Buccaneers 30 vs 37 Falcons summary, stats, scores and highlights | NFL Week 5

Drake London made a catch on the play before in which he was knocked out of the game after taking a hard hit fighting for extra yards. His replacement, KhaDarel Hodge came on to the field and made the game winning play taking a short pass from Cousins to the house on this 45 yard catch and run. London led the Bucs with 152 yards on 9 catch while Cousins finished the night 42/58 for 509 yards, 4 TDs and 1 INT in an instant classic from Atlanta. 

With no timeouts, the Falcons had to go from their 20 into field goal range in just 1:14. Cousins connected on a couple passes and then saved the Falcons night by hitting Drake London for a 14 yard gain into FG range and got his team up to the line to spike the ball with 1 second left. For the second time in two weeks, Koo drilled a field goal as time ran out in regulation, this time to send the game to overtime. 

On 4th and 15, with all three timeout left, the Falcons went for it on their own 20. Lavonte David cut in front of the pass from Cousins and looked to have sealed the game for the Bucs. They were up 3 with under 2:00 to go, in Atlanta territory but a holding call and a couple runs for negative yards took them out of FG range so they had to punt. 

After the missed field goal, the Bucs had great field position and could run out the clock had they picked up a few first downs. Bucky Irving looked like he was heading for one of those first downs, but he was stripped and the Falcons recovered the ball with just under 3:00 to go. 

The Bucs would kick a field goal after the Falcons tied the game up at 27-27, and the special teams made another big play on the other side of the ball. After Younghoe Koo hit the game winner last week against the Saints, Koo had a rough night, missing his first FG attempt in the first half and having this one blocked late in the 4th quarter. This wouldn't be the last time it all seemed lost for Atlanta. 

Cousins third TD of the night would tie the game up early in the 4th quarter as Mooney not only picked up the first down on 4th and short, but shook a tackle and dove into the end zone to draw level with the Bucs. 

The Bucs went up again right before the halftime break with this beautiful pass from Mayfield to Sterling Shepard in the corner of the endzone. Baker had 3 TD passes and 131 yards at the halftime as the Bucs took a 24-17 lead, but he would Quiet down after that. He would pass for just 59 more yards in the second half as Tampa Bay were held out of the endzone for the remainder of the game. 

To think that Kirk Cousins and his offense were questioned for the first month of the season seems wild after seeing them move the ball with such ease on Thursday night. He said it after the Eagles game, and he said it before this game. The pieces are still falling into place, and the team is still getting to know each other. On Thursday night the pieces fell into place perfectly. This TD pass to Darnell Mooney put the Falcons back up at the begging of the second quarter. 

The Bucs took the lead with the second TD connection from Mayfield to Evans. It was Evans 99th career touchdown catch and his 100th career TD. They would control the game for most of the night, but the Falcons were saving the best for last. 

This turned into an old fashioned shootout at Mercedes Benz Stadium. Baker Mayfield drove his team down the field on their opening possession, going 5/6 and finding Mike Evans wide open in the end zone. 

The Atlanta Falcons won their third game of the season and for the third time, they won it in dramatic fashion late in the game. On Thursday night they needed overtime to top the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a game that Kirk Cousins threw for over 500 yards. 

You could tell Cousins was locked in from the start. He drove his side down the field to start the game and connected with Drake London for the 23 yard TD pass to take a 7-0 lead. 

IT'S ALL OVER!!!! 

THE FALCONS WIN IT IN ANOTHER DRAMATIC LATE GAME WINNER!!!

London makes the catch on a comeback route and turns up field for a gain of 18 yards! He got popped at the end of the play and is slow to get up. 

1st and 10 from the TB 45. 

Short pass for London who makes the catch for 6 yards. 

3rd and 3 from the ATL 37. 

ATL start the drive from the 30 and Allgeier gets a yard on the run to the right side. 

2nd and 9 from the ATL 31. 

ATL win the toss and they will get the ball first!!!

