The Tampa Bay Buccaneers collapsed late, surrendering a 14-point lead and first place against the Atlanta Falcons Thursday night. Falcons' kicker Zane Gonzalez scores winning points as time expires.
If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers do not win the AFC South, the Thursday Night Football game will be the loss people remember most. The Bucs lost to the Atlanta Falcons 29-28 in the final seconds.
Before a national audience on Amazon Prime Video, Tampa Bay had a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter and a 92.8 percent win probability (per ESPN) in the final minute. This was against an Atlanta Falcons team that came in to Raymond James Stadium 4-9.
The Bucs could not close the deal.
A 4th-and-14 conversion put Atlanta in Buccaneers territory. A few plays later, a 43-yard field goal by Zane Gonzalez at the buzzer gave Atlanta the win.
The Falcons weren’t making the playoffs regardless of what happened Thursday night, but the Bucs are still fighting for a spot.
Now, at 7-7, Tampa is out of first place, with 7-6 Carolina ahead by a half game going into the games Sunday.
The Bucs scored first, late in the first quarter, on a 1-yard plunge by Sean Tucker. Baker Mayfield and Jalen McMillan set up the touchdown by connecting on a 20-yard pass two plays before.
Atlanta responded with a nine-play, 65-yard scoring drive that took roughly four-and-a-half minutes and ended with an 8-yard touchdown pass from Kirk Cousins to Kyle Pitts, Sr.
Tampa retook the lead just before the two-minute warning on a 49-yard field goal by Chase McLaughlin. But Atlanta scored quickly on another touchdown pass from Cousins to Pitts— this one from 17-yards— to take a 14-10 lead.
At the end of the first half, Tampa Bay cut into the deficit on another McLaughlin field goal, this one from 52 yards. The teams went into the halftime intermission with Atlanta on top 14-13.
Tampa got it together in the second half, with touchdown passes from Mayfield to Devin Culp (six yards) and Chris Godwin (three yards) giving the Bucs a full two-touchdown lead in the fourth quarter.
But Atlanta wouldn’t go away, making it a one-possession game again on a six-yard touchdown run by Bijan Robinson.
Atlanta decided to go for a 2-point conversion, which they missed, rather then kick the extra point and virtually make it a one-possession game.
On the ensuing possession, Mayfield threw an interception to Dee Alford, which set the Falcons up at its own 33 with a chance to tie the game.
Atlanta capitalized with another touchdown pass from Cousins to Pitts, this one from seven yards.
Because Atlanta tried and failed on its first two point conversion, it had no choice but to go for two with 3:34 left.
Once again, the attempt failed, and the Bucs still had the lead.
But the defense couldn’t shut the door on the final possession.
Tampa has 10 days to think about this one, but the good news is, its next game is against Carolina on the road at 1 p.m. The winner will be one step closer to winning the division.
If the Panthers lose at New Orleans this Sunday, Tampa will have a chance to reclaim a tie for first place.
Category: General Sports
