The Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat Atlanta 16–0 at Raymond James Stadium on 1 November, according to the club's match report. Baker Mayfield completed no passes; the Buccaneers' 2 November statistical review calls it the first NFL win of that kind since 1974.
Rain puts Tampa Bay's ground game in charge
The rain and wind changed Tampa Bay's approach. The Buccaneers' 2 November takeaways report credits Bucky Irving with 170 rushing yards and Kenny Gainwell with 140. The Buccaneers' 2 November report puts the team total at 324 rushing yards, a single-game club record. Both backs topped 100 yards, only the second such pairing in team history, the Buccaneers' 2 November report says.
Mayfield attempted three passes and completed none as the Bucs ran through heavy rain. The match report says two throws reached intended targets but were dropped. It also records a sack that left Tampa Bay with negative net passing yardage despite the rushing record. Irving scored the game's only touchdown after a long drive through the ground game; field goals supplied the rest of the scoring.
Tampa Bay kept Atlanta scoreless through four interceptions of Michael Penix Jr. Alex Anzalone supplied two, both early in the game; Jacob Parrish and Zyon McCollum made the others. Head Coach Todd Bowles told the club, “We won the turnover battle, so that was important.” The Buccaneers' recap notes that their previous shutout came in a season finale against Carolina.
Historical review separates two rare results
SportsRivo compared the Buccaneers' 1 November match report with the club's 2 November historical review. That review identifies Buffalo's 1974 win against the Jets as the only other no-completion victory of the Super Bowl era. The same club analysis traces the previous shutout without a completed pass to a Pittsburgh game in 1945. Tampa Bay joined a short list on two measures: a victory without a completion and a shutout without one.
Bowles said the Buccaneers had not planned to avoid passing. The weather shaped the play calling, and the club's account records Mayfield's attempts and two dropped throws. The passing figure therefore reflects how the match unfolded, while Irving and Gainwell provided most of Tampa Bay's forward movement.
Division position after the shutout
- Tampa Bay rose to 3–5 and stayed 2–0 in division games, according to the Buccaneers' 1 November report. The win kept the club close to Carolina in the NFC South.
- Atlanta also stood at 3–5 after the shutout, according to the Buccaneers' 1 November report, leaving the teams level on overall record. Tampa Bay had won both divisional matches it had played.
- Irving and Gainwell's ground totals pushed Tampa Bay past its previous club rushing high. The result gave the Buccaneers consecutive wins built around their running game.
Chicago visit follows
The Buccaneers will face the Bears at Soldier Field on November 8th, the schedule says. They have won their last two games against division rivals thanks in large part to a strong performance from their running backs.
Source: Tampa Bay Buccaneers