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Don’t Worry, Drive Currie!
This wasn’t exactly slingin’ in the rain.
The Bucs and their supporters aren’t complaining after a dominating 16-0 victory against an Atlanta team coming off a huge upset against previously unbeaten San Francisco.
Baker Mayfield didn’t register a single completion in his three pass attempts, yet still finished with a better passer rating than counterpart Michael Penix Jr. For the third time in four games, Tampa Bay’s rushing attack proved overwhelming as Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell each topped 100 yards in a franchise record-setting 324-yard ground assault.
Given the driving rain and slippery field conditions, Buc players and coaches said it was a given that the offensive game plan would rely heavily on the run game..With their first home win after an 0-4 start at Raymond James Stadium, the Bucs improved to 3-5 and closed within a half-game of slumping Carolina atop the NFC South.
Co-owner Joel Glazer was jubilant as the final seconds ticked off. He was appreciative of Tampa Bay’s physical approach to the game, dismissing the team’s minus-2 yards passing figure as irrelevant.
Tampa Bay’s surging defense more than did its part with four interceptions, including two by veteran addition Alex Anzalone in the opening quarter. Atlanta failed to convert any of its 12 third-down situations and Penix completed only 8-of-24 throws.
“We have to find ways to stay on the field on third down in a game like that, and we did not,” said Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski.
The Bucs are now 6-0 during Irving’s career when the third-year back tops 100 yards on the ground. He and Gainwell are both averaging 5.0 yards per carry behind an offensive line that is carving our huge holes.
“We’ve known this is the type of line we’ve had all along, so to see it come to fruition like this makes us super proud,” said center Graham Barton. “We just kept our pads below their pads and kept playing hard.”
Chase McLaughlin, 19-for-19 on the season, kicked three first-half field goals and Irving’s 4-yard run in the third quarter capped the scoring.
The only Buc giveaway came midway through the first quarter when Mayfield scrambled left and lateralled the ball to Irving, who fumbled out of bounds through the end zone just before reaching the goal line.
The Bucs became the first team since the 1974 Bills to win while completing zero passes. Only the 1955 Washington team finished with fewer passing yards in the win than the Bucs just pulled off, but for one rain-soaked Sunday, it was more than enough to subdue a division opponent.
This was old-school football — three yards and a cloud of slop.
The Bucs and their owners reveled in a winning formula so rare in today’s pass-happy NFL culture. Swarming defense and a withering run game can still work in 2026 and the Bucs will bring their new identity into Chicago for a prime-time matchup next Sunday evening.
Here’s how Tampa Bay literally ground down the Falcons with relentless effort and a strict adherence to a game plan built on physicality:
* Bijan Robinson entered the day as the league’s rushing leader, but he found few holes against Tampa Bay’s stout run defense. He broke loose for a 26-yard dash in the second quarter but finished with only 76 yards on 19 carries. Just as importantly,, Robinson didn’t catch a single pass for the first time all season.
* Anzalone set the tone with two early picks, followed by interceptions from corners Jacob Parrish and Zyon McCollum. Penix kept floating passes and the Buc secondary feasted. Despite a 76-yard completion in the final minutes, Penix finished with only 125 yards and a brutal passer rating of 12.0.
* Irving is averaging 91 rushing yards, impressing his new teammate Gainwell with his vision and cutting ability. He burst 46 yards off left end in the third quarter and Gainwell ripped off a 28-yard run to highlight a 90-yard drive capped by Irving’s scoring run off right guard.
* Anzalone started the day with five interceptions in 118 career games. He confused Penix by dropping into coverage, reading the throws on two successive drives. He now leads Tampa Bay with three picks for the year.
* Tampa Bay’s defense has been particularly opportunistic the past two weeks, posting four takeways each game. Since the Week 1 setback at Cincinnati, the Bucs are plus-7 in turnover ratio.
* Mayfield wasn’t signed to that fat contract just to hand off, but it’s hard to quibble with the resuts the past two weeks. “I think I can speak for all five of us,” said right tackle Luke Goedeke, referring to the wall in front of Mayfield. “We prefer to run the ball, so we’re begging for those runs.”
* The Buc defense has been putting up impressive numbers. Opponents are converting only 32 percent on third down and averaging just 80 rushing yards. Tampa Bay has intercepted 12 passes while allowing 10 TD passes.
* Not much of a scrambler, Penix is known for a rifle left arm. But instead of firing passes, he struggled with his footing and tossed up softballs that ended up in Tampa Bay hands. Through three quarters, he hit on 5-of-14 for a mere 37 yards.
* The third quarter has been golden for the Bucs, outscoring the opposition 50-20.
* In their three wins, the Bucs have run the ball 144 times, compared to 39 pass attempts. A month ago, Todd Bowles suggested his team needed to establish an identity. Mission accomplished.