Baker Mayfield tossed an 11-yard scoring pass to Cade Otton with 31 seconds remaining to give the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a 29-25 victory over the host Atlanta Falcons in an NFC South battle on Sunday.
Mayfield passed for 144 yards and two touchdowns and also rushed for a score as Tampa Bay (6-7) won its second straight game. Rachaad White rushed for 102 yards and caught a touchdown pass and Antoine Winfield Jr. delivered a strip-sack that led to a safety for the Buccaneers.
Desmond Ridder passed for 347 yards, one touchdown and one interception and also rushed for a score for the Falcons (6-7). Bijan Robinson rushed for a touchdown, Kyle Pitts had a scoring catch and Drake London had 10 receptions for 172 yards for Atlanta.
The result leaves the Buccaneers, Falcons and New Orleans Saints with the same record in the division race. New Orleans defeated the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
Atlanta made one last thrust but London was stopped at the Tampa Bay 3-yard line after catching a 28-yard pass from Ridder.
The Buccaneers took a 19-10 lead in the third quarter when White caught a pass behind the line of scrimmage, eyed some space ahead and flew upfield to complete a 31-yard scoring play with 4:06 remaining in the period.
Atlanta rebounded behind Robinson’s 3-yard scamper to pull the Falcons within two with 11:10 remaining in the game.
Chase McLaughlin tacked on a 38-yard field goal to give the Buccaneers a 22-17 lead with 6:10 left.
Atlanta answered with a five-play, 75-yard drive in which Ridder connected with London for 45 yards to the Tampa Bay 30. Four plays later, Ridder eluded a tackle in the backfield and scored on a 6-yard run. A two-point conversion pass to London made it 25-22 Falcons with 3:23 remaining.
Mayfield then engineered the winning 12-play, 75-yard drive.
Tampa Bay led 12-10 at halftime due to the safety and two missed field goals by Falcons kicker Younghoe Koo.
McLaughlin (55 yards) and Koo (20) traded first-quarter field goals before Mayfield scored on a 1-yard run on the first play of the second quarter to give the Buccaneers a 10-3 lead.
Atlanta knotted the score when Ridder connected with Pitts on a 36-yard scoring pass with 12:09 remaining in the half. The Falcons were unable to go ahead when Koo’s 50-yard field goal caromed off the right upright with 4:20 left.
Winfield soon came up with his big play as his strip-sack dislodged the ball from Ridder in his own end zone. Atlanta’s Keith Smith picked up the ball and was tackled by Patrick O’Connor for Tampa Bay’s safety.
Koo missed wide left from 52 yards as time expired.
–Field Level Media
