"When Tampa cornerback Aqib Talib went out of Sunday's game with a hip injury with 10 minutes left in the second quarter, Roddy White wasn't happy.

"I wanted to go against him the whole game," White said. "I love that kind of competition. I love to go against great players like that."

Before Talib left, White had just two catches for 21 yards, and had, in his words, "mixed it up with him."

White also got into with Buc linebacker Geno Hayes, who shoved White and took a swipe at him after a play ended. Hayes, however, was not penalized.

"He shoved me and hit me in the head," White said. "But they didn't call it, and then …"

With six minutes left in the second quarter, White shoved Talib's replacement, E.J. Biggers, and was flagged 15 yards for unnecessary roughness.

"So I got called for the penalty for something like [Hayes] did to me," White said. "I guess that's the way it goes."

After the flag hit the turf, Atlanta coach Mike Smith pulled White aside.

"He said, 'Just play your game,'" White said.

After that, White -- who came into Sunday with remarkable numbers (84 catches for 1,066 yards and seven touchdowns) -- buckled down and made remarkable catches.

When it was over, White had seven receptions for 74 yards, and had helped the Falcons pull off an unlikely 28-24 victory."