Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Atlanta Falcons: Bucs Need That Signature Win

Ronde Barber knows the importance of this game for his team.J. Meric/Getty ImagesThey need this one and they need it badly.They really do.If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers want national respect, if they want to make any sort of movement in the direction of the playoffs, it needs to happen on Chicago Bears jersey
Sunday.And you all know who's coming to town.The mighty Atlanta Falcons.The 9-2 Falcons. And they are who we think they are—the best team in the NFC.If you ever watched pro wrestling then you might remember Nature Boy Ric Flair. The Nature Boy had his signature motto:"If you wanna be the best—you gotta BEAT the best!"Or, perhaps you remember the scene from the movie Top Gun, early on, in the officers club. It went something like this:Goose: "Hey Mav, you wanna know who's the best? There he is over there—Iceman."So if Raheem Morris wants to know who's the best, simply look across the sideline on Sunday and there stand the Atlanta Falcons. And if Josh Freeman wants to know who's the best, there he is—Atlanta's own "Iceman," the kid they call "Matty Ice," aka Matt Ryan.Do you see the Bucs winning on Sunday?Do you see the Bucs winning on Sunday?A: Yes, a magical, stunning upset.56.3%B: No, the Falcons are simply too hot right now.43.7%Total votes: 71You don't need to tell veteran Ronde Barber what this one means.He had a little phone chat with the scribes from Atlanta this week and put it this way:"If we’re not geared up to play this game, we’re not geared up to play anybody. nfl throwback jerseys
This is the one that has to count for us."Barber couldn't have put it any better.This is the one the Bucs need; the one they let get away in Atlanta.But the task suddenly looks more difficult. Davin Joseph and Cody Grimm will watch from the sidelines; their seasons are over.What the team needs is some magic and perhaps this "throwback" game and the induction of the Old Coach, John McKay, into the team's Ring of Honor, can summon something special into Raymond James on Sunday afternoon.What the team needs is to play a near-flawless game, if that is possible. Every player needs to bring his A-game. Every coach needs to bring his A-game. It will take that kind of effort.You see this Atlanta team is on an incredible roll. These Falcons look like men on a mission. Matty Ice looks like a quarterback in command. They're peaking at the right time.Put simply, these young Buccaneers face the ultimate challenge.It looked that way last season during the throwback game against the Green Bay Packers.It sounded like an impossible task and the stands were full of cheeseheaded, confident Packer fans.By the end of the day, they were incredibly silent and the Bucs came away with their signature win of the 2009 season.Is it a possible task Sunday? San Diego Chargers jersey
Yes.Is it a probable task?No.But all Buccaneer fans can do is hope for the best.And hope that the team brings its absolute best on Sunday.They'll need it.