The Falcons could not get out of their own way for most of Thursday night, but they somehow pulled out a 29-28 upset of the Bucs on the final play. Zane Gonzalez’s 43-yard field goal was a dagger to the Bucs’ playoff hopes.
The Panthers are in the driver’s seat in the NFC South after the Bucs lost for the fifth time in six games, this one a heartbreaker. Tampa Bay fell to 7-7, with Atlanta improving to 5-9.
It was a night of star-studded performances. Kyle Pitts, Kirk Cousins and Bijan Robinson had big nights for the Falcons, and Mike Evans returned from his fractured collarbone for his best game in almost a year.
In a game that meant nothing for the Falcons, who already were eliminated from playoff contention, they overcame their own mistakes. Robinson lost a fumble that led to a 25-yard Bucs’ touchdown drive and a 28-14 Bucs’ lead in the fourth quarter, and the Falcons had 19 penalties for 125 yards.
The Falcons erased the Bucs’ 14-point, fourth-quarter lead with two touchdowns — one by Robinson and one by Pitts — followed by two missed 2-point conversions and Gonzalez’s kick.
Atlanta trailed 28-26 with 3:34 left when the Bucs got the ball back. Tampa Bay, though, couldn’t close it out.
Atlanta used its final timeout with 2:24 left in the fourth quarter. The Bucs then threw an incompletion on second-and-14, and Baker Mayfield was sacked for no yards to take it to the 2-minute warning. The Falcons got the ball back with 1:49 left in the fourth quarter, needing only a field goal for the win.
Bucs edge rusher Haason Reddick had a strip-sack of Cousins for an 8-yard loss, and officials ruled Cousins had simultaneous possession of the fumble, allowing the Falcons to keep the ball. On the next play, left tackle Jake Matthews was called for holding to set up a second-and-28 that turned into a third-and-28. Pitts caught a 14-yard pass on third down, and David Sills, who dropped a potential touchdown pass earlier in the game, caught a 21-yarder on fourth-and-14.
That led to Gonzalez’s game-winner.
The Falcons outgained the Bucs 476 to 338, with Cousins going 30-of-44 for 373 and three touchdowns. Pitts scored all three of the touchdown receptions on catches of 8, 17 and 7 yards. He finished with 11 catches for 166 yards. Robinson had 19 carries for 93 yards and a touchdown and eight catches for 82 yards.
Mayfield was 19-of-34 for 277 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. Evans caught six passes for 132 yards. Chris Godwin and Devin Culp had touchdown receptions.
Kyle Pitts is having a career night, keeping the Falcons in Thursday Night Football.
The Falcons tight end scored his third touchdown on a spectacular catch that has drawn the Falcons to within 28-26 of the Bucs after a failed 2-point play.
Pitts has 10 catches for 152 yards and his three touchdowns tonight are only one short of his season career-best four touchdowns in 2024. His touchdowns have covered 8, 17 and 7 yards.
Dee Alford’s interception of Baker Mayfield at the Atlanta 33 set up the 10-play touchdown drive.
The Falcons caught a rare break on the drive when Darnell Mooney had the ball punched out by Lavonte David. The ball was surrounded by Bucs, but it somehow squirted back into the arms of Falcons offensive lineman Ryan Neuzil.
Atlanta has 18 penalties for 115 yards and a turnover tonight.
After Bijan Robinson fumbled on the Falcons’ previous possession, he scored a touchdown to get his team back in the game.
Robinson’s 6-yard run, followed by an incompletion on the 2-point attempt, has the Falcons within 28-20 of the Bucs with 9:37 to play in the fourth quarter.
The Falcons went 65 yards in eight plays after the Bucs had converted Robinson’s fumble into a Chris Godwin touchdown and two-point conversion.
David Sills had a 20-yard reception and Kyle Pitts an 18-yarder on the drive. Pitts has eight receptions for 135 yards and two touchdowns.
Robinson has eight catches for 82 yards and 15 carries for 76 yards and the touchdown, but the fumble looms large.
The Falcons have 17 penalties for 110 yards.
What can go wrong has for the Falcons tonight, much of it their own doing.
The Falcons have 16 penalties for 110 yards, with A.J. Terrell cited four times for defensive pass interference, including one that was declined. Terrell’s most recent penalty came against Mike Evans at the Atlanta 5-yard line, with the 10-yard penalty helping set up Chris Godwin’s first touchdown of the season.
Godwin caught a 3-yard pass from Baker Mayfield for the score and then had the 2-point conversion reception to give the Bucs a 28-14 lead with 13:34 left in the fourth quarter.
The Bucs needed only four plays to go 25 yards after safety Christian Izien forced a Bijan Robinson that Jacob Parrish recovered.
Mayfield now has 257 yards passing and two touchdowns, and Evans has six catches for 132 yards.
Welcome back, Mike Evans.
The Buccaneers’ No. 1 receiver, who is playing his first game since Week 7 when he broke his collarbone, has four catches for 102 yards. It is his first 100-yard game since Week 15 of last season.
He was instrumental on the Bucs’ go-ahead score, with a 45-yard reception to the Falcons 12.
The biggest play, though, was Dee Alford’s penalty for illegal contact on an incompletion on third-and-13. The Falcons also have penalties for a facemask and for tripping on the nine-play, 90-yard drive.
The Falcons have 14 penalties for 90 yards.
Tight end Devin Culp, who had only five catches for 88 yards and no touchdowns in his career, caught a 6-yard touchdown from Baker Mayfield to give Tampa Bay a 20-14 lead with 6:22 left in the third quarter.
