The Buccaneers eke out a win over the Atlanta Falcons 23-20 after a disastrous first quarter and a spectacular debut for 2025 first-round pick Emeka Egbuka. Quarterback Baker Mayfield and the run offense kept the Bucs in the game, but it was Egbuka who truly turned the tide with his two touchdowns.
Defensively, the Bucs made the Falcons work for every point, at least after the first touchdown by Bijan Robinson that went almost uncontested. Tampa Bay clamped down on Atlanta’s run game and forced Michael Penix Jr. to pull out all the stops to keep the Falcons in the game late. Kicker shenanigans on both sides put the game in doubt, but ultimately it was another Egbuka touchdown that pushed the Bucs over the top.
Here are the winners and losers from the Bucs’ Week 1 win over the Falcons.
Winner: Emeka Egbuka
Tampa Bay’s 2025 draft class may already be a success on the heroics of Emeka Egbuka. With so much uncertainty on offense stemming from the absence of Tristan Wirfs and Chris Godwin, Egbuka was a steadying figure, lifting the team with big plays whenever the Bucs need them. The rookie finished the game with four catches for 67 yards and two touchdowns, leading the team in the latter two stats. He also added a carry for nine yards and was a valuable blocker in the run game.
In a game where much of the team seemed to suffer from Week 1 jitters, Egbuka showed no such hesitation. Both of his touchdown catches were Baker Mayfield’s only completed passes over 20 yards and arguably his best throws of the day. Egbuka elevated the team around him, exactly what they want from a first-round pick.
Loser then Winner: SirVocea Dennis
If the Bucs thought they had the linebacker position figured out for this season, SirVocea Dennis gave them both reason to doubt and to believe. The third-year linebacker was a liability for most of the game, missing three tackles, including one that allowed Bijan Robinson’s 50-yard touchdown. He also allowed six receptions on six targets, most on the team, and a clear indication that the Falcons were targeting Dennis in coverage.
Dennis was eventually benched after blowing a coverage on Bijan Robinson in the third quarter, but he ultimately returned as a very different player. Over the last quarter and a half of the game, Dennis was a demon in run defense, recording a pass break-up and leading the team with two tackles for a loss. Taken in totality, Dennis was a net negative for his team, but there is reason to believe he needs time to build confidence and experience.
Winner: Tampa Bay’s run defense
If there are two signatures of a Todd Bowles defense, they would be heavy blitzing and stout run defense. The latter continues to pay dividends for the Bucs as they all but smothered the Atlanta rush offense. Overall, the Falcons picked up just 69 yards on the ground and averaged a meager 2.5 yards per attempt. While Bijan Robinson was Atlanta’s leading rusher, he gained just 24 yards on 12 attempts.
The Bucs recorded seven tackles for a loss, a testament to their discipline around the line of scrimmage. The one weakness they had was containing QB Michael Penix, who ran for key first downs on Atlanta’s final touchdown drive and their ill-fated drive to get into field goal position to tie the game. While that largely falls on the Bucs’ pass rush (more on them shortly), Penix was the Falcons’ most efficient rusher, averaging 3.5 yards per carry. Overall, it appears the Bucs will have one of the league’s best run defenses yet again.
Loser: Tampa Bay’s first quarter
The Bucs started their season as badly as they possibly could have. First, they allowed a 50-yard touchdown reception by Bijan Robinson on Atlanta’s opening drive, in which every Buccaneer defender appeared allergic to even touching the Falcons running back. Then, the offense went three-and-out on consecutive drives. It was a nightmare scenario for Tampa Bay in a key divisional matchup, a matchup in which they were swept last season.
Fortunately for Tampa Bay, they recovered by the second quarter. They took the lead off Emeka Egbuka’s first NFL touchdown while holding the Falcons to a field goal. While the second half laid bare the difference in talent between the Bucs and the Falcons, it was Tampa Bay’s lack of preparedness that put them in a dangerous hole early in the game.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Winners and losers from the Buccaneers’ Week 1win over the Atlanta Falcons
Reporting by Jason Kanno, Buccaneers Wire / Bucs Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
