Buccaneers win without a completed pass in 16-0 Falcons shutout
Tampa Bay went 0-for-3 through the air in a rain-soaked win over Atlanta, powering to victory with 324 rushing yards.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
The Buccaneers win without completed pass stat is real: Tampa Bay beat the Atlanta Falcons 16-0 on Sunday, attempting three throws and catching none of them. Baker Mayfield’s final line was 0-for-3, but the Buccaneers found plenty of offense on the ground, NBC News reported.
Rain and wind turned Raymond James Stadium into a rough place to throw. NBC News reported that standing water had collected on the field, and nearly an inch of rain had fallen in Tampa by kickoff.
Tampa Bay responded with a throwback plan. The Buccaneers ran 56 times, gaining a franchise-record 324 yards at 5.8 yards a carry.
How did the Buccaneers beat the Falcons without a completed pass?
They kept handing off. Bucky Irving ran for 170 yards and Kenny Gainwell added 140, giving Tampa Bay 310 yards from its top two rushers alone, according to NBC News.
The result was a decisive 16-0 divisional victory despite a passing game that produced no completions. Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles said the team had not ordered its offense to abandon the pass; the weather made that call.
“We didn’t say you’re not going to throw the ball; the conditions told him that,” Bowles said, according to NBC News. He pointed to the downpour, wind and the difficulty of getting the ball to travel.
The Falcons tried to pass more often, with damaging results. Atlanta quarterback Michael Penix Jr. completed 8 of 24 attempts, threw four interceptions and fumbled once, NBC News reported.
For Tampa Bay, the unusual formula also delivered its first home win of the season after an 0-4 start at Raymond James Stadium, according to the report.
When was the last NFL win without a completed pass?
NBC News, citing the NFL, reported that Tampa Bay became the first team to win an NFL game without completing a pass since Buffalo did so in 1974. The report also cited an NFL researcher who said a team had not won by a double-digit margin without a completion since 1945.
The Buccaneers had already tilted toward the run in the previous week’s victory over Carolina, when Mayfield was returning from a thumb injury and attempted 11 passes. Against Atlanta, the storm pushed that approach to its extreme: three attempts, zero completions, 56 rushes and a shutout.
This story draws on original reporting from NBC News.