Sports
Buccaneers win without a single completion
Clear Facts
- The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Atlanta Falcons 16-0 without completing a pass, the first time that has happened in an NFL game in 51 years.
- Baker Mayfield attempted three passes, all incomplete, while the Buccaneers set a franchise record with 324 rushing yards.
- Bucky Irving gained 170 rushing yards and Kenneth Gainwell added 140 as Tampa Bay improved its position in the NFC South.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took the field Sunday in conditions that made passing nearly impossible.
Heavy rain and wind swept through Raymond James Stadium, turning the contest into a test of old-school football fundamentals.
Coach Todd Bowles said the weather dictated the strategy. “The conditions told him that,” Bowles said. “I mean, you could see it as a downpour down there and the wind’s blowing. You can kind of see the ball wasn’t going anywhere.”
Baker Mayfield attempted three passes, none of which were completed.
“All right, let’s get this over with because you don’t want to talk to me,” Mayfield told reporters at the start of his postgame press conference.
He finished with more blocking than throwing.
“You know, if you’re not going to throw the ball, I got to get active somehow,” Mayfield said.
Running backs Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell carried the load, combining for 310 of the team’s 324 rushing yards.
Irving averaged 6.3 yards per carry and Gainwell averaged 5.6.
Irving said he did not even check the forecast.
“I’m not going to lie to you. I don’t know the last time I checked the weather for a football game,” he said. “We’re going to have to play in it anyway. That’s how I think about it.”
“Rain, snow, muddy, you’re going to have to play in it anyway.”
Atlanta’s Michael Penix Jr. completed just eight of 24 passes and threw four interceptions.
The Buccaneers now hold renewed hope in the NFC South standings after proving that toughness and physical running still win games.
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