Buccaneers Rally to Defeat Falcons 23-20 in Season Opener

A last-minute touchdown pass and a missed field goal sealed a dramatic 23-20 win for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Sunday.

The victory snapped Tampa Bay’s season-opening skid in Atlanta and underscored the importance of late-game execution, as rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka hauled in a 25-yard go-ahead score with under a minute remaining and Atlanta’s Younghoe Koo saw his 44-yard field goal attempt veer wide with two seconds left.

Game Summary

Atlanta struck first on a 50-yard touchdown pass from Michael Penix Jr. to Bijan Robinson, but Tampa Bay answered with two second-quarter scores, including a 30-yard strike to Egbuka, to lead 10-7 at halftime.
The Bucs extended their lead to 17-10 early in the third quarter on a nine-yard Baker Mayfield to Bucky Irving touchdown. Koo’s two field goals kept the Falcons within a possession entering the fourth.
Penix Jr. engineered an 18-play, 91-yard drive capped by a four-yard touchdown rush to put Atlanta ahead 20-17 with 2:17 left on the clock.

Key Plays

On Atlanta’s final drive, officials overturned a would-be spike ruling, costing the Falcons four yards and pushing them back to the 30-yard line before Koo’s miss.
Tampa Bay’s decisive play came when Mayfield evaded pressure and found Egbuka in single coverage, delivering the rookie’s second touchdown of his NFL debut.

Player Highlights

Baker Mayfield: 17-of-32 passing, 167 yards, 3 TDs, QB rating 99.3.
Michael Penix Jr.: 27-of-42 passing, 298 yards, 1 passing TD, 1 rushing TD, QB rating 93.2.
Emeka Egbuka (rookie): 4 receptions, 67 yards, 2 TDs in his first NFL game.
Bijan Robinson: 6 receptions, 100 yards, 1 TD; 12 carries, 24 rushing yards.

What’s Next

Tampa Bay improves to 1-0 and will host the New Orleans Saints next Sunday. Atlanta falls to 0-1 and returns home to face the Carolina Panthers in Week 2.