The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are now atop the NFC South on tiebreaker and control their own destiny to get to the playoffs.
With the top spot in the NFC South on the line, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers squeaked past the Atlanta Falcons 29-25. Most of the game was dominated by the defenses until the fourth quarter, when the offenses came alive and started trading haymakers in the endzone.
Tampa Bay’s defense took control of the game early with a sick Carlton Davis interception inside the 10-yard line:
Davis’ pick set up a Baker Mayfield one-yard sneak touchdown. The Falcons responded with a 75-yard scoring drive, capped by a 36-yard touchdown reception by tight end Kyle Pitts. The Bucs’ defense struck back in the second quarter when a blitzing Antoine Winfield Jr. forced a Desmond Ridder fumble in Atlanta’s endzone, resulting in a safety, putting Tampa Bay up 12-10.
Outside the touchdown off the interception, the Bucs’ offense was stuck in first gear, gaining just 85 total yards in the first half. Baker Mayfield targeted Mike Evans and Chris Godwin just five times, resulting in just two catches for eight yards. The run game’s season-long anemia continued, averaging just 2.5 yards per carry.
As with their first game against Atlanta, the Bucs thrived in no small part off the Falcons’ miscues. Desmond Ridder turned the ball over twice in the first half and missed a wide-open Bijan Robinson for a touchdown, forcing Atlanta to settle for a field goal. Kicker Younghoe Koo missed his next two field goal attempts in the first half, which would prove costly in the final box score.
The third half started with five consecutive punts before the Bucs put together a 66-yard scoring drive in which running back Rachaad White took the ball 31 yards into the endzone, extending their lead to 19-10:
After another pair of punts, the scoring bonanza began. The Falcons started a 67-yard touchdown drive, including a 33-yard sweep and 3-yard touchdown run by Falcons RB Bijan Robinson. The Bucs responded with a field goal after Mike Evans just missed scoring a touchdown after his hand touched out of bounds before he got a second foot down inbounds.
Atlanta’s next drive flipped the game as they scored in under three minutes thanks to a 45-yard reception by wide receiver Drake London. After a successful two-point conversion, Atlanta was up 25-22. With just over three minutes remaining. the Bucs were able to drive 75 yards with a 32-yard Chris Godwin reception on a key third down conversion and an 11-yard go-ahead touchdown catch by Cade Otton:
With the score 29-25, the Falcons got the ball back with 31 seconds left. They were able to drive to Tampa Bay’s 3-yard line but failed to score before time expired.
Baker Mayfield finished 14-29 for 144 yards and two touchdowns. Rachaad White led the team with 135 total yards and a touchdown. Mike Evans was held to one catch for eight yards, his lowest output this season. The defense held Atlanta to just 96 rush yards but allowed Desmond Ridder to pass for 347 yards, his most in any game this season.
Though the Bucs, Falcons and New Orleans Saints are all 6-7, Tampa Bay owns tiebreakers against both teams and is now in the lead to win the NFC South. With just four games left including division games against New Orleans and Carolina, the Bucs remain in control of their own playoff destiny.
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