It was a hard-fought NFC South matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night, and the latter wanted to play spoiler.

The Falcons, who were eliminated from the playoffs last week, made it harder for the Bucs to win the division after a walk-off field goal by Zane Gonzalez in a 29-28 victory.

Tampa Bay is now 7-7 on the year, having lost their last two games, while the Falcons are 5-9.

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One of the big storylines coming into the game was the return of veteran receiver Mike Evans, who had been sidelined since Week 4 with a collarbone injury.

While many wondered if the Bucs would have him on a snap count, it didn’t seem that way as quarterback Baker Mayfield loved getting him the ball in this one. Evans finished with 132 yards on just six catches to lead the way for the Bucs in the pass game.

However, Evans’ impressive performance was nothing compared to Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts, who had a career game on “Thursday Night Football.” In the absence of star receiver Drake London, Pitts became Kirk Cousins’ favorite target on the night.

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The 6-foot-6 tight end had three touchdown catches and 166 yards on 11 catches, as he and Cousins found a quick connection early and it came in clutch late in the game.

After Mayfield was picked off by Dee Alford in a 28-20 game, Cousins and the Falcons’ offense had the opportunity to march down the field and tie the game, granted they scored a touchdown and had a successful two-point conversion.

Cousins, having found Pitts twice before, lofted a pass to his trusty tight end, who secured it and managed to stay in bounds for his third score of the night. Video review was needed to determine if he stayed in bounds, and while it appeared his elbow was out, his backside hit the turf in bounds at the same moment. With officials calling a touchdown initially, it was insufficient evidence to overturn the score.

Kirk Cousins of the Atlanta Falcons warms up prior to a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium on Dec. 11, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

But the Bucs were still up two, needing a big stop on the two-point play. They got just that, as Cousins was hurried and the pass went incomplete.

Mayfield, who had two touchdown passes in this game to Chris Godwin and Devin Culp, knew they could ice the game with a few first downs on the ensuing drive. But backed up on third-and-14, Mayfield was sacked at the two-minute warning.

Cousins didn’t have any timeouts to work with after getting the ball back, and it was an inauspicious start to the drive when he was strip-sacked and the game could’ve been over right then and there.

But the ruling was both the Bucs and Falcons had the ball, meaning the tie goes to the team who was on offense. That still set Cousins back to second-and-18, which turned into second-and-28 on a holding penalty that was accepted after an incompletion.

Cousins, though, used Pitts and David Sills V to get the yardage needed to keep the drive alive. The Falcons were in field goal range for Gonzalez, who eventually buried the 43-yarder for the win.

The Bucs were up 28-14 heading into the fourth quarter, but a defensive breakdown at the worst time cost them in the end.

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In the box score, Cousins was phenomenal in primetime, passing for 373 yards with his three connections to Pitts.

And we can’t forget about Bijan Robinson, the league-leader in scrimmage yards who totaled 175 (93 rushing, 82 receiving) on 27 total touches for Atlanta.

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Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso faces mounting pressure ahead of a LaLiga visit to Alaves on Sunday, after a collapse in form has left his side second in the standings, four points behind leaders Barcelona.
What seemed a promising start to Alonso’s spell at the Bernabeu has unravelled swiftly, with Real winning twice in their last eight games across all competitions.
A 2-0 league defeat by Celta Vigo last Sunday, followed by a midweek Champions League loss to Manchester City, both in front of sold-out crowds at home, have compounded the situation.
The former Real midfielder, who signed a three-year deal in May after impressing with Bayer Leverkusen, finds himself in an unusual must-win scenario as early as December.
Spanish media are rife with reports of internal discord, including clashes with key players such as Federico Valverde and Vinicius Jr., adding to the growing scrutiny of his tenure.
Alonso’s squad is also riddled with injuries. Defenders Dani Carvajal, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Dean Huijsen, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy, David Alaba and midfielder Eduardo Camavinga will all miss Sunday’s match.
Meanwhile, the availability of top-scorer Kylian Mbappe remains uncertain, as the Frenchman continues to recover from a leg muscle injury that kept him out against City.
Alaves, who sit mid-table, boast a solid defensive record at home this season, meaning it could be a decisive weekend for the Madrid coach.
Barcelona, coached by German Hansi Flick, welcome Osasuna on Saturday full of confidence.
The league leaders have 40 points and have benefited from the recent return of captain Raphinha and midfielder Pedri. Both played crucial roles in Barca’s come-from-behind 2-1 Champions League victory over Eintracht Frankfurt on Wednesday, their fourth successive win in all competitions.
Third-placed Villarreal, with 35 points and a game in hand on the leaders, host local rivals Levante on Sunday.
Manager Marcelino Garcia Toral has led Villarreal to six successive league wins, a welcome distraction from their Champions League form where they have one point from six matches.
Atletico Madrid aim to bounce back from back-to-back league defeats when they take on a struggling Valencia side on Saturday.
Diego Simeone’s men had gone over two months unbeaten in LaLiga, but losses to Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao have left them fourth on 31 points and further adrift from their title-chasing rivals.