Zane Gonzalez drilled a 43-yard field goal as time expired, lifting the visiting Atlanta Falcons to a stunning 29-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday.
After Atlanta, which trailed by 14 in the fourth quarter, forced a Tampa Bay punt at the two-minute warning, the Falcons took over at their own 30-yard line. Kirk Cousins completed a 21-yard pass to David Sills V on fourth-and-14 with 30 seconds left, moving the ball to the Tampa Bay 36.
The Falcons (5-9) then picked up 11 more yards before Gonzalez struck the game-winner.
Cousins completed 30 of 44 passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns for Atlanta, which had dropped seven of its previous eight games. Kyle Pitts Sr. amassed 166 yards and three touchdowns on 11 receptions in the win.
The Falcons prevailed despite committing a franchise-record 19 penalties for 125 yards.
Baker Mayfield threw for 277 yards, two touchdowns and an interception for Tampa Bay (7-7), which dropped a critical NFC South game. The Buccaneers have lost five of their past six to fall a half-game behind the Carolina Panthers (7-6) for the division lead.
After trailing by a point at halftime, Tampa Bay scored on a 90-yard drive that was aided by three Atlanta penalties. Mayfield’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Devin Culp gave the Buccaneers a 20-14 edge with 6:22 left in the third.
After Jacob Parrish recovered Bijan Robinson’s fumble on the Atlanta 25, the Buccaneers tacked on with Mayfield’s 3-yard touchdown pass to Chris Godwin. The duo connected on the ensuing two-point conversion, pushing the lead to 28-14 with 13:34 remaining in the final quarter.
The Falcons sliced their deficit to eight as Robinson ran in a 6-yard touchdown. Atlanta was unsuccessful on the two-point-conversion attempt with 9:37 remaining.
Mayfield was then intercepted at the Atlanta 33-yard line by Dee Alford. The Falcons scored again after Pitts hauled in his third touchdown of the game, this time a 7-yarder with 3:34 remaining. Again, the Falcons’ two-point-conversion try failed, leaving the deficit at 28-26.
Tampa Bay struck first on Sean Tucker’s 1-yard touchdown rush with 1:38 left in the first quarter.
Cousins hit Pitts for a 8-yard touchdown on the next drive, tying the score at 7-7 with 12:11 remaining in the first half.
Tampa Bay grabbed a 10-7 lead on Chase McLaughlin’s 49-yard field goal at the 2:04 mark.
Cousins then connected with Pitts for a 17-yard touchdown, giving the Falcons a four-point edge with 38 seconds left. McLaughlin’s 52-yarder cut Tampa Bay’s deficit to one as time expired in the first half.