FIELD GOAL!!!

Koo sends us to overtime with a 52 yard field goal at the last second!!!!

It's 30-30 and we are headed to OT!!!

A delay of game is called on ATL!! Make that 47 yard FG a 52 yard FG!

Cousins over the middle to London and he is tackled in bounds! The Falcons rush up field and clock it with just 1 second left!

47 yard field goal coming up!

Cousins over the middle for McCloud and McCollum was there to bat the pass away. 

2nd and 10 from the TB 43 with 12 seconds to go. There is an injured Buc so TB will be charged with a TO.  

Cousins over the middle for McCloud and McCollum was there to bat the pass away. 

2nd and 10 from the TB 43 with 12 seconds to go. There is an injured Buc so TB will be charged with a TO.  

Cousins over the middle for McCloud and McCollum was there to bat the pass away. 

2nd and 10 from the TB 43. 

Cousins to London for 6 yards and a first down. 

1st and 10 from the TB 43 with 17 to go. 

Cousins finds McCloud on the left sideline and he went for the sideline but was stripped and the ball falls out of bounds. The Clock was still running so Cousins clocked the ball with 21 on the clock. 

3rd and 1 from the TB 49. 

Cousins over the middle for Mooney for a 17 yard gain!

1st and 10 from the TB 44. 

ATL ball from their 20 and Cousins finds Pitts for a short gain of 5, as he dives out of bounds with 1:08 to go. 

2nd and 5 from the ATL 25. 

On 4th down, the Falcons go for it and Cousins' pass was picked off by David. The game isn't over yet. ATL has the ball with 1:14 to go. 

Irving up the middle and he is stopped for no gain. Timeout ATL with 1:21, their last TO of the night. 

4th and 25 from the ATL 43. 

Screen pass set up for White but that was sniffed out and he was dropped for a loss of two. 

3rd and 25 from the ATL 43. 

Irving gets the run up the middle and picks up 7 but a holding on the Bucs will bring them back 10 yards. 

2nd and 23 from the ATL 41. 

White is dropped in the backfield for a loss of 3 on the run to the left side. 

2nd and 13 from the ATL 31. Timeout ATL with 1:39 to go, their first. 

INTERCEPTION!!!

The offense stays  on the field and Cousins' pass to the left side is picked off by David! It was inteded for Mooney but David cut in and intercepted!

TB ball from the ATL 28 with 1:44 to go. 

Cousins looks to Allgeier out of the backfield and he picks up 4 yards, and that will take us to the Two Minute Warning. What do the Falcons do on 4th down and long with all three timeouts left?

4th and 15 from the ATL 20. 

Cousins is dropped by Hall on a 7 yard loss and the Falcons are looking at 3rd and long!

3rd and 19 from the ATL 16. 

Allgeier gets stuffed for a loss of 2 on the handoff out of the shotgun. 

2nd and 12 from the ATL 23. 

FUMBLE!!!

Irving broke through a couple tackles on his run to the left side but was stripped and it's recovered by Elliss!!!

ATL ball at te ATL 25 with 2:50 to go in the 4th quarter!!!

White got hit at the line but fought for those two yards to move the chains!

1st and 10 from the ATL 32. 

Screen pass to Irving on the left side and he makes a couple moves to pick up 3. 

3rd and 2 from the ATL 35. 

Mayfield finds Irving with a short pass for 5 yards on first down. 

2nd and 5 from the ATL 38. 

Mayfield saw a lane open up and he tucks it and slides for a first down and a gain of 5. 

1st and 10 from the ATL 43 with 5:00 to go. 

White up the left side and he drags a couple defenders for a gain of 8 yards. 

3rd and 2 from the ATL 48. 

Mayfield's pass was batted down at the line on first down. 

2nd and 10 from the TB 44. 

The Bucs special teams comes up with the biggest play of the night so far! Koo missed one earlier and got this game tying field goal blocked after Mooney dropped a sure fire 3rd down conversion on the play before. 

