Buccaneers set rushing record in 16-0 win over Falcons

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running backs Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell combined for 310 yards on the ground to lead a 16-0 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday. The performance set a team record for rushing yards in a single game and marked the first time a team had zero completions since Buffalo in 1974.

Irving carried the ball 27 times for 170 yards and a touchdown. Gainwell added 140 yards on 25 carries. The duo dominated the wet, sloppy field at Raymond James Stadium, forcing the Falcons to abandon their passing game entirely.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield attempted three passes and did not complete one. This was his second game back after missing three weeks with a fractured thumb. Mayfield scrambled for 13 yards but relied almost exclusively on the run. The Bucs have won three of their last four games after starting the season 0-4.

The Falcons (3-5) were held to just 76 rushing yards on 19 carries by the Tampa Bay defense. Atlanta quarterback Michael Penix Jr., a Dade City native, threw for 125 yards on 8 of 24 attempts but was intercepted four times. It was Penix’s first game in Tampa since graduating from Tampa Bay Tech High School in 2018.

Kicker Chase McLaughlin made all three of his attempts, keeping his perfect season at 19 for 19. He kicked field goals from 46, 34, and 42 yards. Atlanta’s Nick Folk missed a 53-yard attempt wide left on the opening drive.

Tampa Bay’s previous rushing high was 283 yards, set in a 2015 win at Philadelphia. The last time a team had zero completions was on Sept. 29, 1974, when Buffalo’s Joe Ferguson went 0-for-2 against the Jets. That game featured sideways rain and O.J. Simpson rushing for 117 yards.

The Bucs (3-5) are now a half-game behind Carolina (3-4) in the NFC South. Next, Tampa Bay visits the Chicago Bears on Sunday Night Football at 8:20 p.m. The Bears (5-2) host Seattle on Monday night.