threw TD passes of 30 yards to O.J. Howard and 42 yards to Mike Evans Youth Giorgio Tavecchio Jersey , got the ball back with a minute left and nearly sent the game into overtime. The third-year pro, a college teammate of Freeman’s at Florida State, completed three straight passes to move the ball from his 29 to the Atlanta 36. Patrick Murray came on to try a 54-yard field goal to tie it, but the kick sailed wide right as time expired. Winston finished 27 of 35 passing with no interceptions. He was sacked twice. ”Jameis played a heck of a game. He probably played his best game this season,” coach Dirk Koetter said. ”Took care of the football, was accurate, threw the deep ball with accuracy, checked it down, did a good job leading our football team.” The Bucs have lost nine of 11 following a 2-1 start, taking a step back after finishing 9-7 a year ago in their first season under Koetter. RING OF HONOR Former Bucs coach Jon Gruden, who’s spent the past nine seasons as ESPN’s game analyst on Monday Night Football, was inducted into the Ring of Honor at Raymond James Stadium during a halftime ceremony. Gruden was acquired from the Oakland Raiders in exchange for two first-round draft picks, two second-round draft pick and $8 million before leading the 2002 Bucs to the club’s only Super Bowl championship in his first season in Tampa Bay. Gruden was fired after the 2008 season and moved into the broadcast booth the following season. The Bucs haven’t made the playoffs since 2007 and don’t have a postseason win since their Super Bowl run 15 years ago. The coach’s sons – Deuce Stitched Austin Hooper Jersey , Mike and Jayson – led the Bucs out of the tunnel before the game as the team’s honorary flag runners. Gruden is the 11th member of the Ring of Honor, joining Hall of Famers Lee Roy Selmon, Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks, as well as Doug Williams, John Lynch, John McKay, Mike Alstott, Jimmie Giles, Paul Gruber and Malcom Glazer. INJURIES Falcons: RB Coleman (concussion) and G Andy Levire (triceps) did not play. Buccaneers: Played without their top two players, DT Gerald McCoy (biceps) and LB Lavonte David (hamstring), who were inactive. … Howard (ankle) limped off the field after being hit near the goal line on his TD and did not return. … G J.R. Sweezy suffered what was described as a lower body injury in the second quarter and did not return. The second half took a heavy toll, too, with LB Adarius Glanton being carted off with a leg injury Youth Austin Hooper Jersey , S T.J. Ward evaluated for a concussion, and S Justin Evans and WR DeSean Jackson lost to ankle injuries. UP NEXT Falcons: Travel to New Orleans to face division-leading Saints on Sunday. Buccaneers: Play final road game of season at Carolina. — ATLANTA (AP) — Coach Dan Quinn isn’t dwelling on how desperate the Atlanta Falcons are to avoid a 6-10 record.It might not sound like much of an accomplishment after winning an NFC title and advancing to the second round of the playoffs in the last two seasons, but Quinn said the Falcons still have goals to attain.After watching his team beat Carolina and Arizona in consecutive weeks, Quinn is proud that the defense created seven takeaways and the offense piled up 64 points. He said the wins were a result of players not quitting on each other during a five-game losing streak that ruined their wild-card chances.“It’s been a difficult time, man,” Quinn said in a conference call with reporters Monday. “No question about it in terms of not taking our opportunities when they were there, but to see the fight and resolve, that means a lot. I know we’ll fight our ass off again this week.”The Falcons will return to practice Wednesday to prepare for the season finale at Tampa Bay. It’s their third straight game against a non-playoff opponent, but Quinn isn’t concerned so much about the matchup. His focus is on details like turnover margin, pass rush and establishing and stopping the run.The defense has been energized with the return of middle linebacker Deion Jones, who has 27 solo tackles, one forced fumble, three pass breakups and an interception he ran back for a long touchdown since coming back four games ago from a foot injury.Jones has what Quinn calls the “intent and speed” to make everyone around him better.“Over that time Stitched Deion Jones Jersey , our turnover attempt has been better as well,” Quinn said. “I think we had a couple against Baltimore. We didn’t recover them. We had a couple of opportunities at Green Bay. We didn’t catch ’em.“In these last two games, we had more chances and we had more production. I keep track every game of how many shots on the ball we’ve had, and for the last four games those shots have gone up each game. That’s a good sign that we’re tracking in the right direction.”Defensive tackle Grady Jarrett has three sacks, five quarterback hits and a forced fumble since Jones’ return. Nickel cornerback Brian Poole has one sack, two interceptions, two pass breakups and two fumble recoveries just in the last two weeks.Offensively, despite stars like Matt Ryan, the 2016 NFL MVP, and six-time Pro Bowl receiver Julio Jones, the Falcons have been a disaster running the ball. But after entering the Arizona game last in the NFL in rushing, they have racked up 409 yards averaged 8.5 yards per carry in two straight games.Tevin Coleman, the team’s leading rusher since former Pro Bowl back Devonta Freeman was lost to season-ending injuries Youth Deion Jones Jersey , is questionable this week because of sore groin. Quinn believes he will be able to play, but the Falcons will lean on Brian Hill regardless. Hill finished with 115 yards on eight carries at Carolina, getting the chance to play when third-stringer Ito Smith was lost for the season to an injury after the Arizona game.It’s another example Quinn cites of the next man stepping up when a teammate goes down. The Falcons never recovered after losing starting guards Andy Levitre and Brandon Fusco and starting safeties Keanu Neal and Ricardo Allen, but the good news is that offensive linemen Ty Sambrailo and Zane Beadles and defensive backs Damontae Kazee and Isaiah Oliver carved out important roles.“What I’ve told all of them is that this will serve a higher purpose in the end,” Quinn said. “Through the years I’ve seen when that’s not the case, and it’s tough to get it back, but this team fights. We’ve never backed off the culture in the locker room they’ve created.“I’m sure in the next year so I’ll reflect back on some of these moments and the lessons learned and the leaders that were developed.”