The NFL script writers finally cooked us up an electric matchup on Thursday night as the Atlanta Falcons (3-2) defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2) 36-30 in overtime. We got a quarterback duel last night as Kirk Cousins and Baker Mayfield had a combined 689 yards, and 7 touchdown passes. The Bucs jumped out to an early 24-17 lead heading into halftime behind Mike Evans 2 touchdown catches.
After halftime, The Falcons defense stepped up holding the Bucs to 6 points and started to generate pressure for the first time all season. They did enough at the end of the game to force the Bucs to punt the ball back to Kirk Cousins with no timeouts left. Cousins led the team down the field quickly allowing Younghoe Koo to kick the game-tying field goal with 1 second left to send the game into overtime. The Falcons got the ball first and it led to a game-winning 45-yard touchdown catch by Khadarel Hodge on only his 2nd catch of the season. Let’s take a look at some of the biggest storylines from the game.
Falcons Offense
After a disappointing start to the season, the Falcons felt like they were close to breaking out on offense, they were right. Last night they went for 36 points and 582 total yards in the win. Kirk Cousins was sharp spreading the ball around to 7 different receivers. The duo between Drake London and Darnell Mooney combined for 261 yards with 3 touchdowns. They are starting to form one of the most underrated wide receiver rooms in the league. They even got Kyle Pitts involved this week for 7 catches for 88 yards with the Bucs down star S Antoine Winfield Jr.
The ground game still has not been perfect as they only averaged 4.1 yards per carry last night against a stout rush defense. With the passing game starting to take shape, teams will be forced to play lighter in the box opening back up the running game. Once they have both the pass and the run clicking this is going to be one of the best offenses in football. With a healthy Kirk Cousins and a plethora of weapons, the Falcons are starting to click on offense.
Baker Mayfield is an MVP candidate
Mayfield and the Bucs offense have been off to a hot start this season. The Bucs offense has now scored 30 points in 3 of 5 games while having a bottom-half-of-the-league rushing offense to start the year. They have been able to do it behind Mayfield’s play to start the season. The last two seasons he has been out to prove the critics wrong that wrote him and his team off before the start of the season.
Last season he finished with 4044 yards with 28 touchdowns earning him his first pro bowl selection. This year he is shredding defenses with his 2nd best accuracy rating in the NFL while being one of the highest-graded players in the red zone this season. On top of this, his ability to use his legs when the play breaks down has given opposing defenses headaches this year. He is currently entering the MVP conversations with Josh Allen and Sam Darnold
NFC South Race
The NFC South race seems like it will again be decided in the final two weeks of the regular season. The Falcons, Saints, and Bucs will be in the race till the end with not much separating these three teams. One of the separating factors could be the Saints defense down the stretch. They currently rank 6th in the NFL in points allowed while being tied for 3rd in total takeaways to start the season. Meanwhile, the Bucs and the Falcons have shown flashes on the defensive side of the ball but both rank in the bottom half of the NFL in points allowed this season.
On the offensive side of the ball, neither of these three teams lack weapons. Ultimately each team’s offensive success will come down to how well their quarterback plays down the stretch. Baker Mayfield has been the most impressive of the three quarterbacks so far posting 1164 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and only 2 interceptions. Kirk Cousins returned to form with his 500-yard and 4 touchdown outing last night. Then there is Derek Carr who was recently graded as the best quarterback through the first quarter of the season according to PFF.
This tight race seems like it will be decided by which quarterback continues to play at a high level for the rest of the season. Despite the Saints having the best defense of the bunch, their offense seems limited with Derek Carr at the helm with a young offensive line protecting him. If Atlanta’s offense continues to improve each week, I like them to take the South this season. The Bucs have the harder schedule down the stretch, and it seems like the Falcons are starting to hit their stride.
Current Standings:
1. Atlanta Falcons 3-2 (2-0)
2. Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3-2 (0-1)
3. New Orleans Saints 2-2 (1-1)
4. Carolina Panthers 1-3 (0-1)
Upcoming Schedules
Atlanta Falcons
@ Carolina Panthers (1-3)
Vs. Seattle Seahawks (3-1)
@ Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
@ New Orleans Saints (2-2)
Vs. Baltimore Ravens (2-2)
Vs. Atlanta Falcons (3-2)