Highlights
– John Abraham accused the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of intentionally trying to injure Atlanta Falcons players in 2012.
– Donald Penn denied these allegations, stating no coach instructed players to hurt the Falcons.
– In 2012, the Falcons reached the NFC Championship, while the Buccaneers finished with a 7-9 record, placing last in their division.
The NFL, particularly the NFC South, has a history of teams allegedly attempting to injure opposing players.
The New Orleans Saints faced severe penalties for their notorious 2009-2011 bounty program. Former Atlanta Falcons pass rusher John Abraham claimed that the Saints were not the only team in the division engaging in such behavior in the early 2010s.
Abraham recently appeared on The Water Boyz Show to discuss his life and career. He recounted the Falcons’ 2012 season finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, alleging that former Bucs tackle Donald Penn warned him about the coaches’ instructions:
“[Penn] was like, ‘Hey man, be careful out here. The coaches told us to hurt you all.’ I was like, ‘Stop playing.’ He’s like, ‘Nah, they told us to hurt y’all. So we’re going to be going extra. After the whistle, we’re going to be doing everything to try to mess with y’all.’”
These accusations are serious, especially being publicly stated. However, according to JoeBucsFan.com, Penn refuted Abraham’s claims, asserting that if they were true, he wouldn’t have informed Abraham.
Interestingly, Abraham left that game with an injury. He had notable success against the Buccaneers throughout his career, with 12 tackles for loss (TFLs) against them, his most against any team, and 9.0 sacks, his second-most against any opponent.
Currently, the story remains a “he said, he said” situation without solid evidence. That game did not impact either team’s standings, as the Falcons were already the NFC’s top seed, and the Buccaneers were out of playoff contention. Regardless, Tampa Bay had the last laugh with a 22-17 victory to end their season.
2012 Falcons Were Supposed to Win It All
They blew one of their best shots at a title
Abraham and the Falcons earned a bye week after the now-controversial season finale. They led the Seattle Seahawks 20-0 at halftime in the divisional round. However, the Seahawks surged back to take a 28-27 lead with less than a minute remaining, only for Atlanta’s kicker, Matt Bryant, to secure the victory with a field goal with 13 seconds left.
Their luck ran out the following week. Atlanta jumped to a 17-0 lead in the second quarter, but the San Francisco 49ers outscored them 28-7 for the remainder of the game, winning the conference championship in Georgia. This wouldn’t be their last significant playoff collapse during the Matt Ryan era in Atlanta.
GIVEMESPORT Key Stat: John Abraham is one of the most underrated pass rushers in NFL history. With 133.5 career sacks, he ranks 13th on the all-time list. He had eight seasons with double-digit sacks, with the first and last occurring 12 years apart, highlighting his longevity. He was also exceptional at forcing fumbles, ranking 3rd all-time with 47.
Julio Jones, Roddy White, Tony Gonzalez, and Ryan comprised one of the most formidable passing offenses ever. The defense ranked fifth in points allowed. Despite the NFC playoff bracket running through Atlanta, the Falcons fell short. Perhaps the Buccaneers’ Week 17 victory took just enough out of them to prevent a championship run.
2012 Bucs Were the Peak in a Five-Year Valley
7-9 was good for them at the time but still resulted in a last-place finish
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay was stuck in limbo during that period. Their last playoff appearance had been in 2007, ending with a first-round exit at home. They wouldn’t make it back to the playoffs until 2020, when Tom Brady led them to a Super Bowl victory.
From 2011-2015, the Buccaneers consistently finished at the bottom of the NFC South, with a high point of 7-9 in 2012.
The franchise was still two years away from the arrival of Mike Evans on offense. On defense, the game against the Falcons marked the end of cornerback Ronde Barber’s Hall of Fame career. Additionally, their next-best cornerback, Aqib Talib, was suspended and traded in 2012.
| Buccaneers Records From 2011-2015 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Head Coach | Record | Finish in Divison |
| 2011 | Raheem Morris | 4-12 | 4th |
| 2012 | Greg Schiano | 7-9 | 4th |
| 2013 | Greg Schiano | 4-12 | 4th |
| 2014 | Lovie Smith | 2-14 | 4th |
| 2015 | Lovie Smith | 6-10 | 4th |
Yet, Greg Schiano, Josh Freeman, and Doug Martin brought some much-needed hope to the fanbase in 2012. Gerald McCoy, Michael Bennett, and rookie linebacker Lavonte David significantly improved the defense compared to the 2011 version.
If only the Bucs had known that Brady would come and bless them with a Lombardi Trophy just eight short years later, perhaps the years spent in the league’s doldrums would have been easier for the franchise to endure.