Buccaneers win 16-0 with zero completed passes in rainy Tampa

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers ran the ball 56 times in their Week 8 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, a figure not seen in the league since 2010.

The strategy resulted in a 16-0 victory for Tampa Bay at Raymond James Stadium. It marks the first time since 1974 that an NFL team secured a win without completing a single pass, according to league records. A rare 1945 instance is the last time a team won by double digits without a completed pass.

Head Coach Todd Bowles attributed the decision to the weather. Nearly an inch of rain had fallen before kickoff, and a downpour continued throughout the game, leaving standing water on the field. Bowles stated that the conditions told the offense not to throw the ball, noting that the ball was not going anywhere in the wind and rain.

The ground game produced a franchise record 324 yards. Bucky Irving carried the ball for 170 yards, while Kenny Gainwell added 140 yards. The offense averaged 5.8 yards per rush as they repeatedly attacked the Atlanta defense.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield went 0-for-3 on pass attempts. He had thrown only 11 times in the previous week’s win against Carolina while returning from a thumb injury. Mayfield fumbled three times but did not lose the football. Irving did lose one fumble.

The Atlanta offense struggled in the wet conditions. Quarterback Michael Penix Jr. completed eight of 24 passes, was intercepted four times, and fumbled once. This performance contrasted sharply with his previous two games, where he threw six touchdowns and no interceptions.

Bowles described the outcome as a first for everything. Mayfield expressed satisfaction with the result, calling it a win and saying he would take it.