Falcons' Michael Penix Jr. Throws Four Interceptions as Bucs Win 16-0 Without Completing a Pass
Atlanta fell to 3-5 and missed a chance to take control of the NFC South in a rain-soaked shutout in Tampa
The Buccaneers beat the Falcons 16-0 on Sunday without completing a single pass, and Michael Penix Jr.'s four interceptions are a big reason why. ESPN's Adam Schefter noted Tampa Bay is the first team to win without a completion since the 1974 Bills.
Buccaneers beat Atlanta 16-0 without completing a pass. They are the first NFL team since the 1974 Buffalo Bills to win a game without completing a pass.View on X →
Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter): Buccaneers beat Atlanta 16-0 without completing a pass. They are the first NFL team since the 1974 Buffalo Bills to win a game without completing a pass.
Baker Mayfield finished 0-for-3 in a downpour, and the Bucs simply ran the ball, piling up 324 rushing yards. Bucky Irving had 170 yards and a touchdown on 27 carries, and Kenny Gainwell added 140.
Atlanta's quarterback couldn't take advantage of a defense that knew the Bucs weren't throwing. Penix went 8-of-24 for 125 yards with no touchdowns and four interceptions, a 12.0 passer rating, and the Falcons were shut out. Penix stayed in the game for all of it.
The loss drops Atlanta to 3-5. As the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's D. Orlando Ledbetter put it, the Falcons blew a chance to take control of the NFC South. Instead Carolina (3-4) stays in first place and holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Atlanta after beating the Falcons earlier this season.
That puts Penix's play at the center of the conversation in Atlanta. The Falcons used a top-10 pick on him in 2024, and he's now their clear starter, which makes a four-interception shutout hard to explain away, even with the weather. The team hasn't announced any change at quarterback, and nothing in the postgame coverage from Falcons beat reporters pointed to one.
For Tampa Bay, it was a strange way to win, but a sign the offensive line is opening holes and the run game can carry the offense when it needs to.