Kirk Cousins ​​threw three touchdown passes to Kyle Pitts Sr. and Zane Gonzalez kicked a 43-yard field goal as time expired to cap the Atlanta Falcons' rally and claim a 29-28 victory over the Atlanta Falcons. Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday evening.
Facing third-and-28 on the Falcons' main drive, Cousins ​​completed passes of 14 yards to Pitts and 20 yards on fourth-and-14 to David Sills V to set up Gonzalez.
The Falcons (5-9) overcame a franchise-record 19 penalties and a 28-14 deficit in the fourth quarter.
Baker Mayfield threw the game-tying interception in the fourth quarter as the Buccaneers (7-7) lost for the fifth time in six games and fell a half game behind Carolina in the NFC South. The four-time defending division champions face the Panthers (7-6) twice in their last three games.
Wearing Creamsicle jerseys on the 48th anniversary of the franchise's first win – which came after an 0-26 start – the Buccaneers were booed off the field.
After Pitts made a diving acrobatic grab for a seven-yard touchdown with 3:34 left to pull the Falcons within 28-26, Cousins ​​came under pressure and did not complete the two-point conversion attempt.
The Falcons forced a punt from the Buccaneers and got the ball at the 30 with no timeouts and 1:49 left.
Haason Reddick sacked Cousins, forcing a fumble that the Buccaneers recovered coming out of the pile. But officials ruled the ball was returned by both teams at the same time, and the Falcons retained the ball.
Pitts finished with 11 catches for 166 yards, becoming the first tight end with 150 yards receiving and three touchdowns since Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe did it in 1996. Cousins ​​went 30 of 44 for 373 yards.
Mayfield threw a six-yard pass to Devin Culp, the sophomore's first scoring reception of the tournament. NFL this made the score 20-14.
On the ensuing drive, Sills dropped what would have been a 44-yard touchdown and the Falcons eventually punted.
Bijan Robinson missed Atlanta's next possession after Christian Isien hit and Jacob Parrish recovered at the Falcons 25.
Mayfield threw a three-yard pass to Chris Godwin Jr. and the two connected for the 2-point conversion, extending the lead to 28-14.
But Robinson's six-yard touchdown run cut the deficit to 28-20 with less than 10 minutes remaining. After the Falcons missed a two-point attempt, Dee Alford picked off Mayfield's pass and Atlanta drove 67 yards and scored.
Mayfield has all of his receivers available for the first time this season after six-time Pro Bowl player Mike Evans and sophomore Jalen McMillan were activated from injured reserve. Evans broke his collarbone on October 20. McMillan broke three vertebrae in his neck in preseason.
Evans was an immediate success, catching six passes for 132 yards and committing several penalties.
Pitts was open for his first two touchdown catches. He caught a 17-yard pass from Cousins ​​to give the Falcons a 14-10 lead with one minute left in the first half.
Cousins ​​threw an eight-yard touchdown pass to Pitts to tie the game at 7, one play after cornerback Zion McCollum's offsides penalty on a field goal gave Atlanta a first down.
Cousins ​​beat the Buccaneers twice last year in his first season with Atlanta. He threw for 785 yards, eight touchdowns and only one interception. In one win, he passed for 509 yards against them.
Tampa Bay's Chase McLaughlin kicked field goals of 52 and 49 yards. He's 10-for-10 from 50 yards and beyond.
