Who needs a quarterback? Buccaneers defeat Falcons with defense and running game.

John Romano, Tampa Bay Times on Nov 1, 2026

Published in Football

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TAMPA, Fla. — Safe to say, most of us have never seen anything like Tampa Bay’s 16-0 win on Sunday.

At least when it comes to a contest not involving pee wee-sized football players.

On a rain-soaked afternoon, the Buccaneers took advantage of four interceptions and a stellar running game to throttle the Atlanta Falcons and move within a half game of Carolina for the NFC South lead.

The remarkable part of the victory?

The Bucs did not complete a pass.

It was the first time since Sept. 29, 1974, when the Buffalo Bills beat the New York Jets 16-12, that an NFL team won a game with zero passing yards, according to Pro Football Reference.

It’s not as if Baker Mayfield had a poor afternoon. He attempted only three passes (including one that Bucky Irving dropped) and instead left the heavy lifting to Irving, Kenny Gainwell and the Bucs offensive line. Irving rushed for 170 yards and Gainwell gained 140.

While Mayfield was 0-for-3 passing, he still had a higher passer rating (39.6) than Atlanta quarterback Michael Penix Jr. The Dade City product was 8 of 24 for 125 yards and four interceptions for a passer rating of 12.0.

It was the second week in a row that Tampa Bay won a game with a minimal passing effort. Mayfield threw for only 64 yards in last week’s win at Carolina.

Game balls

The obvious choice is Irving, but we’re going a different direction. The direction for the game was set in the first quarter when Alex Anzalone intercepted passes on back-to-back drives. The first takeaway nearly led to a touchdown, but Irving had the ball punched out of his hands a step away from the end zone. The second interception led to a field goal that put the Bucs up 6-0, and the Falcons were on their heels the rest of the day.

Play(s) of the game

Late in the third quarter, the Falcons were only nine points away from the lead. Tampa Bay’s running game took care of that when Irving found a seam and went 46 yards to the Atlanta 35. Two plays later, Gainwell broke three tackles for a 28-yard gain to the 6. The Bucs scored their lone touchdown for a 16-0 lead.

Keep an eye on

Bucs outside linebacker Yaya Diaby left the game in the first half with a knee injury. Diaby was coming off the best pass-rushing game of his career with three sacks in last week’s win at Carolina.

NFC South update

What’s the bridge from that old Talking Heads song? Same as it ever was? We’ve made it through September, we’ve made it through October, and here we are in November and the South still does not have a team with a winning record.

Up next

Why was Sunday’s game against the Falcons was so critical? Because the Bucs are about to recommence their tour against the big, bad NFC North. Tampa Bay is on the road against the Chicago Bears next week and then, following a bye, goes to Detroit to face the Lions. The Bucs have already dropped games against the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers. If they steal one in either Chicago or Detroit, it’ll be a cause for celebration.

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