NFL Week 15 Contenders: Consider Seahawks, Chargers, Texans
Lorenzo Reyes has indicated he will play for the Rocks in Week 15 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
- The Atlanta Falcons made a field goal on the final play, defeating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 29-28.
- Tampa Bay’s loss knocked them out of first place in the NFC South, and the Carolina Panthers took over the top spot.
- Several Falcons players had career-best or season-best performances, including Kyle Pitts and Kirk Cousins.
- Both teams wore old-fashioned uniforms, with the Bucks wearing “creamsicle” jerseys and the Falcons wearing 1966 black jerseys.
A great game of football unfolded on Thursday night…and by the end of the fourth quarter, the quality of the contest was also quite appealing – keep reading as we explain.
Overall, the Atlanta Falcons made a field goal on the final play of the night, overcoming a 14-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 29-28 and knocking the Bucks out of first place in the NFC South. The Buccaneers have lost five of their past six games since their Week 9 bye, dropping to ninth place in the conference, but their prospects of winning their fifth straight division title remain largely intact.
It was a night where the winners and losers went beyond the final result. They are:
winner
Kyle Pitts free agent outlook
Pitts, who was drafted No. 4 overall in 2021, the earliest ever for a tight end, hasn’t exactly lived up to those lofty expectations during his five NFL seasons, but his instability as a quarterback during his tenure with the Falcons certainly hasn’t helped. But he had a career night Thursday with 11 receptions, 166 yards and three TDs, all career highs. Pitts, who is set to become a free agent early next year, certainly could have once again proven his talent on the national stage and reignited his vision of what kind of impact player he could be in the right situation.
Bijan Robinson’s Fantasy Owners
Fantasy football playoffs have begun in most leagues, and the Falcons’ tailback was probably a top-three pick in almost every league. And while a fumble in the third quarter was a minor blemish, Robinson ended up with eight receptions, 175 yards from scrimmage and one touchdown. That statistic should satisfy owners across the country who aren’t paying him a penny.
kirk cousins
Atlanta’s 37-year-old quarterback had arguably his best game of the season, passing for 373 yards and three TDs, scoring 15 points in the fourth quarter and nailing the game-winning field goal drive in the final two minutes. Whether or not he’s a member of this organization in 2026 like Pitts, Cousins delivered a performance that suggests to the rest of the league that he has better football left in him.
Spectacular throwback uniform
The Bucks, who are entering their 50th NFL season, wore “creamsicle” jerseys for the first time this season. The Falcons, who are in the midst of their 60th NFL season, no longer used black jerseys and red helmets since their first year in 1966. It was a rare game where both teams were allowed to wear colored jerseys, and it was a pleasing visual aesthetic. What’s even more remarkable is that this was the first time that the longtime rivals faced each other in a match from this uniform era. More please.
bucks pirate ship
Much of Raymond James Stadium was decorated in Florida oranges, aka “creamsicles” to capitalize on the throwback vibe, but that wasn’t the case with the pirate ship moored in “Buccaneer Cove” behind the north end zone. Instead, the mast was decorated with Christmas lights for a nice holiday touch.
carolina panthers
Tampa Bay’s latest loss puts them back in first place in the NFC South at 7-6. Still, Thursday night’s result was essentially ancillary for the Panthers, who haven’t played since a 31-28 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 30. If Carolina wins those two games against the Bucs in Weeks 16 and 18, it will win the division regardless of those teams’ other performance.
Zane Gonzalez
Atlanta’s third kicker of the season, a 43-yarder, won the game. The last time Gonzalez kicked Raymond James as a member of the Washington Commanders in January, he also made a field goal on the final play to end the Bucks’ 2024 season in the wild-card round of the playoffs.
Terry Fontenot and Raheem Morris
Atlanta’s general manager and head coach each seem to be finding themselves in an increasingly warm position, considering the Falcons were eliminated from playoff contention for the eighth consecutive season over the weekend. But credit should be given to Morris, who is just in his second year on the job, for getting the team ready for road games in a short period of time and effectively playing as a spoiler. Fontenot, who has been in the job since 2021, may have a greater burden of proof to overcome given the unconventional personnel changes of recent years and owner Arthur Blank’s upcoming plans to re-evaluate football operations after the season. But anyway, overnight, this group reached its promising potential.
Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan
The Bucs had a full receiving corps on Thursday night, essentially for the first time this season. Evans, a likely future Hall of Famer, had a team-high six catches for 132 yards in his first game since Oct. 20, when he suffered a concussion and fractured collarbone in a loss to Detroit. McMillan, who had 37 catches (8 TDs) as a rookie last year, debuted in 2025 after sustaining a serious back injury during the preseason. He had two catches for 38 yards. The challenge may be to find a rhythm, considering Chris Godwin has only been back for a few weeks, but the role of rookie Emeka Egbuka, who has carried much of the receiving load so far, is bound to change as well.
loser
tampa bay offensive line
LT Tristan Wirfs is back after missing Sunday’s loss to New Orleans, but a battered team is still searching for the right combination — especially on a night when QB Baker Mayfield absorbed a season-high five sacks while spending most of the run game in neutral.
sloppy falcons
Atlanta committed 19 penalties (125 yards), the most in a single game in its 60-year history, and the most on a team in a single game in the 2025 season.
Los Angeles Rams
Had Atlanta, owner of the Falcons’ 2026 first-round pick, lost again, LA’s chances of finishing in the top five would have increased. ah.
baker, bowles, backs
Tampa Bay seems to have no end to the tailwinds of QB Baker Mayfield and coach Todd Bowles, who held a press conference full of expletives after the game. And the team has most of its best players back, but it’s playing its worst football at the worst time. Yet, like the Panthers, Tampa Bay is still in control of its own destiny, with two wins over Carolina guaranteeing a fifth straight division title.
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