By PAUL NEWBERRY
AP Sports Writer

ATLANTA(AP) -- The Falcons saved their season.

For now.

Backup quarterback Chris Redman threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to
Roddy White with 23 seconds remaining Sunday, and Atlanta pulled
out a 20-17 victory over the woeful Tampa Bay Buccaneers after
offensive stars Matt Ryan and Michael Turner went down with
injuries.

"We couldn't afford to lose this one," White said. "It's a good
thing Chris came in there and did what he had to do to win this
game."

Will it last? That likely depends on how long Ryan, Turner and
starting offensive linemen Harvey Dahl and Sam Baker are out.
All left the game with injuries, and the Falcons wouldn't say
how serious they are.

Ryan, the second-year quarterback, hurt his big right toe on
Atlanta's very first series. Turner reinjured his right ankle
during the third quarter, a high sprain that had kept the
running back out of the previous game and limited him in
practice.

"Those guys are our franchise players," White said.

Having already lost four of five, the Falcons (6-5) were in deep
trouble after Jason Elam missed another field goal try - maybe
his last in Atlanta - and the woeful Bucs (1-10) drove into
Atlanta territory.

But Connor Barth was just off target on a 51-yard attempt with
2:30 left, giving the Falcons one more chance with no timeouts.
Redman calmly directed a 59-yard drive that gave the Falcons a
win they absolutely had to have, considering the next two games
are against Philadelphia and unbeaten New Orleans.

On fourth-and-goal at the 5, Redman hit White on a slant coming
over the middle while cornerback Derrick Roberson made a futile
swipe at the ball.

"I'm always ready at any time," Redman said. "That's what I'm
here for."

A blocked punt by Corey Lynch set up Josh Freeman's 8-yard
touchdown pass to Carnell Williams early in the third quarter,
putting the Bucs ahead 17-10.

It almost held up.

"You've got to make that last play at the end of the game,"
cornerback Aqib Talib said.

Redman, who started for Atlanta in 2007 after Michael Vick was
suspended, had gotten into just one game in two years since
Ryan's arrival.

On the last drive, Redman completed four passes to Tony Gonzalez
for 34 yards, and the Falcons got a big break when Roberson was
called for holding on an incomplete pass to the other side of
the field.

Still, Tampa Bay was one stop away from just its second win
after Redman threw three straight incomplete passes from the 5.
Down to his final try, Redman spotted White in single coverage
and delivered a perfectly thrown pass.

"As a backup in the league, it's a very difficult position,"
coach Mike Smith said. "I know Chris is always going to be
prepared. I had no doubt Chris was going to come in and execute
efficiently."

While White was mobbed in the end zone by teammates Gonzalez and
Eric Weeks, Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris kneeled down in
disbelief.

The embattled Morris had taken over defensive playcalling duties
earlier in the week after demoting coordinator Jim Bates. The
move nearly paid immediate dividends. Instead, the Bucs had
another crushing loss in a season filled with them.

"We were a 1-9 team, and now we're a 1-10 team," Morris said.
"It's never a step forward when you lose."

Despite being sacked five times, Redman completed 23 of 41 for
243 yards, also flipping a quick pass to Jerious Norwood that
was little more than a handoff but wound up being a 22-yard
touchdown, giving the Falcons an early 10-0 lead.

The Bucs fought back to tie the game before halftime. Freeman
went deep down the left sideline to Antonio Bryant, who leaped
up to snatch the ball away from Falcons cornerback Tye Hill,
then rolled into the end zone when he realized he hadn't been
touched for a 42-yard touchdown. Barth booted a 39-yard field
goal late in the half.

Freeman, coming off a four-turnover performance in a 31-point
loss to New Orleans, bounced back nicely in his fourth career
start. He was 20 of 29 for 250 yards and didn't have any
turnovers, managing to recover a fumble that was his only major
mistake.

Ryan apparently hurt his toe on the ninth snap of the game, a
sack by Stylez White and Tim Crowder. The toe was taped up,
extra padding was added to his shoe and Ryan did some light
jogging on the sideline to test it out.

Nothing worked. Ryan changed into street clothes at halftime and
watched the rest of the game wearing a special shoe.

NOTES: Elam connected from 45 and 37 yards, but he had predicted
the Falcons would probably cut him if he missed another. He was
wide left from 43 yards with 6 1/2 minutes to go, leaving him
just 8 of 15 on attempts of at least 30 yards. ... The Bucs lost
WR Michael Clayton to a knee injury in the first half.