.Michael RothsteinCloseMichael RothsteinESPN Workers WriterMichael Rothstein is a press reporter for NFL Country at ESPN. Rothstein covers the Atlanta Falcons. You can easily follow him by means of Twitter @MikeRothstein. Jenna LaineCloseJenna LaineESPN Workers WriterJenna Laine covers the Tampa florida Bay Buccaneers for ESPN. She started covering the Bucs for ESPN in 2016, yet she has actually covered the staff because 2009. Follow Jenna on Twitter: @JennaLaineESPN. Oct 3, 2024, 11:46 PM ETATLANTA-- The Atlanta Falcons as well as Tampa bay Gulf Buccaneers created very early that Thursday night's game would certainly be actually an offending slugfest along with both staffs racking up touchdowns on their 1st belongings, so it seemed to be proper the NFC South showdown will be chosen by a long TD pass.Kirk Cousins threw his fourth touchdown of the activity, a 45-yard score to KhaDarel Hodge, who had gotten in the contest after a trauma to Drake Greater london, to offer the Falcons a 36-30 overtime victory.Younghoe Koo's 52-yard field goal as time ran out in rule pushed overtime, and also Relatives took care of the rest as he set a franchise business report with 509 passing yards to remove Atlanta ga (3-2) in to a dead heat atop the division.Kirk Relatives notched his fifth consent passing touchdown in the last min of regulation/OT in the last 5 times, which is actually the best in the NFL. AP Photo/John BazemoreAtlanta FalconsThe difference in between creating the playoffs and certainly not, between winning a branch and also not, lies in activities like this one, and also Atlanta has actually possessed its share of them.The Falcons have trailed within the final minute of the fourth one-fourth with all three of their triumphes this period. They are actually the first team in NFL past to possess 3 wins within their very first 5 games of a season in which they routed in the ultimate min of the 4th quarter.At 3-2, with impressive back-to-back wins over New Orleans and Tampa Fl Gulf, Atlanta georgia has an early top in the NFC South thanks to tiebreakers over the Saints as well as Buccaneers. That could possibly show essential in December and also January in what appears to be a tight division.QB malfunction: Relatives appeared well-balanced and also back to become the quarterback the Falcons provided a $180 thousand deal to in the offseason. He finished 42 of 58 masquerade 509 lawns, 4 touchdowns as well as 1 interception.It's the 6th time he has tossed for 350 lawns and also 3 goals in a prime-time game, tying Patrick Mahomes and also Peyton Manning, depending on to ESPN Research.Eye-popping stat: Drake Greater london remains to be leading when he encounters Tampa florida Bay-- three of his 4 profession 100-yard activities have arrived against the Buccaneers, consisting of Thursday's 12-catch, 154-yard functionality. He additionally got his first goal versus Tampa florida Gulf in the first quarter.Promising style: Darnell Mooney remains to appear more like the receiver he resided in Chicago in 2021 than in his final two periods with the Bears. He possessed his very first game along with a number of goal finds-- in 2021 he possessed a video game along with a rushing and also obtaining goal-- and also his 9 catches for 105 lawns are actually both near occupation highs for him. He performed possess two reduces, however, consisting of one that could possibly possess confirmed costly.Most shocking performance: A week after not capturing a successfully pass against New Orleans, limited conclusion Kyle Pitts placed in his best analytical activity in almost a year, getting hold of 7 catches for 88 backyards, once more becoming aspect of Atlanta ga's offense. His catches and also backyards are his most given that Oct. 8, 2023, against Houston, when Pitts possessed 7 catches for 87 gardens on a career-high 11 targets.-- Michael RothsteinNext video game: at Carolina Panthers (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday, Oct. thirteen) Mike Evans marked his 99th goal celebration, matching him along with Don Hutson for 11th-most enduring. Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesTampa Bay BuccaneersAll summer season long, the Bucs heard the Falcons were actually the staff to trump in the NFC South, in spite of Tampa fl gaining the department the past 3 years. That proved out Thursday night, along with it presently being actually a three-team race with the Bucs at New Orleans next.Tampa Bay possesses a great deal of players it requires to receive healthy, and also it has nine times to do it. The Bucs have to discover exactly how to finish, however, along with the offense totally put on hold in the second fifty percent and also inadequate tackling on defense.QB breakdown: Cook Mayfield completed 13 of 16 masquerade 131 yards, three goals-- 2 to wide receiver Mike Evans-- and also no interceptions in the first one-half. He was blitzed on 7 of 15 dropbacks (47%) in the first one-half, along with all 3 touchdowns arriving against the assault. Mayfield's 11 goals through the initial five video games are a profession best.But after the big initial half, Mayfield and the Buccaneers hardly carried out everything in the second half through the air, totaling 49 yards.Biggest gap in the strategic plan: Along with Tampa florida linebacker SirVocea Dennis on injured reserve along with a shoulder trauma, the Falcons routinely capitalized on K.J. Britt in coverage. He surrendered an 18-yard goal to wide receiver Drake London on the position drive.Surprising efficiency: The Bucs' protection giving up 550 backyards of overall offense. It took a progression recently versus the Eagles in regards to skipped attacks however resisted the Falcons within this department. The Falcons finished with 235 yards after the catch, their very most in an activity given that Full week 8 of 2019 against Seat (236 ).-- Jenna LaineNext video game: at New Orleans Saints (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Oct. thirteen).