Three throws, zero catches, one very soggy shutout: the Buccaneers win without completing a pass, something no NFL team had done since 1974. Tampa Bay beat the Atlanta Falcons 16-0 on Sunday in a downpour. Baker Mayfield finished 0-for-3 with zero yards, according to ESPN.
Yes, you read that right.
How the Buccaneers win without completing a pass
Rain fell from kickoff to the final whistle at Raymond James Stadium. USA Today Sports reported that puddles stood at midfield. So Tampa Bay looked at the sky, looked at the roster and picked the oldest plan in football: hand it off and keep handing it off.
It worked. The Bucs ran for 324 yards, a franchise single-game record. Bucky Irving carried 27 times for 170 yards and a touchdown. Meanwhile, Kenny Gainwell added 25 carries for 140 yards. ESPN says no NFL game had ever featured two teammates with at least 25 carries and 125 rushing yards each.
Kicker Chase McLaughlin handled the rest of the scoring with three field goals, including 34 and 42 yarders. He is now 19-for-19 this season. That steady foot is what made the pass-less win possible.
The three throws that didn’t connect
Mayfield’s three attempts went to three different receivers. Rookie Ted Hurst came closest. He nearly hauled in a deep ball that would have set up the Bucs inside the 5-yard line, per USA Today Sports. He couldn’t hang on.
Three attempts is the fewest of Mayfield’s career. It was also his first game ever without a completion. He was playing his second game back after missing three weeks with a fractured thumb. A run-heavy script in a monsoon was probably not a hard sell, then. “I’ll do whatever it takes to win,” Mayfield said, per ESPN.
The history behind the Bucs’ zero-completion win
The last team to win without a completed pass was the 1974 Buffalo Bills. They beat the Jets 16-12 on Sept. 29 of that year. Joe Ferguson went 0-for-2 that day.
For perspective, that was a year before Jaws hit theaters. Football has had a long time to think about this.
Tampa Bay’s passing total also ties for the second-fewest passing yards in a win in NFL history, The Sporting News noted. Washington holds the record at minus-3 passing yards on Nov. 27, 1955.
Why Atlanta’s afternoon was even worse
The Falcons did throw it. They just threw it to the wrong team. Michael Penix Jr. went 8-for-24 for 125 yards with four interceptions, according to Yahoo Sports. Jacob Parrish picked him off on a fourth-down throw at the Tampa Bay 17. Bijan Robinson ran 19 times for 76 yards, but Atlanta never found the end zone.
It was only the second shutout of the Falcons in the series’ history. The other one belonged to the Bucs, back in 2004. Atlanta fans already had a rough week, as our look at the Falcons’ throwback post that went sideways shows. If you’re tracking the quarterback picture there, we also covered Tua Tagovailoa’s signing with Atlanta.
What a Bucs pass-less win means for the NFC South race
Here’s the thing: this was not just a weird trivia night. Both teams sit at 3-5, so the stakes were real. Carolina leads the NFC South at 3-4. New Orleans is 2-5 and on a bye. One win in the mud keeps Tampa Bay right in a division race where almost everyone is struggling.
Now the open question. A 324-yard rushing day is a great answer to a rainstorm, but it won’t work every week. With Mayfield’s thumb still a storyline and the weather sure to improve, the Bucs will need the passing game to show up again.
Or maybe they’ll just keep handing it to Irving and Gainwell and dare everyone else to stop it.