BLOCKED FIELD GOAL!!!

Koo's 54 yard field goal is BLOCKED by Thomas and the Bucs special teams comes up with a huge play midway through the fourth quarter!

TB lead 30-27 with 6:29 to go in the 4th quarter!

Cousins had Mooney wide open for the 3rd down conversion but he just flat out dropped it!

4th and 6 from the TB 40. 

Cousins finds Pitts over the middle and he takes it for 10 yards on the catch and run. 

3rd and 6 from the TB 40. 

Pass to the flat for McCloud and he picks up four yards on the pass play to the left side. 

2nd and 16 from the TB 46. 

Allgeier is stopped for no gain and a holding penalty will bring the Falcons back 10 yards. 

1st and 20 from the 50. 

Cousins looks over the middle and he hits London for 15 yards and a first down!

1st and 10 from the TB 40. 

Allgeier gets the handoff out of the shotgun and he gets 2 yards on the run to the left side. 

2nd and 8 from the ATL 43. 

Cousins looking for Mooney on the comeback, and the pass was batted away but a flag flies on TB for pass interference. 

1st and 10 from the ATL 43. 

Robinson gets the handoff to the left side and he is tackled after a gain of 1. 

3rd and 4 from the ATL 36. 

ATL gets the ball back from the 30 and Cousins finds Robinson on the screen pass and he goes for 5 yards on first down. 

2nd and 5 from the ATL 35. 

FIELD GOAL!!!

McLauglin hits a huge field goal from 53 yards and the Bucs are back in the lead. 

TB lead 30-27 with 10:23 to go in the 4th quarter. 

Mayfield felt the pressure and tucked it but was taken down after a gain of 3 yards. 

4th and 6 from the ATL 35. 

Timeout TB, their first, with 11:13 to go in the 4th quarter. 

Short pass to Otton on the out route was too far out infront of the TE. 

3rd and 9 from the ATL 38. 

Run up the middle for White and he picks up a yard. 

2nd and 9 from the ATL 38. 

Mayfield saw the defense drop off and tucked it for a gain of 18 yards before running out of bounds. 

1st and 10 from the ATL 39. 

TB start the drive from their 30 and Mayfield goes over the middle for Evans who gets 13 yards on the first down pass. 

1st and 10 from the TB 43. 

Cousins is starting to look more and more comfortable with his WRs. This TD came on 4th and 4 on basically a make or break play early in the 4th quarter. Mooney had the first down, but he wasn't happy with just that. 

Handoff to the right side and  Allgeier had no where to go. He was dropped for a loss of 2 and the Falcons will go for it. 

4th and 4 from the TB 12. 

Run to the left side for Robinson and eh is dropped after a gain of 2. 

3rd and 2 from the TB 10. 

Robinson to the left side and he picks up 6 yards on 1st down. 

2nd and 4 from the TB 12. 

WE ARE HEADING TO THE FOURTH QUARTER HERE FROM ATLANTA!!!

Robinson broke a run into the secondary, danced around a defender and jets for 29 yards on the final play of the third quarter. 

1st and 10 from the TB 17. 

Cousins throws a dart over the middle for McCloud for a match and run of 22 yards!

1st and 10 from the TB 46. 

Cousins over the middle for McCloud and that pass was broken up by Smith. 

3rd and 8 from the ATL 32. 

ATL take over from the 30 and Cousins finds Mooney in the flat for a short two yard gain. 

2nd and 8 from the ATL 32.

FIELD GOAL!!!

McLaughlin drills the 32 yard field goal to put the Bucs up by a TD. 

TB lead 27-20 with 1:17 to go in the 3rd quarter. 

Mayfield gets swallowed up in the backfield by Onyemata for a 7 yard sack. It looked like he got rolled up on and goes limping off the field to the sideline. 

4th and 10 from the ATL 14. 

Mayfield over the middle for Otton who makes the catch at the 7. 

3rd and 7 from the ATL 7. 

