The Buccaneers needed Baker Mayfield to lead a game-winning drive to put them into first place in the NFC South and Mayfield came through for them.
Falcons quarterback Desmond Ridder’s touchdown run and two-point conversion pass put the Falcons up 25-22 with 3:23 left in the game, but Mayfield led the Bucs steadily down the field. The biggest play came on a third-and-10 when he hooked up with wide receiver Chris Godwin for a 32-yard gain that moved the Buccaneers into field goal range.
They wouldn’t have to settle for a tie, however. Mayfield found tight end Cade Otton for an 11-yard touchdown with 31 seconds left and the Bucs held on for a 29-25 win when Falcons wide receiver Drake London was tackled short of the end zone on a 28-yard gain on the final play of the game.
Mayfield had 101 passing yards before those two big completions and the Bucs offense had just 215 yards before the final drive, but the late heroics and a strong defensive effort in the first three quarters were enough to lift the team to a 6-7 record. The Falcons had been in sole possession of first place heading into the game, but the Bucs now own the tiebreakers over them and the Saints — who beat the Panthers Sunday — with four games left on the schedule.
Rachaad White had 102 yards and a touchdown on 25 carries and Godwin had five catches for 53 yards a week after he went without a catch.
London had 10 catches for 72 yards, including a remarkable 45-yard grab that set up Ridder’s go-ahead touchdown in the fourth quarter. Tight end Kyle Pitts had a 36-yard touchdown catch earlier in the game and Ridder was 26-of-40 for 347 yards, but an interception and a fumble in his own end zone helped the Bucs to nine crucial points in the first half of the game.
The Falcons also punted on all three of their third quarter possessions and they’ll rue those missed opportunities as they turn their attention toward next Sunday’s trip to Carolina. The Bucs will be in Green Bay as the NFC South race reaches the stretch run.
