Buccaneers shut out Falcons 16-0 without completing a pass

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Atlanta Falcons 16-0 on Sunday without completing a pass, using their running game to overcome torrential rain. BBC Sport reported that Baker Mayfield attempted only three throws as Tampa Bay produced a franchise-record 324 rushing yards in one of the most unusual performances of the NFL's eighth week.

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Bucky Irving rushed for 170 yards and Kenneth Gainwell added 140, giving the Buccaneers two backs above that mark in the same game. Tampa Bay ran the ball 56 times, according to BBC Sport, while Atlanta finished with 99 yards from 28 carries. The contrasting totals underlined how differently the two offences handled the difficult conditions.

BBC Sport reported that Tampa Bay became the first NFL team since 1974 to finish a game without a completed pass, and only the second in the Super Bowl era. Mayfield's afternoon was spent largely handing the ball to his running backs rather than trying to move the offence through the air.

The Buccaneers' own match report said their defence intercepted Michael Penix Jr. four times. Alex Anzalone accounted for two of those takeaways, with Jacob Parrish and Zyon McCollum collecting the others. Penix completed eight of 24 attempts for 125 yards, while Atlanta managed 224 yards of total offence and failed to score throughout the contest.

Chase McLaughlin supplied the only first-half points with three field goals, sending Tampa Bay into the break 9-0 ahead. Irving then scored the game's lone touchdown in the third quarter, finishing a drive that included his 46-yard run and a 28-yard gain by Gainwell. The Buccaneers' report credited Irving with a four-yard touchdown run.

The result improved Tampa Bay to 3-5 overall and 2-0 against divisional opponents, according to the team. It was also the Buccaneers' first shutout since their 9-0 victory at Carolina in the 2023 season finale. After rushing for 258 yards in their previous game against Carolina, they followed with an even larger total against another division rival.