Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Luke Stocker (88) makes the catch Sunday as Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker Stephen Nicholas (54) defends during the first half of an NFL game in Atlanta.ATLANTA – That the Atlanta Falcons lost 22-17 to Tampa Bay inside the Georgia Dome on Sunday afternoon was not completely unexpected.
Having clinched home field for the NFC playoffs, the Birds were due a letdown, if not an entire afternoon off for their starters.
That they lost playing those starters the entire 60 minutes is another matter, however.
Read that again: The starters — including quarterback Matt Ryan, arguably the most indispensable Falcon of them all — played the entire 60 minutes against a Buccaneers bunch that had lost five straight entering this one.
And because of that — because Atlanta coach Mike Smith insisted on “Playing this game to win” — Falcons Nation will almost certainly find sleep difficult as Atlanta practices through its playoff bye week before hosting a divisional playoff game on the weekend of Jan. 12-13.