Tampa Bay
Buccaneers
5-4
42
FINAL
7
Atlanta
Falcons
0-9
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a dominating performance, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers topped the Atlanta Falcons 42-7 in Week 16 of the 2026 season, solidifying their playoff positioning as they head into the final stretch. With the stakes high, Tampa Bay showcased their offensive prowess and defensive resilience, leaving little doubt about their superiority in this matchup.
Baker Mayfield led the charge for the Buccaneers, throwing for 270 yards and a touchdown, while Bucky Irving added 86 rushing yards to keep the Falcons' defense on their heels. Emeka Egbuka was the standout receiver, racking up an impressive 147 yards, making critical catches that extended drives and set up scores. The Buccaneers' ability to move the ball effectively was a key factor in their dominant victory.
On the defensive side, the Buccaneers stifled the Falcons' offensive efforts, highlighted by a crucial interception from Antoine Winfield Jr. that shifted momentum firmly in Tampa Bay's favor. The Falcons struggled to find their rhythm, with Jalon Walker registering just half a sack, while Divine Deablo's nine tackles could not prevent the onslaught. This game turned decisively in the second quarter, as the Buccaneers scored three unanswered touchdowns, effectively sealing the victory well before the final whistle.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 36 | 23 | 64% | 270 | 1 | 0 | 95.8 |
| Tua Tagovailoa | QB | 23 | 12 | 52% | 123 | 0 | 1 | 49.7 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bucky Irving | HB | 17 | 86 | 5.1 | 47 | 2 | 24 | 0 |
| Kenny Gainwell | HB | 16 | 79 | 4.9 | 25 | 2 | 19 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 14 | 72 | 5.1 | 30 | 1 | 18 | 0 |
| Sean Tucker | HB | 4 | 29 | 7.3 | 13 | 1 | 17 | 0 |
| Payne Durham | TE | 3 | 10 | 3.3 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 3 | 9 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Tua Tagovailoa | QB | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Cade Otton | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jerome Ford | HB | 3 | -3 | -1.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeka Egbuka | WR | 11 | 147 | 13.4 | 31 | 1 | 21 | 1 |
| Austin Hooper | TE | 3 | 37 | 12.3 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Cade Otton | TE | 3 | 37 | 12.3 | 6 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Drake London | WR | 2 | 26 | 13.0 | 10 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Ted Hurst III | WR | 1 | 24 | 24.0 | — | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Ko Kieft | TE | 1 | 24 | 24.0 | — | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 3 | 23 | 7.7 | — | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Chris Godwin Jr | WR | 3 | 20 | 6.7 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Kyle Pitts Sr | TE | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 1 | 14 | 14.0 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Kenny Gainwell | HB | 2 | 8 | 4.0 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Jordan Whittington | WR | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Sean Tucker | HB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 8 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Payne Durham | TE | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divine Deablo | MIKE | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Josiah Trotter | MIKE | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Avieon Terrell | CB | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Alex Anzalone | WILL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Harris | MIKE | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Roger McCreary | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Antoine Winfield Jr | FS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jessie Bates III | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Xavier Watts | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kendal Daniels | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gervon Dexter Sr | DT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Sebastian Joseph-Day | DT | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vita Vea | DT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalon Walker | LEDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Terrell Jr | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tykee Smith | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Calijah Kancey | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Pearce Jr | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Benjamin Morrison | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Za'Darius Smith | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Dorlus | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| JD Bertrand | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Billy Bowman Jr | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zach Harrison | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rueben Bain Jr | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Folk | K | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Chase McLaughlin | K | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |

