The Tampa Bay Buccaneers walked into Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta to play the Falcons on Thursday night; the Bucs were 3-1, looking to take a 4-1 stand in the NFC South with a win. Because of injury, the Bucs are still without Defensive Lineman Calijah Kancey and Safety Antonie Winfeild Jr. On offense, Offensive Lineman Luke Goedeke, Receivers Trey Palmer, and rookie Jalen McMillan didn’t suit up for the game. Could the Tampa Bay Buccaneers still get a win like last week against the Philadelphia Eagles 33-16?
The 2-2 Atlanta Falcons, with Quarterback Kirk Cousins, were coming off a 26-24 dogfight with the New Orleans Saints. Cousins threw for 238 yards for no touchdowns with one interception that game. NFL experts questioned if the 36-year-old quarterback could get the Falcons’ offense going successfully after the Saints game. Could Cousins get the offense going like planned in the offseason?
Bucs Offense
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense kept pace with the Atlanta Falcons after a quick score in the first quarter from a 2-yard pass from Mayfield to Mike Evans, tying the game. Evans scored his 100th touchdown in his 12 seasons. Evans would finish the game with five catches for 62 yards and two touchdowns. Baker Mayfield was able to extend plays and push the offense. Mayfield would finish the game with three touchdowns with 185 yards on 19-of-24 completions and was only sacked once.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ run game totaled over 160 yards. Starting Running Back Rachaad White led the Bucs in rushing with ten carries, gaining 72 yards with no touchdowns. Mayfield gained 42 yards on six carries. Rookie Bucky Irving was having a decent game with nine carries for 44 yards but would fumble the ball in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter which would give the Falcons a chance needed to get the opportunity to tie the game to send the game into overtime.
Bucs Defense Picked Clean
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may have had some of their starting defensive players out with injury. Still, players like Defensive Lineman Logan Hall, who got two sacks, helped the Bucs defense sack Cousins four times and have 11 quarterback hits. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers held Falcons Running Back Bijan Robinson to 61 yards with no touchdowns and the Falcons to 73 total rushing yards.
Even with everything the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense was doing to stop Kirk Cousins, he still could throw for 509 yards, the most in Falcons franchise history. Cousins threw one interception in the fourth quarter that should have sealed the game with a win for the Bucs. Cousins would finish the game with four passing touchdowns, including the overtime-winning 45-yard pass to Wide Receiver KhaDarel Hodge to beat the Buccaneers.
Final Thoughts
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered a hard loss that could have been avoided if rookie Bucky Irving had not fumbled the ball in the crucial moment in the fourth quarter. This essential moment allowed the Falcons to tie the game with a field goal and send the game into overtime. This 36-33 overtime loss to the Falcons is the second game the Bucs have lost in which they made mistakes that cost them games. The Bucs will play the New Orleans Saints in Louisiana next week.
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