ATLANTA - Ryan Benjamin sat on a chair in the Bucs locker room after Sunday's 31-10 victory against the Falcons, quietly sorting his clothes and preparing for a shower.
Anonymous, once again.
"I figure as long as I'm sitting here being ignored, I did my job," Benjamin said.
A week ago, Benjamin was the Bucs' newly infamous long snapper. His locker was swarmed by members of the media looking for answers after a 12-9 overtime loss to Carolina in which the Panthers plowed through the middle of Tampa Bay's line to block three kicks.
Against the Falcons, Martin Gramatica was back to automatic with a 24-yard field goal and four PATs - none of which was threatened by a breakdown in protection.
"Our pride was on the line, and we delivered," coach Jon Gruden said.
A breakdown in the "A" gap between Benjamin and left guard Cosey Coleman allowed the Panthers' Kris Jenkins and Julius Peppers to get penetration.
Against the Falcons, the Bucs moved John Wade from right guard to left and inserted rookie Sean Mahan at right guard. Coleman was not part of the special teams protection.
"The guys did a great job," Benjamin said. "It was important to get back out there and do what we do, to get the monkey off our back from last week. We're going to get tested week in and week out, and we have to be strong."
HAPPY RETURNS: Aaron Stecker returned the opening kickoff 44 yards to the 50, coming within one defender of finally giving Tampa Bay its first return for a touchdown.
"Special teams last week, we really didn't make any plays; we gave up plays," Stecker said. "And I take it personally because that's the majority of the stuff I do, special teams.
"On the kickoff, I had holes and I ran through them. One man tapped me a little bit and stopped me, otherwise the curse, years and years of not having one, would have been over."
SHORT NOTICE: Tim Wansley returned three punts for 27 yards, including a 12-yarder. Not bad, considering Wansley did not find out he was the primary punt returner until the Falcons failed to convert their first third down.
Wansley was running on the field to take his usual spot on the punt return team when special teams coach Rich Bisaccia shouted to him, "You're back."
"I'm always up for that," Wansley said. "He told me during the week I would have a chance to get in there and make some returns, but I didn't know I was going to be starting out. ... We made some productive yards."
FILLING IN: Regular punt returner Karl Williams played a bigger role in the offense as the third receiver in place of injured Joe Jurevicius. Williams made one catch for 14 yards.
HANDS UP: One week after tangling with Peppers, Bucs tackle Kenyatta Walker squared off against the Falcons' Patrick Kerney. Neither recorded a sack, but both complained Walker puts his hands in opponents' faces.
"I'm tired of hearing what these guys have to say about me, that I did this or I did that," Walker said. "Kerney, Peppers ... they are good players, but what are they going to do about me? This is a physical game in the trenches. If it gets around that I'm a dirty or nasty player, who cares? I come to play every Sunday. ... It's not going to be a walk-through against me."
A FIRST: Linebacker Ryan Nece made his first career interception, taking away a Kurt Kittner pass intended for Peerless Price with less than five minutes left.
"I definitely keep track of all those career firsts," said Nece, a second-year linebacker in his first season starting at strongside. "I kept the ball."
PICK PARTY: Falcons quarterback Doug Johnson, who played for the Gators from 1996 to '99, threw three interceptions, giving him six interceptions in six quarters of play against the Bucs. Johnson replaced an injured Michael Vick in the second half of a 20-6 Bucs victory on Oct.6.
"They're a great team on defense," Johnson said. "They're not going to try to fool you. You just can't throw three interceptions and beat them. That's a hard deficit to overcome."
TOUGH RUNNING: In two games against his former teammates, Warrick Dunn has 21 yards on 18 carries, a 1.2-yard average. Dunn, the Bucs' second-leading all-time rusher with 4,200 yards from 1997 to 2001, had 14 yards on nine carries in one game against Tampa Bay last season and 7 yards on nine carries Sunday.
After watching the Panthers' Stephen Davis run through the Bucs last week, the Falcons tried to establish the run with Dunn early but ran into a determined defense.
"They came out in heavy run formation," said Nece, who stopped Dunn for no gain on the Falcons' first play. "They were challenging us. As a defense, we knew we were going to have to rise to the challenge and stop that run game because we got hurt on that last week."
