Bucs topped the Rams 18–17. After the game with the team standing at 4–2, head coach Raheem Morris would famously state, “We’re the best team in the NFC.” The following week, the Bucs would make good on Morris's claim by defeating the Arizona Cardinals on the road in a game where they led 31–14, fell behind late 35–31, then retook the lead 38–35 and sealed the victory with an Aqib Talib interception of Cardinals quarterback Derek Anderson near the end zone. With the Bucs and the Atlanta Falcons tied for first place in the division at 5–2, a matchup in Atlanta gave the Bucs a chance to take sole possession of first place. Trailing 27–14 in the second half, Bucs returner Micheal Spurlock returned a Falcons kickoff for a touchdown to put the Bucs within a touchdown of the lead. The game came down to fourth down attempt to score from the Falcons 1 yard-line. Rookie running back LeGarrette Blount was stopped up the middle and gave the Falcons the close victory. Following the tough loss, the Bucs came home and defeated the Carolina Panthers 31–16 before going on the road against the San Francisco 49ers and pitching a 21–0 shutout. The next week, the Bucs road game against the Baltimore Ravens, their fourth game away from Raymond James Stadium in five weeks, was moved to a late start, and the Bucs lost a hard-fought defensive struggle 17–10. Finally returning home the next week, the team sported their throwback creamsicle uniforms and honored coach John McKay at halftime in a home contest against the Falcons on national television. With a great defensive performance and two interceptions of Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan, it seemed the Bucs would get revenge on the Falcons for their loss four weeks ago, leading 24–14 deep in the second half. But Falcons returner Eric Weems returned a kick for a touchdown and the Falcons scored offensively to take a 28–24 lead. Quarterback Josh Freeman attempted the late comeback as he had against the Browns, Bengals, Rams, and Cardinals, but was denied with a Brent Grimes interception. At 7–5, the Bucs’ playoff hopes seemed less assured, and the team had yet to defeat an opponent with a winning record, while several key starters had been lost for the season. In a rainy outing at Washington, the Bucs prevailed 17–16 thanks to a botched extra-point attempt by the