The Falcoholic
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ struggles against the Atlanta Falcons over the past couple of years needs to be studied. How the Bucs were able to allow the Falcons to, not only stay in this game, but end up stealing this game in Raymond-James Stadium is a remarkable feat in and of itself.
Not even accounting for the franchise record in penalties, which led to 7 first downs, the amazing return of Mike Evans, including a nasty ‘welcome to the league’ moment for Cobee Bryant, and some downright confusing decision-making from head coach Raheem Morris. There’s just nothing that says the Falcons should have won this game.
That is, except for a remarkable game from Kirk Cousins, Bijan Robinson, and Kyle Pitts. I mean, a truly sensational performance that involved only the 20th game ever where a team gained 350+ passing yards, scored 3+ passing TDs, gained 100+ rushing yards, and racked up 5+ sacks as a team (the last instance was Baltimore Ravens vs. Detroit in 2023).
In this game, we had James Pearce, Jr. continue his DROY bid, an insane game from Pitts and Bijan in Drake London’s absence, and a vintage Kirk Cousins performance to knock off the top team in the NFC South.
Let’s take a look at this week’s insane highlights:
Listen, does the process stink? Absolutely. Giving the Los Angeles Rams, one of the best teams in the league right now, a potential top-ten pick will never sit right in my mind. However, there is no denying how impactful James Pearce, Jr. has been this season.
Also, Pearce ties Mike Pitts (1983) for most sacks by a Falcons rookie with just under four games left to go.
Pitts is continuing to be the number-one target for Kirk Cousins as Drake London continues to nurse his knee injury. Pitts has been a steadying force for the Falcons’ passing game, despite the consistent struggles, no matter who has been under center. Pitts’ 631 yards coming into this game have already surpassed his mark from last season, and he’s only 10 yards away from getting the most receiving yards since his 1000-yard rookie season.
Bijan Robinson continues to show how elusive and truly remarkable he is in open space. Robinson may have only had a modest gain on this play, but there’s no doubt that Robinson is one of the more entertaining players with the ball in his hands.
Pitts has hauled in all three of his targets for 47 yards and this crucial touchdown in the early parts of this game, but more importantly, this football is a piece of history.
Kirk Cousins passes Hall of Famer Warren Moon for 16th all-time in passing touchdowns with his 292nd touchdown pass.
Kyle Pitts puts Christian...
