Buccaneers beat Falcons 16-0 despite failing to complete a single pass in wet, sloppy conditions

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Baker Mayfield threw more downfield blocks than he had completions.

Mayfield didn’t complete a pass but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Atlanta Falcons 16-0 on Sunday behind Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell's rushing on a wet, sloppy field.

“I’ll do whatever it takes to win,” Mayfield said after going 0 for 3. “That’s all that matters to me.”

The Buccaneers (3-5) set a team record for yards rushing in a game with 324, and became the first team to have zero completions since Buffalo on Sept. 29, 1974. The Bills beat the Jets 16-12 in that one, and that had been the only time a team didn’t complete a pass in the Super Bowl era.

Irving ran for 170 yards and one touchdown on 27 carries, Gainwell ran for 140 on 25 carries and Chase McLaughlin kicked three field goals to stay perfect this season at 19 for 19.

Playing in a driving rain for most of the afternoon, Mayfield handed off 52 times in his second game back after missing three weeks with a fractured thumb.

He got out in front when Gainwell reversed direction on a 28-yard run in the fourth quarter, blocked Jessie Bates III and ended up in a puddle.

“If I’m not gonna throw the ball, I have to get active somehow,” Mayfield said. “Me and Jessie were out there playing in mud.”

Michael Penix Jr. went 8 for 24 for 125 yards with four interceptions for Atlanta (3-5). Bijan Robinson was held to 76 yards on 19 carries.

Facing his former coach with Cleveland, Mayfield didn’t have to do much with his arm. He scrambled for 13 yards while Irving and Gainwell piled up big numbers. Mayfield and Kevin Stefanski are the only QB-coach combination to win a playoff game for the Browns since the franchise returned in 1999, but they didn’t have a close relationship. Mayfield was upset that Stefanski didn’t reach out to him after the Browns traded him to Carolina in 2022.

Tampa Bay’s previous rushing high was 283 yards — including 235 from Doug Martin — in a 45-17 win at Philadelphia on Nov. 22, 2015.

Irving’s 4-yard TD run in the third quarter gave the Buccaneers a 16-0 lead and the offense kept pounding the ball on the ground.

“Those guys up front, I see a different look in their eyes when it’s time to run the ball,” Irving said of an offensive line led by two-time Pro Bowl tackle Tristan Wirfs. “I’ll got to war with those guys any day.”

Nick Folk missed a 53-yard field goal wide left on Atlanta’s opening series and McLaughlin made one from 46 yards out on the next series.

The Bucs missed an opportunity after Alex Anzalone picked off Penix at Atlanta’s 41 and returned it 8 yards, and an unsportsmanlike penalty on Drake London put the ball at the 18. But Irving fumbled out of the end zone for a touchback after taking a lateral from Mayfield. Bates forced the fumble.

Anzalone picked off Penix again on Atlanta’s next possession to set up Tampa Bay at the Falcons 19. But the Buccaneers couldn’t go anywhere and settled for McLaughlin’s 34-yarder that made it 6-0.

After Jacob Parrish picked off Penix on a fourth-down pass at Tampa Bay’s 17, the Buccaneers drove 65 yards and McLaughlin connected from 42 yards to extend the lead to 9-0.

Last week, Tampa Bay beat the Panthers 43-13 with Mayfield completing just 7 of 11 passes for 64 yards.

The Bucs have won three of four since an 0-4 start and are just a half-game behind Carolina (3-4) in the NFC South.

“We have to want it,” Stefanski said of the poor all-around performance by the Falcons.

In the Jets-Bills game in 1974, Joe Ferguson was 0 for 2 for Buffalo, O.J. Simpson ran for 117 yards and Ferguson and Jim Braxton each had rushing touchdowns. New York’s Joe Namath completed just 2 of 18 passes for 33 yards.

The Buccaneers became the first team to win by double digits without completing a pass since the Pittsburgh Steelers beat the Chicago Cardinals 23-0 on Nov. 11, 1945, according to NFL research.

Falcons: WR Zacchariah Branch and DE Samson Ebukam both exited with hamstring injuries. RB Brian Robinson (hamstring) was inactive.

Buccaneers: OLB Yaya Diaby left the game with a knee injury in the first quarter. ... WR Emeka Egbuka (foot) was inactive.

Falcons: Travel to Madrid, where they will face the Cincinnati Bengals in the NFL's second regular-season game in Spain next Sunday.

Buccaneers: Visit the Chicago Bears in a primetime matchup next Sunday night.

See AP’s full NFL coverage here

Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Drake London (5) pulls on the helmet of Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Alex Anzalone (34) on an interception in the first half of an NFL football game in Tampa, Fla., Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Jacob Parrish (25) celebrates his interception against the Atlanta Falcons in the first half of an NFL football game in Tampa, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) is tackled by Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (31) in the second half of an NFL football game in Tampa, Fla., Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) carries against the Atlanta Falcons in the first half of an NFL football game in Tampa, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. (9) passes against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first half of an NFL football game in Tampa, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Kenny Gainwell (1) carries against Atlanta Falcons cornerback C.J. Henderson (26) and safety Jessie Bates III (3) in the first half of an NFL football game in Tampa, Fla., Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (7) carries against Atlanta Falcons cornerback C.J. Henderson (26) for a long gain in the second half of an NFL football game in Tampa, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving is lifted up after scoring a touchdown against the Atlanta Falcons in the second half of an NFL football game in Tampa, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) passes against the Atlanta Falcons in the first half of an NFL football game in Tampa, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

DUBUQUE, Iowa (AP) — President Donald Trump is closing out the final days of a turbulent midterm campaign with rallies in two states he has handily won in the past while Democrats began to fracture in Michigan, risking their effort to retake the Senate.

