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Bucs beat Falcons 16-0 without completing a single pass

A rainstorm turned Raymond James Stadium into a mud pit, and Tampa Bay became the first team in over 50 years to win without completing a pass.

More than an inch of rain fell on Raymond James Stadium before kickoff, and the Buccaneers decided the forecast was a suggestion to abandon the passing game entirely. Tampa Bay beat the Falcons 16-0 without completing a single pass, a feat so rare the league hasn't seen it since the Buffalo Bills pulled it off against Joe Namath's Jets in 1974.

The Bucs leaned on their running game instead, grinding out the win in conditions that made any offensive coordinator wince at the thought of calling a pass play. The Falcons didn't fare much better through the air, and the two NFC South teams turned what could have been a forgettable matchup into one of the stranger box scores of the season.

It was also a meaningful result in the standings. The win pulls Tampa Bay to within a half-game of first place in the NFC South, proof that in the right weather, you don't need a quarterback to throw the ball to win a football game.

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