Baker Mayfield went 0-for-3 through the air, yet Tampa Bay shut out Atlanta behind a record-setting ground attack in a soaking-wet slugfest.
Tampa Bay just won an NFL game without completing a single pass. In a 16-0 shutout of the Atlanta Falcons, Baker Mayfield attempted three throws and connected on none, making this the first game with zero passing offense since Buffalo beat the New York Jets 16-12 on 29 September 1974.
The weather forced the issue. Heavy rain turned the field into a slip-and-slide, and Tampa Bay quickly decided the air game was not worth the risk. This is the same Mayfield who threw for 41 touchdowns and roughly 4,500 yards in 2024, so the lack of throws was a choice rather than a limitation. He spent most of the afternoon handing off and blocking for his backs.
Those backs delivered. Bucky Irving rushed for 170 yards and a touchdown, while Kenneth Gainwell added 140. Together they carried the ball 52 times for 324 yards, the most in a single game in Buccaneers history. Every yard was earned the hard way, through contact and mud.
It was not pretty, and nobody will mistake it for a thriller. But it was historic, and it was effective. In a league built around quarterbacks and big throws, the Bucs showed that a stubborn run game and a sound defense can still win on a miserable day. Whether that is a blueprint or a one-off for bad weather, the scoreboard says it worked.
