TAMPA, Fla. — It was the day after Halloween, but the Atlanta Falcons offense still looked scared.
Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. completed 8 of 24 passes for 125 yards and threw four interceptions (three in the first half), as the Falcons struggled mightily in the rain, losing 16-0 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium.
The Bucs and quarterback Baker Mayfield became the first team since the Buffalo Bills with quarterback Joe Ferguson in 1974 to win a game even though they did not complete a pass.
Tampa Bay won this one on the ground, where running backs Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell ran a combined 52 times for 310 yards and a touchdown.
Mayfield went 0-for-3 on the day, but vastly outperformed Penix, whose four picks were as many as in the previous 12 games combined. Penix, playing his first professional game in his hometown, looked uncomfortable and largely flummoxed by Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles’ defense, and the Falcons’ offense never got going.
Asked after the game if he ever came up with a game plan without any success, the Buccaneers coach replied, “I haven’t, but there’s a first time for everything.”
Here are some points to remember from Sunday’s rain-soaked match:
Best plays from Falcons @ Buccaneers
Boxed Sheet Music | Week 8 Live Blog | Game Discussion
Both teams struggled with the weather, particularly in the first half. How serious were the offenses?
Both teams will want to light the first-half game film on fire, but if it’s as soaked as everything else, it probably won’t burn.
The rain fell steadily and hard throughout the first 30 minutes, contributing to some ugly football. Mayfield didn’t complete a pass in the half (or all day for that matter), although that may have had as much to do with Tampa Bay’s new identity as the rain. Penix attempted 10 passes in the first 30 minutes. He completed two for his team and three for the Buccaneers. The QBs also combined for four fumbles.
“The conditions are the same,” Penix said after the match. “Both teams had to play it. … As the quarterback, the leader, I have to protect the ball. That’s the only way we’re going to be able to win these games, and I did a bad job today.”
Bowles said, “We knew it was going to be a bad day and what type of conditions there would be, so we were worried about ball security, and we took care of that – other than the fumble in the end zone.”
Asked how he felt about the win even though he didn’t complete a pass, Mayfield said: “It’s a win. That’s what I think about it. We won.” — Josh Kendall, Falcons beat writer
Penix looked awful upon returning to his hometown. Was this a one-time event that can be attributed to the weather, or should Falcons fans be concerned?
Until Penix puts together a longer streak of winning football, Falcons fans and the front office should be concerned. The No. 8 pick in the 2024 draft was named NFC Offensive Player of the Week after leading Atlanta to an upset over San Francisco last week, but he followed that up with his worst game as a professional.
“It’s tough,” Penix said. “I had a lot of family in the stands, and for them to see that performance, a (four-interception) performance that I’ve never had in my life, it kind of sucked. We’ve got to get rid of that.”
The most critical aspect of this season for the Falcons has always been the new leadership team of coach Kevin Stefanski, general manager Ian Cunningham and president of football Matt Ryan deciding whether Penix could be their quarterback of the future. And things were looking good. Jessie Bates even called him a “franchise quarterback” six days ago.
Sunday, however, was a big step back. -Kendall
Why did the Bucs’ running back combination of Irving and Gainwell have so much success on the ground, while Bijan Robinson and the Falcons couldn’t get anything going?
Atlanta has quietly struggled to move the ball over the past month. The Falcons are 29th in rushing EPA since Week 5. This is the same team that had 447 rushing yards in back-to-back games against Green Bay and New Orleans in Weeks 3 and 4.
Irving, Gainwell and the Buccaneers simply punched Atlanta square in the mouth all day. It’s not like Tampa Bay cheated on them. Mayfield finished the day with just three pass attempts, while Irving (27 carries for 170 yards) and Gainwell (25 carries for 140 yards) both had career days. -Kendall
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense gets a stop on Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson during the first half. (Mike Carlson/Getty Images)
Mayfield didn’t complete a pass, but somehow a Buccaneer is tied for the most catches in the game?
Without completing any of his three passes, Mayfield obviously had the least productive day of any quarterback in the NFL. That includes undrafted Baltimore Ravens rookie quarterback Joe Fagnano, who wasn’t even active when his game began. Fagnano entered the game after injuries to Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley and completed 10 more passes than Mayfield and threw for 91 more yards.
That doesn’t mean no one on the Bucs caught any passes, though. Penix completed four passes to Tampa Bay’s defense, half as many as he completed to his own team. Falcons receiver Jahan Dotson, Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. and Bucs linebacker Alex Anzalone each caught two passes, which were game-highs. (Anzalone’s catches were interceptions.)
Irving set a career high three weeks ago by totaling 165 rushing yards against the Dallas Cowboys. He surpassed that number against the Falcons. Gainwell also set a career high. Together, Mayfield and the two backs shattered the previous franchise record for rushing yards in a game (283 on November 22, 2015), totaling 324 rushing yards. — Saad Yousuf, NFL writer
How does Sunday’s result affect the NFC South race?
The division is officially the glorious mess we all thought it would be. The Panthers lost 27-19 Thursday night and fired their defensive coordinator. However, they remain alone in first place with a record of 3-4. The Falcons and Buccaneers are tied for second at 3-5, while the Saints, who had a bye this weekend, are last at 2-5. -Kendall
Gn headline