Handoff out of the shotgun to Irving and he gets dropped at the line of scrimmage. 

2nd and 10 from the ATL 14. 

Godwin gets the end around on 3rd and short and runs to the marker for the first down. A flag flies for late hit on ATL. 

1st and 10 from the ATL 14. 

Mayfield tucks it and runs close to the marker but he's going to be stopped a yard short after running into traffic over the middle. 

3rd and 1 from the ATL 30. 

Irving to the left side but he is stopped for no gain. 

2nd and 10 from the ATL 39. 

Mayfield rolls out to the right side and he hits Godwin again, this time for 10 yards and a first down. 

1st and 10 from the ATL 39. 

TB get the ball from the 30 and Godwin made a catch over the middle and took it for 20 yards but had the ball knocked out of his hands, luckily for the Bucs vans was there to pounce on it. 

1st and 10 from the 50. 

FIELD GOAL!!!

Koo makes his second of the night, this time from 48 yards. 

Bucs lead 24-20 with 6:21 to to in the 3rd quarter. 

Cousins goes deep for Mooney but that pass is batted down and the Falcons will kick the field goal after flags stop the drive in it's track.

4th and 22 from the TB 30. 

Nelson came off the edge and dragged Cousins down with one hand for an 8 yard sack!

3rd and 22 from the TB 30. 

Robinson gets the handoff out of the shotgun and he picks up 6 yards on the run up the middle. 

2nd and 14 from the TB 22. 

Cousins finds McCloud for a short 2 yard gain, but that play is coming back after a holding call. 

1st and 20 from the TB 28. 

Cousins finds Pitts on the pass to the right side and he picks up just enough to move the chains before getting pushed out of bounds. 

1st and 10 from the TB 19. 

Mooney gets the pass out in the flat and he is taken down after a gain of 2. 

2nd and 8 from the TB 27. 

Cousins to the left side for Mooney on the out route and he picks up 14 yards and the first time!

1st and 10 from the TB 29. 

Cousins finds Pitts on the short pass to the right side good for 7 yards, but he's short of the marker. 

4th and 3 and the Falcons are going for it from the TB 43. 

After a false start on ATL, Cousins almost got picked on the comeback route to Mooney. 

3rd and 10 from the TB 49. 

Allgeier takes the handoff to the left side and he picks up 5 yards on first down. 

2nd and 5 from the TB 44. 

ATL gets the ball from their 20 and Cousins goes deep for London with a big pass play down the right side for a gain of 31!

1st and 10 from the TB 49!

Mayfield takes off and picks up a short gain but gets hit late and a flag flew for a late hit, but the flag is over ruled. 

4th and long and the Bucs will punt. 

Mayfield to White out of the backfield and he slips and is touched down for a loss of 2. 

3rd and 20 from the TB 31. 

Mayfield finds Godwin for a 7 yard gain but that play is coming back after a holding penalty. 

2nd and 18 from the TB 29. 

Another nice return from TB, this time from Irving, and he puts the Bucs at the TB 37. 

White gets the ball and takes it to the left side for a gain of 2. 

2nd and 10 from the TB 39. 

WE ARE BACK IN ATLANTA FOR THE SECOND HALF OF ACTION!

Baker made it a first half hat trick with this beautiful pass to Shepard in the corner of the end zone. He's 12/15 with 131 yards and 3 TDs. 

Cousins has 253 yards and two TDs on 21/28 passing and he is starting to find a groove with his guys London and Mooney. 

Mayfield and Evans connected for the second time at the beginning of the second quarter to take their first lead as Evans scored his 100th overall TD and 99th receiving TD. 

The Bucs punched back with a nine play drive in which Mayfield went 5/6 and polished off the opening possession with this wide open look to Mike Evans. 

Cousins and the Falcons drove right down the field and put points on the board in just three minutes with this 22 yard TD connection from Cousins to London. 

WE ARE HEADING TO HALFTIME FROM ATLANTA!!!

