Bucky Irving rushed for a career-high 170 yards and a touchdown on Sunday as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers became the first team in 52 years to win a game without completing a pass in a bizarre 16-0 victory over the visiting Atlanta Falcons.
Kenny Gainwell also set a career high with 140 rushing yards for Tampa Bay (3-5), which totaled a franchise-record 324 yards on the ground during a rain-soaked game. The Buccaneers won their second straight and pulled within a half-game of the Carolina Panthers for first place in the NFC South.
Baker Mayfield completed none of his three pass attempts, marking the first time that’s happened for a winning team since Buffalo’s Joe Ferguson went 0-for-2 against the New York Jets on Sept. 29, 1974.
Michael Penix Jr. completed 8 of 24 passes for 125 yards and tossed four interceptions for Atlanta (3-5), which lost its third game in four tries.
Tampa Bay pushed its nine-point halftime lead to 16 with 3:47 left in the third quarter, as Irving went 4 yards for the game’s only touchdown.
Penix threw a fourth interception — this time picked off by Zyon McCollum at the Buccaneers’ 14-yard line — on the ensuing drive after driving the Falcons to the Tampa Bay 24.
Penix connected with Jahan Dotson for a 76-yard pass to Tampa Bay’s 22 with less than 4:30 left in the fourth, but Atlanta proceeded to turn the ball over on downs to seal the victory for Tampa Bay.
Atlanta began the afternoon with an empty trip, as Nick Folk missed a 53-yard field goal attempt.
After Tampa Bay took the lead on Chase McLaughlin’s 46-yard field goal, Penix’s first pass of the next drive was intercepted by Alex Anzalone.
The Buccaneers threatened on the ensuing drive, but Atlanta’s Jessie Bates III forced Irving to fumble through the end zone, resulting in a touchback.
Penix was then picked off again by Anzalone, leading to McLaughlin’s 34-yarder to give Tampa Bay a 6-0 lead.
Penix’s nightmarish first half continued, as a poorly thrown pass on fourth-and-6 was intercepted by Jacob Parrish at Tampa Bay’s 17-yard line. The Buccaneers tacked on McLaughlin’s 42-yarder to push the margin to nine.
