Falcons 36-30 Buccaneers (Oct. 3, 2024) Game Recap

ATLANTA – Kirk Cousins ​​​​rushed for a career-high 509 yards and four touchdowns, the last of which was a 45-yard scoring pass to KhaDarel Hodge in overtime, giving the Atlanta Falcons an improbable 36-30 victory over Tampa Bay Buccaneers gifted Thursday night.

After a wild fourth quarter that included a blocked field goal, a fumble and an interception, Cousins ​​and the Falcons (3-2) got the ball back at their own 20 with 1:14 left in regulation and no timeouts, trailing by one from 30:27.

Cousins ​​completed five passes to push Atlanta to the Buccaneers' 29th, then stormed to the line to score the ball with one second left. In all the confusion, a delay of game was imposed on the Falcons as they prepared for a tying field goal, but it cost them nothing.

Younghoe Koo ran the ball through from 52 yards to force overtime, a week after he made a 58-yarder with two seconds left to beat the New Orleans Saints.

The Falcons won the coin toss in overtime, ensuring Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers (3-2) didn't get their hands on the ball again.

Cousins ​​connected with Drake London on a few passes before throwing a short pass to Hodge, who shrugged off a tackle at the 40, cut a gap in the secondary and stormed untouched to the end zone to end the game.

Mayfield threw three touchdown passes, including two to Mike Evans, and Chase McLaughlin kicked three field goals. The last of them was a 53-yarder that gave the Buccaneers a 30-27 lead with 10:23 left.

The Falcons tied the score with a bold fourth-down call from coach Raheem Morris early in the fourth quarter.

After Tyler Allgeier suffered a 2-yard loss on third-and-2, the Falcons didn't even consider a field goal from the Bucs 12.

Atlanta lined up at the back and Cousins ​​threw a pass to Darnell Mooney, who grabbed the ball right at the marker but didn't settle for a first down. He fended off a tackler and slid into the end zone.