It's been high scoring affair from the ATL, with the Bucs leading by a TD. 

Cousins' pass to Mooney falls incomplete and the Falcons elect to punt from the 39 with under 20 seconds to go. 

4th and 18 from the TB 39. 

Cousins is dropped by Hall for an 8 yard loss and the Falcons have 3rd and long on the fringe of FG range. 

3rd and 18 from the TB 39. 

Cousins looking for London over the middle but that pass falls incomplete. 

2nd and 10 from the TB 31. 

Cousins finds London on the right sideline and the WR makes the 8 yard catch and is bound of bounds with 34 to go. 

1st and 10 from TB 31. 

Cousins back to McCloud and he pics up 8 yards and the Falcons are in TB territory. 

2nd and 2 from the TB 39. 

Short out route for Robinson on the left side and that goes for 5 yards. 

2nd and 5 from the ATL 48. 

Comeback route from London who was taken down a yard short of the marker, but never touched the ground and got up for a few extra yards and a first down. 

1st and 10 from the ATL 41. 

ATL take over from the 30 and Cousins looks over the middle for McCloud but he couldn't make the catch on the run. 

2nd and 10 from the ATL 30. 

WE ARE HEADED TO THE TWO MINUTE WARNING HERE FROM ATLANTA!!!

Mayfield finds White out of the backfield but Phillips sniffed out the pass to the left side and dropped him for a loss of two!

3rd and Goal from the 4. 

Irving is stuffed at the two yard line after a handoff out of the shotgun. 

2nd and Goal from the 2. 

Irving got two yards on the run to the right side before getting smacked by two Falcons defenders. 

1st and Goal from the ATL 4. 

Screen set up for Irving and he follows his blockers for a pick up of 9 yards. 

2nd and 1 from the ATL 6. 

White bursts up a whole in the middle and turns on the jets for a huge run of 56 yards down inside the ATL 30!

1st and 10 from the TB 29. 

TB take over from their 18 and Irving breaks a nice run up the middle for a gain of 11 to start the drive. 

1st and 10 from the TB 29. 

FIELD GOAL!!!

Koo makes amends with a 54 yard field goal that slips just inside the upright!

We are all tied up at 17-17 with 6:17. 

Short pass to Allgeier on the left side and he is pushed out of bounds after a gain of 6. 

4th and 8 from the TB 36. 

Cousins finds Robinson on the left side out of the backfield and he picks up 6 yards. 

3rd and 14 from the TB 42. 

The ruling on the field stands but it will still be grounding on Cousins. 

2nd and 20 from the TB 48. 

Cousins felt the pressure and he let a pass down field go but no one was in the area and he is flagged for intentional grounding. Tampa Bay are going to challenge the call because they think it's a fumble!

Cousins finds Pitts on the right side to move the chains on an 8 yard pitch and catch. 

1st and 10 from the TB 38. 

Robinson looked wrapped up at the line of scrimmage, but he broke the tackle and picked up 6 yards on first down. 

2nd and 4 from the TB 46. 

Pitts over the middle and he makes the catch and turns up field for a gain of 19!

1st and 10 from the ATL 49. 

ATL get the ball back from the 30 and Robinson is pushed out of bounds for no gain on the pitch to the left sie. 

2nd and 10 from the ATL 20. 

For the second time tonight and the 100th time in his career Mike Evans is in the end zone! That's his 99th receiving TD of his career

Toss to the right side for White and he is taken down for a loss of yard by Elliss. 

2nd and 11 from the ATL 23. 

Nice return from Tucker who takes the return 53 yards to the ATL 44!

Mayfield finds Otton the roll out to the right and a 22 yard catch and run up the sideline. 

1st and 10 from the ATL 22. 

On third and long Cousins takes a shot to the end zone and Mooney goes up and makes a play for the second TD of the Falcons night. 

Cousins looking for Pitts on the right side and that pass is batted down by David. 

3rd and 14 from the TB 25. 

