"Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez suffered a left ankle sprain late in the 28-24 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, with the slick surface likely causing the injury.

The field at Raymond James Stadium had forced Gonzalez to wear extra long cleats, and blamed them for the ankle injury.

The stadium had hosted a Big East college game between South Florida and Connecticut the night before. The field's appearance was fine, but several players said the footing was treacherous.

"That's the first time I've worn long studded cleats this season," Gonzalez said. "I used to wear them all the time. They just roll over like that, and that's what happened."

Gonzalez said he expected to be able to play in next week's game at Carolina.

The secondary also had a tough time with the field conditions.

"It was a little slippery," safety Thomas DeCoud said. "It's professional football. You have to be as sure-footed as you can. It didn't look bad, but it was a little slick. It was slick out on the field.""