The Tampa Bay Buccaneers turned almost entirely to their running game Sunday, beating the Atlanta Falcons 16-0 without completing a single pass. A downpour at Raymond James Stadium left pools of standing water on the field during the Week 8 divisional matchup, prompting Tampa Bay to attempt just three throws while running the ball 56 times.
The result put the Buccaneers in rare historical company. According to the NFL, Buffalo in 1974 was the last team to win a game without completing a pass. One NFL researcher said no team had earned a double-digit victory without a completion since 1945. Tampa Bay’s rushing workload was also unusual: No NFL team had exceeded 56 carries in a game since 2010.
“First time for everything,” Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said. The victory was Tampa Bay’s first at home this season after four losses there. Quarterback Baker Mayfield finished with no completions on three attempts but was smiling afterward, with the unusual offensive approach having produced a win.
Tampa Bay had already leaned heavily on the run in its previous game against Carolina. Mayfield, returning from a thumb injury, attempted only 11 passes in that victory, while the Buccaneers rushed for 258 yards. With a storm forecast to move across Florida, they followed a similar approach against Atlanta. Nearly an inch of rain had fallen in Tampa before kickoff, and the downpour continued into the game.
Bowles said the decision to avoid passing reflected the weather rather than an instruction to the offensive coordinator to abandon throws. “We didn’t say you’re not going to throw the ball; the conditions told him that,” he said, pointing to the heavy rain and wind.
The Buccaneers finished with a franchise-record 324 rushing yards, averaging 5.8 yards per attempt. Bucky Irving led the ground attack with 170 yards, while Kenny Gainwell added 140 as the pair repeatedly found ways through Atlanta’s defense.
Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. struggled through the same conditions, completing eight of 24 attempts, throwing four interceptions and fumbling once. That performance followed two games in which he had combined for six touchdown passes without an interception.
Tampa Bay also had trouble holding onto the ball. Mayfield fumbled three times but lost none of them, while Irving lost a fumble. Those mistakes did not prevent the Buccaneers from securing the shutout. “I’ll take it, man,” Mayfield said afterward.