Out route to the right side from Mooney and Cousins found him for a 6 yard pick up. 

2nd and 14 from the TB 25. 

Pass to Robinson out of the backfield on the right side and he cut it all the way back to the left side but was tripped up for no gain. A holding penalty on Pitts is going to bring the Falcons back 10 yards. 

1st and 20 from the TB 31. 

Cousins over the middle and he finds Hodge on a beautiful pass right over the LB's fingers for a 22 yard pitch and catch. 

1st and 10 from the TB 21. 

WR screen to the right side and McCloud splits a couple of defenders and gets 8 yards. 

2nd and 12 from the TB 43. 

Allgeier with the run to the right side and he picks up 7 yards but that's coming back after a holding on ATL. 

1st and 20 from the ATL 49. 

Pass over the middle for London and that falls incomplete but he got popped by Britt and a flag flies for unnecessary roughness. 

1st and 10 from the TB 39

Cousins felt the pressure right from the snap, spun out of traffic and threw it out of bounds. 

2nd and 10 from the ATL 44. 

WE ARE AT THE END OF THE FIRST QUARTER FROM ATLANTA. 

Both QBs have started off well. It's the Bucs leading 10-7. 

Slant from Mooney and Cousins hit him for a 7 yard gain on the final play of the first quarter. 

1st and 10 from the ATL 44. 

Run to the left side Robinson and he is taken down after a gain of 1. 

3rd and 3 from the ATL 37. 

ATL get the ball from the 30 and Robinson makes the catch in the flat before picking up 6 yards on 1st down. 

2nd and 4 from the ATL 36. 

FIELD GOAL!!!

McLaughlin drills the 53 yard field goal and puts the Bucs up for the first time tonight. 

TB lead 10-7 with 1:22 to go in the 1st quarter. 

Mayfield's pass to Godwin on the short out route was a bit behind the WR and that is going to bring out the FG unit. 

4th and 3 from the ATL 35. 

Short out route to the left side to Godwin who makes the catch and picks up 7 yards. 

3rd and 3 from the ATL 35. 

Mayfield takes a shot to the endzone but that pass carried the WR by a few yards. 

2nd and 10 from the ATL 42. 

Irving gets the handoff for the first time and he bounces to the left side and explodes up field for a 16 yard pick up. 

1st and 10 from the ATL 42. 

Pass to the flat for Godwin and he follows his blockers on the screen to the left for a gain of 11 yards. 

1st and 10 from the TB 42. 

Mayfield went 5/6 for 57 on that first possession and found Mike Evans of all people wide open in the end zone to tie the game up after back to back TD drive to start the game. 

MISSED FIELD GOAL!!!!

He does the same thing from 41 yards out! Koo drilled a game winner from 58 last Sunday but missed his first two of the night, the last of which actually counted. 

We are locked at 7-7 with 3:30 to go in the first quarter. 

Koo missed the 46 yard field goal wide left but the Bucs jumped offside and that will give Koo another chance. 

4th and 9 from the TB 23. 

Pressure from up the middle and it's Vea who drops Cousins for a 9 yard sack!

4th and 14 from the TB 28. 

Short out route to London and he makes the catch for 5 yards to bring up 3rd and medium. 

3rd and 5 from the TB 19. 

Mooney got the end around and looked like he was going to throw it but ended up throwing it out fo bounds. 

2nd and 10 from the TB 24. 

Cousins finds McCloud on the left sideline for a gain of 15 yards and another first down. 

1st and 10 from the TB 24. 

Allgeier with the tun to the right side and he cuts back at the line of scrimmage and picks up 9 to move the chains. 

1st and 10 from the TB 39. 

Cousins finds Allgeier out of the backfield for a short gain of 2. 

2nd and 8 from the TB 48. 

ATL get the ball from their 30 and Cousins goes play action and finds Mooney on the out route to the left sideline. 

1st and 10 from the 50. 

Mayfield with a bullet over the middle for Godwin and he makes the catch after taking a hit and the Bucs have 1st and Goal. 

