Playing through a relentless downpour that left standing water pooling across Raymond James Stadium, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers engineered one of the most unusual victories of the 2026 NFL season on Sunday, defeating the Atlanta Falcons 16-0 without completing a single forward pass.
Faced with a storm that dumped nearly an inch of rain over Tampa by kickoff and continued unabated throughout the divisional matchup, the Buccaneers abandoned the air attack entirely. Quarterback Baker Mayfield attempted just three passes all afternoon, completing zero. Instead, Tampa Bay deployed a relentless ground-heavy strategy, rushing 56 times in a contest that head coach Todd Bowles noted was dictated strictly by the environment.
“We didn’t say you’re not going to throw the ball; the conditions told him that,” Bowles said after the game. “You could see it’s a downpour down there and the wind’s blowing. You can kind of see the ball’s not going anywhere.”
The ground assault proved devastatingly effective. The Buccaneers churned out a franchise-record 324 yards on the ground, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. Running backs Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell repeatedly carved through the Atlanta defense, with Irving rushing for 170 yards and Gainwell adding 140.
The strategy secured Tampa Bay’s first home victory of the season following an 0-4 start at Raymond James Stadium, while marking a rare statistical milestone in professional football. According to league records, the Buccaneers became the first team to win an NFL game without a completed pass since the Buffalo Bills accomplished the feat in 1974. Historical research further showed that no team had won by a double-digit margin without completing a pass since 1945. Additionally, the team’s 56 rushing attempts represented the highest single-game total across the league since 2010.
The extreme weather severely disrupted the visiting offense as well. Atlanta quarterback Michael Penix Jr. struggled mightily in the elements, completing 8 of 24 passes while throwing four interceptions and losing a fumble. The performance marked a stark departure for Penix, who had thrown six touchdowns and zero interceptions combined over his previous two outings.
Tampa Bay had already signaled a trend toward ground-heavy play a week prior, when Mayfield threw only 11 times in his return from a thumb injury during a 258-yard rushing performance against Carolina. On Sunday, despite Mayfield fumbling three times—though recovering all of them—and Irving losing a fumble, the formula held firm.
“First time for everything,” Bowles remarked.
Mayfield echoed the sentiment with a smile as he celebrated the shutout victory in challenging conditions. “It’s a win so,” Mayfield said. “I’ll take it, man.”
