The offense run by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday was the most predictable of the 2026 NFL season.
Facing the Atlanta Falcons in a key divisional game in Week 8, in a game played in a downpour that left standing water on the field at Raymond James Stadium, the Buccaneers attempted only three passes, completing none.
Unwilling and unable to throw in soggy conditions, they ran it 56 times. The strategy won them the match, 16-0.
“First time for everything,” Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said.
To say this was an unusual game plan was an understatement. The last time an NFL team had more rushing attempts than Tampa’s 56 was 2010. The Buccaneers were the first team to win without a complete pass since Buffalo in 1974, according to the league. Even rarer was that a team hadn’t won by double digits without completing a pass since 1945, according to an NFL researcher.
The Buccaneers were also forced to rely on a ground attack last week, when quarterback Baker Mayfield threw just 11 times in his first game since injuring his thumb. Tampa rushed for 258 yards in that win over Carolina, then relied on a similar plan Sunday as the forecast called for a storm to hit Florida. Nearly an inch of rain had fallen on Tampa by kickoff, and the rain did not stop as the game began.
Mayfield finished 0-3 in passing, but he was all smiles after the game considering it was Tampa’s first home win this season after an 0-4 start.
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