1st and Goal from the 2. 

Screen pass for Otton and he follows his blocker on the right side and picks up the first down on a 15 yard catch and run. 

1st and 10 from the ATL 18. 

White gets the run to the right side and White is wrapped up for no gain. 

3rd and 9 from the ATL 33. 

Toss to the right side for White and he is taken down after a pick up of a yard. 

2nd and 9 from the ATL 33. 

Crossing route from Evans and he makes the catch for a 9 yard pick up to move the chains. 

1st and 10 from the ATL 34. 

Slant pattern from Evans and that was sniffed out and almost picked off by Terrell. 

3rd and 5 from the ATL 43. 

White up the middle on his first carry of the night and he picks up 5 yards. 

2nd and 5 from the ATL 43. 

Here comes Baker and the Bucs starting their first drive from the TB 37. 

Mayfield finds Evans over the middle for a 15 yard pitch and catch to begin the drive. 

1st and 10 from the ATL 48. 

The offense has been called into question over the first month of the season but Cousins and the Falcons come out swinging to start the game. It’s Drake London who makes the catch and bounces off a hit and into the end zone. 

Pitch to Robinson on the right side and he is dropped at the line of scrimmage by Smith. 

2nd and 10 from the TB 18

Cousins looks over the middle and he finds London on the crossing route that goes for 15 yards. 

1st and 10 from the TB 18. 

Cousins on the back shoulder throw for Mooney and he had it in his hands but Mooney had it knocked out of his hands. 

3rd and 7 from the TB 33. 

Robinson with the handoff to the left side and he is pushed out of bounds after a gain of 3. 

2nd and 7 from the TB 33. 

Seam route from Pitts up the right hash mark and Cousins drills him with a bullet for a big gain of 32!

1st and 10 from the TB 36. 

Robinson gets the opening handoff of the night and he picks up a couple yards on first down. 

2nd and 8 from the ATL 32. 

WE ARE UNDERWAY FROM ATLANTA!!!

The Bucs win the toss and differ, so it's Cousins and the Falcons taking the field from the 30. 

Tonight's odds

The Atlanta Falcons return home for Thursday Night Football as a slight favorite over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The home team in a 1.5 point favorite with the Over/Under set at 43.5. 

The Falcons first four games have gone down to the wire and I don’t see this one ending any differently. Atlanta have struggled with their offense all season. Chalk it up to lack of firepower at WR, or a lack of chemistry in the early stages of the season. Either way, the Bucs are a more complete team who look better in every facet of the game. I’m taking Baker and the Bucs, but just barley. 

Tampa Bay win it 24-21 on a last second field goal. 

NFL

NFL Power Rankings Week 4: Niners take top spot, Dolphins dip as Bills make a statement

Power Rankings heading into Week 5 

There may only be a game separating these two teams, but there is quite a bit of distance between the Bucs and the Falcons in our latest edition of Power Rankings. The Bucs have a couple of quality wins against good opponents. The Falcons got a win against the Eagles, just like the Bucs but their wins haven’t been as convincing despite being right there in their two losses. Tonight’s result will either bring these two teams closer together or distance them even more depending on who comes out of this Thursday night matchup victorious. 

The apple of Adams eye?

NFL teams haven’t stopped salivating since the Raiders made it clear to the league that they are willing the trade Davante Adams this week. There are a handful of teams lining up their chips to trade and in attempts of enticing the Raiders to let their  three time First Team NFL WR. Among them are two NFC South teams including one that will be featured tonight. The Falcons have one of the most unknown WR corps in the league, and Adams would add an immediate spark plug in Atlanta. The other team in the New Orleans Saints who are apparently on the top of the WR’s wish list along with the New York Jets which would reunite Adams with his long time QB Aaron Rodgers. 

