ATLANTA (AP) — Jameis Winston bounced back from an early interception to throw four touchdown passes, and Tampa Bay opened the season with a 31-24 victory at the Atlanta Falcons Sunday.
Winston began his second year as a pro by going 23 of 33 for 281 yards, using just about every weapon at his disposal in the matchup between NFC South rivals.
He hooked up with receiver Mike Evans, running back Charles Sims the Third and tight ends Austin Sefarian-Jenkins and Brandon Myers on scoring plays.
To their credit, the Falcons didn’t quit in their final season opener at the Georgia Dome before moving next door to $1.4 billion Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Matt Ryan , looking to bounce back from a disappointing 2015 season in which the Falcons missed the playoffs for the third year in a row, hooked up with Julio Jones on a 25-yard touchdown. A two-point conversion closed the gap to 31-21.
Another long drive resulted in Bryant’s third field goal, and the Falcons got the ball back one more time with 1:52 remaining and no timeouts. They managed only first down before the Bucs closed it out.
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