For the 2025 NFL season, digital team reporter Terrin Waack will provide select stats, facts and quotes from the most recent Atlanta Falcons game to consume with Miller Lite. Stats were gathered with the help of StatsPerform.
TAMPA, Fla. — The Atlanta Falcons won 29-28 against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday for their Week 15 rematch at Raymond James Stadium in front of 64,917 ticketed fans.
STATS TO CHEERS OVER
-- Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts Sr. caught 11 of his 12 targets for 166 yards and three touchdowns against the Buccaneers. Each of those numbers was a career high.
- Pitts has recorded 12 passes of at least 20 yards this season, which is most among all tight ends. He had receptions of 26 and 36 yards against the Buccaneers.
- Pitts is the first Falcons tight end all time with at least 100 yards receiving and two receiving touchdowns in a single half. He had 111 yards receiving and two receiving touchdowns in the first half against the Buccaneers.
- Pitts scored two touchdowns against the Buccaneers, an 8-yard reception and a 17-yard reception in the second quarter. Those made for his second career multi-touchdown game. His first was also at Tampa Bay in 2024. He had two then, too.
-- The Falcons held the Buccaneers to five plays for 22 yards and forced them to punt on their opening drive. Atlanta has not allowed points on its first defensive drive in four consecutive games, which is the third-longest active streak in the NFL. The Los Angeles Chargers lead with six drives of such. The Chicago Bears are second with five.
-- Edge rusher James Pearce Jr. recorded his seventh sack of the season in the first quarter and his eighth sack of the season in the second quarter. Eight sacks are the most by a Falcons rookie in a single season since sacks became an official individual statistic in 1982. Pearce's tally also leads the Falcons this season.
-- Falcons running back Bijan Robinson finished with 175 yards from scrimmage against the Buccaneers. He has now had at least 100 yards from scrimmage in nine straight games versus division opponents. That's the longest such streak in Falcons history.
-- With a tackle for loss against the Buccaneers, Falcons inside linebacker Kaden Elliss reached on the season. He had 11 tackles for loss with the Falcons in 2023. Elliss is now just one of four players in Falcons history with multiple seasons that featured at least 10 tackles for loss. The others – all defensive linemen – are John Abraham, Jonathan Babineaux and Grady Jarrett.
-- Falcons cornerback Dee Alford intercepted Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield in the fourth quarter. It was Alford's second pick of the season, also intercepting quarterback Josh Allen in the Falcons' Week 6 win against the Buffalo Bills. Alford joins safeties Xavier Watts and Jessie Bates III with multiple picks this season, giving the Falcons three defenders in that regard. Atlanta is one of four NFC teams with that count. The others are the Bears, Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams.
FACTS TO SIP ON
-- The Falcons totaled a franchise-high 19 penalties for 125 yards and still defeated the Buccaneers. Atlanta's previous high was 17 from its Week 10 win against the San Francisco 49ers in 1978. The last team with at least 19 penalties was the Las Vegas Raiders in 2016, when they had 23 in their overtime win against the Buccaneers.
-- Pitts and Bijan Robinson became the third tight end-running back duo to each have at least 150 yards from scrimmage and a touchdown in the same game through NFL history. The other pairings are Rich Caster and John Riggins with the New York Jets in 1972 and Pete Retzlaff and Timmy Brown with the Philadelphia Eagles in 1965.
-- The Falcons entered Week 15 with a point differential of minus-43 in the third quarter that ranked 28th in the NFL. The Buccaneers outscored the Falcons in the third quarter, 7-0.
-- Opponents have muffed five punts from the Falcons this season, all kicked by Bradley Pinion. That is tied for the most since 1991.
-- The victory was the fifth in the Falcons' team history when trailing by at least 14 points in the fourth quarter. The most recent was in 1993, when they beat the 49ers by a score of 27-24 after trailing 24-7.
-- In his last three games against the Buccaneers, Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins threw for 1,158 yards, 11 touchdowns and one interception. The yardage is the most by a quarterback versus any opponent over the last two seasons. The touchdowns are tied for the most.
QUOTING RAHEEM MORRIS
On cornerback Dee Alford's interception and wide receiver David Sills V's third-down catch being game-impacting plays…
"We put some people in those moments, and those people in those moments had to make those plays and they went out there and made them today. Obviously been talking about finding a way. That's finding a way."
QUOTING THE FALCONS
Quarterback Kirk Cousins
On center Ryan Neuzil recovering wide receiver Darnell Mooney's fumble…
"I jogged off the field. I said, 'There is no way. There is no way we recovered that ball.' I just jogged off. Somebody was saying no, we might have it. I'm like, 'How?'
"Our offensive line coach preaches, they call it, covering. So, when the ball is thrown and the rush stops, you are to run forward. You don't know where or why, but you are to run forward. They coach it. They do it so much. We're just walking through plays, and after every play, they walk forward to train the muscle memory. …
"I'm so happy for Neuz making that play. It's classic O-linemen: just do their job, not make it about them and be in the right spot and make the play because they're doing what they're coached to do."
QUOTING THE OPPONENT
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles
On what he tells the team after a loss like that…
"It's inexcusable. You don't make excuses. You got to (expletive) care enough where the (expletive) hurts. You got to (expletive) care enough where the (expletive) hurts. It's got to (expletive) mean something to you. It's more than a job; it's your (expletive) livelihood. How well do you know your job? How well can you do your job? You can't sugarcoat that (expletive). It was (expletive) inexcusable. There's no (expletive) answer for it. No excuse for it. That's what you tell 'em in the locker room. Look in the (expletive) mirror."
GAME LEADERS
Top passers
- Falcons: Kirk Cousins | 30-of-44 for 373 yards, 3 touchdowns (1 sack)
- Buccaneers: Baker Mayfield | 19-of-34 for 277 yards, 2 touchdowns (1 interception, 5 sacks)
Top rushers
- Falcons: Bijan Robinson | 19 carries for 93 yards, 1 touchdown
- Buccaneers: Bucky Irving | 16 carries for 60 yards
- Buccaneers: Rachaad White | 1 carry for 20 yards
Top receivers
- Falcons: Kyle Pitts Sr. | 11 receptions for 166 yards, 3 touchdowns
- Buccaneers: Mike Evans | 6 receptions for 132 yards
- Falcons: Bijan Robinson | 8 receptions for 82 yards
Top tacklers
- Buccaneers: Antoine Winfield Jr. | 13 total tackles, 8 solo
- Falcons: Jessie Bates III | 8 total tackles, 6 solo
- Buccaneers: Christian Izien | 8 total tackles, 4 solo (1 forced fumble)
LAST CALL
After having the Thursday night game, the Falcons (5-9) basically have a mini bye this weekend. Atlanta returns to action next Sunday against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. Their Week 16 game is scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET and will air live on FOX.
The Cardinals (3-10) play the Houston Texans (8-5) this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on FOX, for those who want to scout the opponent ahead of time.