Head to head series 

The Falcons and Bucs have been division foes for the last couple decades. This is a rivalry that stretches back to the late 70s, but they have been in the same division since 2002. In their 61 head to head games, the Bucs have won 31 and the Falcons have won 30. Bucs have won six of the last eight including the last match up in early December. Cade Otton caught a late TD pass from Baker Mayfield to claim the victory and help the Bucs eventually win the division. 

NFC Standings

After the first month of the season, there are just two undefeated teams remaining in the NFL and only one team still looking for their first win. The Vikings and the Chiefs are perfect heading into Week 5 while the Jags will seek their first win this weekend. The NFC South is looking like it’s going to be a three team race with each team looking capable of winning a division that could send more than one team to the playoffs. Obviously, these head to head match ups are worth their wait in gold so tonight is shaping up to be a good one. 

Falcons season recap

The Falcons could just as easily be 0-4 as 4-0. That’s how much their first four games have been decided on a knifes edge. They came out and laid a dud against the Steelers in Week 1, but responded with a massive win over the Eagles with a last minute TD drive to steal a game in Philly. They would take the Chiefs all the way to the finish line and might have won that game had a pass interference penalty been called on KC late in the fourth quarter, but no flag flew and the two time defending champs survived. They won their last game in the final seconds to secure at second win in late game winning fashion. 

Bucs season recap

The Bucs came into the season a little under the radar despite a trip to the playoffs last year. The NFC South hasn’t been the best of division over the last few seasons, but this year things have changed and the Bucs are the early front runners. They came out and beat the Commanders in Week 1, then went to Detroit and grabbed the attention of the NFL with a 20-16 win over the Lions. They lost an inexplicable game to the Broncos to throw the authenticity of their start to the season in question, but then came out and dominated the Eagles last week. Baker Mayfield and the offense look to be a much more reliable unit that is capable of winning games and helping keep the defense off the field. So far so good in Tampa, but these division games are going to go a long way in determining the winner of the NFC South at the end of the season. 

Last game: Falcons

It was a game that went back and forth to the very end in New Orleans. The Falcons offense wasn’t too impressive but they got the aid of their defense and special team who both scored first half TDs to send ATL to half with a 17-14 lead. Younghoe Koo would kick a couple of field goals in the second half, but the Saints took the lead with 1:00 left thanks to an Alvin Kamara TD run from a yard out. The Falcons got a big break on the next drive as Paulson Adebo was called for a pass interference that put the Falcons at the NO 40 yard line. Koo would drill a 58 yard walk off field goal as time expired to improve the Falcons to .500 on the year. 

Bijan a go for TNF

There was a hint of a question on wether or not Falcons running back Bijan Robinson would be ready for the Thursday night game on the short week. He was battling a couple of injuries through the week but he has assured he is good to go in Atlanta tonight. 

Last game: Bucs

The Bucs got beaten down physically in their previous game against the Denver Broncos, but they were the ones who beat up the wounded Philadelphia Eagles who were without two of their top wide receivers. The defense was able to silence Saquon Barkley and the run game while Baker Mayfield jumped the Bucs out to a 24-0 lead in the first half. Mayfield threw for 347 yards and accounted for three TDs, two passing and one rushing TD as the Bucs eased past Philly to jump to the top of the NFC South. 

We are live from Mercedes Benz Stadium

Hello everyone and welcome to Atlanta where the Falcons return home following another narrow win late in the fourth quarter. They Falcons haven’t quite hit stride yet but they have squeaked out two win in their first four games which have all been decided by one possession. The Bucs bounced back from a blowout loss to the Denver Broncos with a big win over the Philadelphia Eagles last week and now both teams are sitting No. 1 and No. 2 in NFC South after the first month of the season. 

Bucs vs. Falcons live

We have an all NFC South showdown from the ATL as two teams gunning for the division title go toe-to-toe for a chance to claim the early season edge over the rest of the teams in the division. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had some big wins to begin the campaign and they are looking for another one tonight against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football. AS English will be with you all night providing live coverage, stats, highlights and analysis of tonight’s game from Mercedes Benz Stadium.