Tampa Bay
Buccaneers
3-11
22
FINAL
17
Atlanta
Falcons
5-9
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a tightly contested matchup, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers narrowly defeated the Atlanta Falcons 22-17 in Week 16 of the 2026 season. The stakes were high for both teams as they jockeyed for playoff positioning, making this victory crucial for Tampa Bay's postseason aspirations.
Offensively, Jaren Hall led the Buccaneers with two touchdown passes, showcasing his ability to perform under pressure. On the receiving end, Chris Godwin Jr. was a standout, racking up 109 yards and providing Hall with vital targets throughout the game. Meanwhile, the Falcons' Dorian Thompson-Robinson threw for 246 yards, while Bijan Robinson made an impact on the ground with 123 rushing yards.
Defensively, Yaya Diaby was instrumental for the Buccaneers, recording 1.5 sacks that disrupted Atlanta's offensive rhythm. The turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Tampa Bay's defense held strong, preventing the Falcons from converting crucial plays that could have shifted the game in their favor. With Divine Deablo leading Atlanta's tackles with eight, it was a hard-fought battle on both sides, but the Buccaneers ultimately emerged victorious.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dorian Thompson-Robinson | QB | 41 | 25 | 246 | 0 | 1 | 67.7 |
| Jaren Hall | QB | 34 | 12 | 173 | 2 | 2 | 47.7 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 19 | 123 | 6.5 | 1 | 20 | 0 |
| Bucky Irving | HB | 11 | 97 | 8.8 | 0 | 35 | 0 |
| Kenny Gainwell | HB | 6 | 35 | 5.8 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Sean Tucker | HB | 2 | 31 | 15.5 | 0 | 29 | 0 |
| Brian Robinson Jr | HB | 6 | 27 | 4.5 | 1 | 8 | 0 |
| Jaren Hall | QB | 4 | 16 | 4.0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Brandon Aiyuk | WR | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Dorian Thompson-Robinson | QB | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Josh Whyle | TE | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Chris Godwin Jr | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Emeka Egbuka | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Drake London | WR | 1 | -3 | -3.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Godwin Jr | WR | 4 | 109 | 27.3 | 1 | 48 | 0 |
| Zachariah Branch | WR | 7 | 91 | 13.0 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Kyle Pitts Sr | TE | 5 | 52 | 10.4 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| Drake London | WR | 5 | 49 | 9.8 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Brandon Aiyuk | WR | 3 | 31 | 10.3 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Cade Otton | TE | 3 | 29 | 9.7 | 1 | 13 | 0 |
| Emeka Egbuka | WR | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Austin Hooper | TE | 1 | 10 | 10.0 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Brian Robinson Jr | HB | 2 | 10 | 5.0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Bucky Irving | HB | 2 | 5 | 2.5 | 0 | 7 | 1 |
| Kenny Gainwell | HB | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Josh Whyle | TE | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Bijan Robinson | HB | 2 | 3 | 1.5 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Ted Hurst III | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Divine Deablo | MIKE | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Josiah Trotter | MIKE | 7 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Avieon Terrell | CB | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Alex Anzalone | WILL | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yaya Diaby | REDG | 4 | 1.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Vita Vea | DT | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tykee Smith | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jacob Parrish | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antoine Winfield Jr | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Benjamin Morrison | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sydney Brown | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Sebastian Joseph-Day | DT | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Calijah Kancey | DT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jessie Bates III | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brandon Dorlus | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| James Pearce Jr | REDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rueben Bain Jr. | LEDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Xavier Watts | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kendal Daniels | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Maliek Collins | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zyon McCollum | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jalon Walker | LEDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cam Sample | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A.J. Terrell Jr | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Clark Phillips III | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nick Folk | K | 1 | 1 | 2 | 32 |
| Chase McLaughlin | K | 3 | 3 | 1 | 52 |

