The Atlanta Falcons suffered heartbreak behind Younghoe Koo’s missed field goal with 6 seconds left on the clock, losing their home opener against the Tampa Buccaneers. The Buccaneers were down 17-20 with 2:17 left in the game. Baker Mayfield drove the Bucs down the field on a 63-yard touchdown scoring drive that took 1:18 off the clock. The Bucs missed the extra point that would have forced the Falcons to score a touchdown to win the game. Instead, the Falcons needed to drive down the field and kick a field goal to tie the game and force overtime.
The Falcons received the Tampa Bay kickoff and were penalized for an illegal block that backed them up to their 14-yard line. Falcons quarterback Michael Penix scrambles out of the pocket, moving the ball down the field to keep the drive going. Penix, with the game in his hands, began to surgically move the Falcons offense down the field with pass completions to several Atlanta Falcons receivers, looking to tie or win the game.
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Penix completed several passes to Kyle Pitts, catching 7 passes for 58 yards. Bijan Robinson caught 6 passes for 100 yards, had one reception come in question during the Falcons’ final drive when he stepped out of bounds at the 36-yard line, which was initially ruled in bounds, and the ball was placed around the 28-yard line, before the Falcons could snap the ball. Penix completed a pass to Kyle Pitts at the 26-yard line that would set up Falcons field goal kicker, Younghoe Koo, to kick the field goal that would tie the game, forcing overtime.
The Bucanners called a timeout, and Falcons field goal kicker Koo got a practice kick that went inside the goal post. When the Falcons snapped the ball for the field goal kick to tie the game, Koo kicked it outside the right upright—the Buccaneers handed the Falcons their first loss of the season. Falcons quarterback Michael Penix completed 27 of 42 passes for 298 yards and 1 touchdown.
The Bucaneers win the game 23-20 . The Buccaneers play the Houston Texans, and the Atlanta Falcons will play the Minnesota Vikings next week.