The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took control of first place in the NFC South with a 21-15 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, staving off a late comeback attempt to end their two-game losing streak.
After leading 13-0 at halftime, and 21-0 early in the third quarter, the Bucs allowed the Falcons to climb back into the game with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns. Tampa Bay got the ball back with just under five minutes remaining in the game, and aided by a pair of third-down penalties that extended the drive, were able to run out the clock and escape with the victory.
Bucs quarterback Tom Brady finished the game with 351 yards through the air, including a one-yard touchdown pass to Leonard Fournette, who led team with 10 receptions for 83 yards. Fournette also paced the Bucs on the ground, rushing 14 times for 56 yards and another score.
Though they let up a bit in the final period, Tampa Bay’s defense was stout for most of the afternoon, racking up five sacks of Falcons quarterback Marcus Mariota, and keeping Atlanta off the scoreboard for the first three quarters. Their rushing defense struggled for the second straight week, though, giving up over 150 yards on the ground to one of the NFL’s top ground attacks.
Bucs safety Antoine Winfield Jr. was the star of the defense, leading the team with eight tackles, two tackles for loss, and a strip-sack.
Tampa Bay’s narrow victory comes on the heels of back-to-back losses, both at home, and before the Bucs head out on the road to face the Pittsburgh Steelers and Carolina Panthers over the next two weeks.
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