Trump stopped first on Sunday in Dubuque, Iowa, where Republicans are battling to hold onto a critical U.S. Senate seat along with the governor’s office. The 2nd Congressional District, which includes Dubuque, has also become competitive as the GOP works to protect its fragile majority in the U.S. House.

But Trump insisted Republicans were on the verge of sweeping victories on Election Day on Tuesday.

“We're going to elect ‘America first’ Republicans up and down the line,” he said.

Trump plans to close out the last weekend of campaigning before Election Day on Tuesday with a visit to Salina, Kansas. Adam Hamilton is mounting a robust bid to become the first Kansas Democrat to win a Senate seat in 94 years.

With more than 52 million votes already cast, the trips reflect the GOP's defensive posture as the elections become a referendum on Trump's White House second term.

They are a reminder of how starkly the political environment has changed since Trump’s last campaign. In 2024, he worked to flip states that had previously backed Democrat Joe Biden in 2020. This year, Trump has focused largely on states he has dominated before as voters, including previous supporters, question the economic fallout of his decision to impose tariffs and launch the war in Iran.

But Democrats who have become increasingly bullish on their prospects were confronting challenges of their own.

In Michigan, Democrat Abdul El-Sayed's onetime opponent in the Senate primary, Haley Stevens, appeared with Republican Mike Rogers at a church service and later endorsed his campaign. Stevens, a congresswoman who has criticized El-Sayed as being insufficiently supportive of Israel, said she backed Rogers after an invitation to a Democratic event was rescinded.

“Our Democratic nominee for Senate said I was no longer welcome in his campaign and that I should stay away,” Stevens said in a video announcing the endorsement. “And he’s right. And that’s why I am endorsing Mike Rogers for the United States Senate today.”

The stunning move forced other Democrats to reiterate their support for El-Sayed. Chuck Schumer of New York, the top Democrat in the U.S. Senate, said the party was “united in our support.” U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York, who leads the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, said the party would “stand firmly” behind El-Sayed and “reject any efforts to divide Democrats.”

Earlier, U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, a top supporter of El-Sayed, dismissed concerns about a Democratic divide.

“Haley Stevens lost a very, very close primary. I can understand being upset about that,” the Vermont independent said on CBS' “Face the Nation.” “But from what I can see, all over the state, people are standing up, they’re gonna stand with Abdul.”

Michigan plays a key role in the Democratic effort to retake control of the U.S. Senate. If they don't keep that seat on Tuesday, they would face additional pressure to win races in deeper Republican territory such as Texas, Kansas, Ohio or Iowa.

The campaign's closing stretch has largely become a test of Trump’s enduring strength in a Republican Party he reshaped in his image a decade ago. He's hoping to energize voters like Jon Lutz, a Dubuque resident who watches videos of Trump all the time but is attending his first rally on Sunday.

Lutz said he's happy with Trump's second term record and wants Republicans to keep control of the House and Senate so his agenda will advance.

“He’s done what he’s said he’s going to do,” the 60-year-old civil engineer said. “I want him to keep going.”

Wendy Kuenzler was also seeing Trump for the first time on Sunday. Waiting in line at the concession stand, the 44-year-old from Burlington said she felt that Iowa was at a crossroads with multiple competitive elections. She plans to support Ashley Hinson, the U.S. Senate nominee.

Kuenzler said she doesn't blame rising gas and grocery prices on Trump. "He's on the path to correcting it,” she said.

Democrats in Iowa were also campaigning feverishly on Sunday. Rob Sand, the nominee for governor, was holding several events across the state.

Trump is betting that he can overcome the headwinds facing Republicans this year by relentlessly appearing before his most loyal supporters. But the more than two dozen rallies he held in October were occasionally overshadowed by Trump's meandering asides and sometimes graphic descriptions of the physique of the male politicians he was supporting.

Trump paused the rallies on Saturday and spent the evening at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida at a jungle-themed Halloween party, where he bragged about the wealth of his guests and dismissed concerns about the country's direction.

“The country has never done better,” he said.

Outgoing Rep. Don Bacon, R-Neb., raised concerns on Sunday that the president's policies, particularly tariffs, could weigh down the GOP.

“Tariffs are not popular here in the Midwest,” he told CNN's “State of the Union.” “I tried telling the president that.”

Bacon predicted “there will be a debate in the party” about its future if there are significant losses this week.

Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina was more optimistic. The chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee said he was confident Republicans would keep the Senate and embraced Trump's role in the campaign.

“There's no doubt that President Trump has said himself that the midterm election is about him," he told NBC's “Meet the Press.” “His agenda, without any question, is on the ballot.”

Sloan reported from Washington. Associated Press writers Corey Williams in Detroit and Will Weissert and Joey Cappelletti in Washington contributed to this report.

Senate candidate Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, greets attendees before President Donald Trump arrives to speak during a campaign rally at the Five Flags Event Center, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, in Dubuque, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., left, Rep. Debbie Dingell, D-Mich., Sen. Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed and his wife Sarah Jukaku, attend a church service at Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

A supporter holds up a sign beforePresident Donald Trump arrives to speak during a campaign rally at the Five Flags Event Center, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, in Dubuque, Iowa. (AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall)

Michigan Republican Senate candidate Mike Rogers, right, and Rep. Haley Stevens, D-Mich., attend a service at Perfecting Church, Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Jose Juarez)

Michigan Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed speaks at a campaign rally, Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, in Sterling Heights, Mich. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

President Donald Trump speaks at a Halloween party at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Fla., Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)