Kirk Cousins led the Atlanta Falcons with a breakout 509-yard performance Thursday night in a 36-30 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
His 509 yards is the best since Jared Goff’s 517 in 2019 and surpasses Matt Ryan’s 503 which represented the Falcons’ franchise record.
His game-winning touchdown pass, his fourth of the game, found the hands of KhaDarel Hodge for a 45-yard play.
Five Falcons receivers had 66 or more receiving yards: Drake London (154), Darnell Mooney (105), Kyle Pitts (88), Hodge (67) and Ray-Ray McCloud III (66).
Mooney caught two touchdown passes and London made 12 receptions, including one for an 18-yard touchdown in the first sequence of the game.
Still, the Falcons trailed 30-27 when Cousins threw his only interception of the game on a fourth down with 1:52 left in the fourth quarter. The Bucs quickly cleared, giving the ball back to Cousins and his offense with 1:14 left.
Cousins led his team into the Tampa Bay zone, bringing the ball down with just one second on the clock, just in time for Younghoe Koo to send the game into overtime with a 52-yard game-tying field goal. Four plays later, Hodge gave his team the victory before the Bucs offense had the chance to set foot on the field in overtime.
Baker Mayfield threw for 180 yards with three touchdowns and no interceptions for the Bucs. Mike Evans, twice, and Sterling Shepard reached the end zone after catching a pass.
This victory for the Falcons tightens the race at the top of the Southern section of the National Association, the two teams sharing first place with identical records of 3-2.
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