The Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t need a completed pass to beat the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. They didn’t need much from the air at all. What they got instead was a bruising ground game, a defense that kept taking the ball away, and a 16-0 shutout at Raymond James Stadium that delivered their first home win of the season.
Tampa Bay’s offense was built almost entirely on the run, and it was enough to overwhelm Atlanta from start to finish. The Buccaneers piled up a franchise-record 324 rushing yards on 56 carries, averaging 5.8 yards per attempt against a Falcons defense ranked fourth against the run.
Bucky Irving led the charge with a career-high 170 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, while Kenneth Gainwell added a career-best 140 yards on 25 carries. Together, they accounted for 310 rushing yards.
The biggest burst came on Tampa Bay’s only touchdown drive, a six-play, 90-yard march in the third quarter. Irving ripped off a 46-yard run, Gainwell followed with 28, and Irving finished it himself from four yards out to push the lead to 16-0.
That kind of production wasn’t a one-week fluke. The Buccaneers had already run for 258 yards against Carolina in Week 7, and over the last two games they’ve piled up 582 rushing yards.
The defense did its part, too, and then some. Alex Anzalone picked off Michael Penix Jr. twice in the first quarter, and Jacob Parrish plus Zyon McCollum each added an interception.
Penix finished 8-of-24 for 125 yards, four interceptions and a 12.0 passer rating. Atlanta didn’t convert any of its 12 third-down tries and finished with just eight first downs.
Tampa Bay never recorded a sack, but the pressure still showed up. David Walker and Rueben Bain Jr. helped force hurried throws, and A’Shawn Robinson got a hand on a third-down pass late in the fourth quarter.
The Buccaneers also held Bijan Robinson to 76 rushing yards on 19 carries. Atlanta finished with 224 total yards, including a 76-yard completion to Jahan Dotson in the fourth quarter, but Tampa Bay answered with a turnover on downs to keep the shutout intact.
Still, this wasn’t a clean offensive performance. The Buccaneers turned those four interceptions into only 16 points, with nine of them coming on Chase McLaughlin field goals.
After Anzalone’s first pick, Baker Mayfield recovered a mishandled snap and lateraled to Irving, who got near the goal line before Jessie Bates III forced a fumble through the end zone. That touchback wiped out a prime scoring chance.
The second interception set Tampa Bay up at Atlanta’s 19-yard line, but the offense managed only three yards before McLaughlin drilled a 34-yard field goal. Tampa Bay finished 1-for-3 in the red zone and 4-for-13 on third down. McLaughlin was perfect on all three of his field goals from 46, 34 and 42 yards.
And then there was the passing game, or the lack of one. Mayfield went 0-for-3 for 0 yards and took one sack for a 2-yard loss. Tampa Bay ended with minus-two net passing yards and 322 total offensive yards, even though the ground game alone produced 324.
The weather made ball security a mess all afternoon. Mayfield was charged with three fumbles and recovered all three, while Irving’s fumble at the goal line cost the Buccaneers a touchdown.
Mayfield’s three throws went to Ted Hurst III, Chris Godwin and Kenneth Gainwell. Hurst had a chance on a back-shoulder throw in the end zone, but couldn’t haul it in despite a strong delivery.
Even with the sloppy moments, Tampa Bay controlled the game for 35:16 and moved to 3-5 overall and 2-0 in NFC South play. The Buccaneers have now won back-to-back games behind their rushing attack and defense, though the passing game and ball security still need work.
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Veas recent extension makes any move feel unlikely, and the Buccaneers are not planning to deal him right now. But his recent dip in performance has added a layer of intrigue to a decision that could move quickly if the next stretch of games changes the teams outlook, leaving Tampa Bay to balance present contention against the kind of long-term roster call that can reshape a defense. [Read more 🡒]