The Buccaneers entered the fourth quarter with a 21-0 lead. They held on for a 21-15 win over the Falcons.
Atlanta should have gotten another opportunity to try to finish the comeback, but the Bucs ran off the final 4:38 thanks to a controversial roughing the passer call on Grady Jarrett against Tom Brady.
Jarrett did nothing that should have elicited a penalty on a third-and-five play at the Atlanta 47. The 10-yard loss would have forced a Bucs punt with more than two minutes remaining. Brady even kicked at Jarrett after the play.
But Jarrett, for some reason, was penalized 15 yards for roughing. Fox analyst Darryl Johnston vehemently disagreed with the call as Falcons coach Arthur Smith complained to officials along the sideline.
Brady completed 35 of 52 passes for 351 yards and a touchdown. Leonard Fournette had two touchdowns -- a 1-yard run and a 1-yard reception -- on 24 touches for 139 yards.
Marcus Mariota was 14-of-25 for 147 yards and a touchdown. He was 5-of-7 for 63 yards and a touchdown in the fourth quarter as the Falcons outgained the Bucs 97 to 43 in the fourth quarter.
The Bucs moved to 3-2 and the Falcons fell to 2-3 in a battle of teams atop the NFC South.