NFL

Atlanta Falcons at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

· National Football League
5-3, 3-0 Away
Final
31 - 26
4-4, 2-3 Home

Cousins throws for 276 yards and 4 TDs as Falcons beat Bucs 31-26 to take control of NFC South

Cade Otton hauls in his 2nd TD of the game

Kirk Cousins threw for 276 yards and four touchdowns, and the first-place Falcons held off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-26 to take control of the NFC South race on Sunday.

“It's always great to get away with a division win,” coach Raheem Morris, who's in his first season as Atlanta's coach, said. “We talk about outrunning the South, and the guys have absolutely bought into what we want to do.”

Kyle Pitts scored on receptions of 36 and 49 yards and Cousins also tossed TD passes of 30 yards to Darnell Mooney and 6 yards to Bijan Robinson to give the Falcons (5-3) a two-game sweep of the season series with the three-time defending division champion Bucs (4-4).

The Falcons improved to 4-0 within the NFC South and with the head-to-head tiebreaker advantage over second-place Tampa Bay essentially hold a two-game lead in the division standings. The Bucs also lost 36-30 in overtime at Atlanta on Oct. 3, when Cousins threw for a career-high 509 yards with four TDs.

“This is the first time (since) I've been here with us having (a division lead this late into the season),” said Pitts, a fourth-year pro who was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2021 draft. “So, it's pretty cool for us just to be a new team with a new vision. We're just taking it week by week.”

Baker Mayfield threw for 330 yards and three TDs, but also tossed a pair of costly interceptions for Tampa Bay. The Bucs had a chance to possibly win it after driving to the Atlanta 33 in the final minute, however Mayfield's Hail Mary throw from the 38 was caught by Rakim Jarrett behind the end zone as time expired.

“It just looked like a mosh pit back there. ... Kind of one of those things (where) you get your hopes up, but then you realize it didn't work out," Mayfield said. “But for our guys to fight, to get into that situation, you really can't ask for much else.”

Mayfield, playing with injured receivers Chris Godwin and Mike Evans, tossed a pair of TD passes to tight end Cade Otton, including a 4-yarder that trimmed what was once a 31-17 deficit to five points with just under seven minutes remaining.

The Falcons took the ball and, with help from an 13-yard scramble by Cousins and a fourth-down conversion, kept it from Tampa Bay's offense until Younghoe Koo missed a 46-yield field goal with 1:01 left.

“We didn't get too caught up in the division with how much football there is left to play,” Cousins said. “We understand the importance of winning the South and facing a divisional opponent, but didn't talk about scenarios. ... Right now, we're just trying to focus on playing our best football and seeing where that leads.”

With Godwin out for the season and Evans expected to be sidelined at least three games, the Bucs are hoping a rejuvenated rushing attack and a mostly young group of playmakers that includes Otton, Jalen McMillan, Trey Palmer, Rachaad White and Bucky Irving will help Mayfield keep the Bucs in contention for a fourth consecutive division title.

White scored on an 18-yard reception in the first half, but also lost an early fumble to set up Cousins' first TD pass to Pitts. Mayfield, who leads the NFL with 21 TD passes, has thrown seven picks in the past three games after only having two through Week 5.

The Bucs also hurt themselves with a failed fake punt play in the third quarter that positioned the Falcons to go up 31-17 on Robinson's TD reception.

Jessie Bates III and A.J. Terrell Jr. had interceptions for the Falcons, who have won four of five following a 1-2 start.

“There was a little bit more urgency this week with it being a divisional opponent. ... The mindset was to come in here and take it from them. I thought we did that as a team," Bates said.

“You win the division, you get in the playoffs. ... This is just one step closer to it,” Bates added. "That doesn’t mean the season is done or the Saints are going to lay down or the Panthers are going to lay down, but we have to take two more to be undefeated in the division and see what happens after that.”

Throwbacks Tampa Bay wore uniforms from the team's Creamsicle jersey era and honored the 1979 Bucs, who won the franchise's first division title.

Injuries Falcons: Played without safety Justin Simmons (hamstring) and ILB Troy Andersen (knee), who were inactive. ... DL Ruke Orhorhoro (ankle) left in the third quarter and did not return. RG Chris Lindstrom (knee) missed time in the fourth quarter.

Buccaneers: WR Sterling Shepard (hamstring) departed in the second quarter, but returned in the second half. ... LB Lavonte David (ankle) finished the game after leaving briefly in the fourth quarter.

Up next Falcons: Host Dallas next Sunday.

Buccaneers: at Kansas City next Monday night.

How can I watch Falcons vs. Buccaneers?

  • TV Channel: Falcons at Buccaneers 2021-22 NFL, week 8 is broadcasted nationally on FOX and NFL Sunday Ticket.
  • Online streaming: Sign up for Fubo.
    In Canada, viewers can watch Falcons vs. Buccaneers on DAZN.

Matchup Prediction

Buccaneers: 57.6%
Falcons: 42.1%
*According to ESPN's Football Power Index

Scoring Summary

ATL TD 1st Period 12:52 Kyle Pitts 36 Yd pass from Kirk Cousins (Younghoe Koo Kick)
TB TD 1st Period 4:22 Cade Otton 5 Yd pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin Kick)
TB TD 2nd Period 10:28 Rachaad White 18 Yd pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin Kick)
ATL TD 2nd Period 7:19 Kyle Pitts 49 Yd pass from Kirk Cousins (Younghoe Koo Kick)
ATL TD 2nd Period 2:09 Darnell Mooney 30 Yd pass from Kirk Cousins (Younghoe Koo Kick)
TB FG 2nd Period 1:04 Chase McLaughlin 52 Yd Field Goal
ATL FG 2nd Period 0:01 Younghoe Koo 39 Yd Field Goal
ATL TD 3rd Period 0:14 Bijan Robinson 6 Yd pass from Kirk Cousins (Younghoe Koo Kick)
TB SF 4th Period 12:04 Kirk Cousins Fumble Out of Bounds in End Zone for a Safety
TB TD 4th Period 6:52 Cade Otton 4 Yd pass from Baker Mayfield (Chase McLaughlin Kick)

Statistics

https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nfl/500/atl.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originATL https://a.espncdn.com/combiner/i?img=/i/teamlogos/nfl/500/tb.png&h=100&scale=crop&w=100&location=originTB
20 1st Downs 24
11 Passing 1st downs 16
8 Rushing 1st downs 8
1 1st downs from penalties 0
6-12 3rd down efficiency 9-14
2-2 4th down efficiency 1-2
60 Total Plays 72
394 Total Yards 432
6.6 Yards per Play 6.0
10 Total Drives 11
265 Passing 330
23/29 Comp/Att 37/50
8.5 Yards per pass 6.6
0 Interceptions thrown 2
2-11 Sacks-Yards Lost 0-0
129 Rushing 102
29 Rushing Attempts 22
4.4 Yards per rush 4.6
1-1 Red Zone (Made-Att) 3-3
4-43 Penalties 6-45
0 Turnovers 3
0 Fumbles lost 1
0 Interceptions thrown 2
0 Defensive / Special Teams TDs 0
27:26 Possession 32:34

Game Information

Raymond James Stadium

Location: Tampa, FL
Attendance: 62,787 · Capacity:

2024 NFC South Standings

TEAM W L PCT T PF PA
Atlanta 5 3 .625 0 194 195
Tampa Bay 4 4 .500 0 235 213
New Orleans 2 6 .250 0 185 206
Carolina 1 7 .125 0 124 271
Full Standings

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