.Michael RothsteinCloseMichael RothsteinESPN Staff WriterMichael Rothstein is a media reporter for NFL Country at ESPN. Rothstein deals with the Atlanta Falcons. You may follow him by means of Twitter @MikeRothstein. Jenna LaineCloseJenna LaineESPN Team WriterJenna Laine covers the Tampa florida Gulf Buccaneers for ESPN. She began covering the Bucs for ESPN in 2016, but she has dealt with the group due to the fact that 2009. Adhere To Jenna on Twitter: @JennaLaineESPN. Oct 3, 2024, 11:46 PM ETATLANTA-- The Atlanta Falcons and also Tampa Gulf Buccaneers established very early that Thursday night's game would be an outrageous slugfest with both crews scoring touchdowns on their 1st belongings, so it seemed to be proper the NFC South face-off would certainly be actually made a decision by a long TD pass.Kirk Cousins threw his fourth touchdown of the activity, a 45-yard rating to KhaDarel Hodge, that had gotten into the competition after a personal injury to Drake London, to provide the Falcons a 36-30 overtime victory.Younghoe Koo's 52-yard field goal as opportunity expired in requirement forced overtime, and Relatives took care of the remainder as he set a franchise business record along with 509 passing gardens to remove Atlanta ga (3-2) in to a dead heat atop the division.Kirk Cousins scratched his fifth green light passing touchdown in the ultimate moment of regulation/OT in the final five periods, which is actually the best in the NFL. AP Photo/John BazemoreAtlanta FalconsThe variation between making the playoffs as well as not, in between winning a department as well as not, depends on games such as this one, and also Atlanta possesses presently had its own share of them.The Falcons have actually routed within the last min of the 4th quarter in all three of their triumphes this time. They are actually the first string in NFL history to possess 3 victories within their initial 5 video games of a period in which they trailed in the final min of the 4th quarter.At 3-2, along with dramatic back-to-back sway New Orleans and also Tampa Bay Bay, Atlanta georgia has a very early lead in the NFC South thanks to tiebreakers over the Saints as well as Buccaneers. That might prove crucial in December and January in what seems a tight division.QB breakdown: Relatives looked healthy and balanced as well as back to become the quarterback the Falcons offered a $180 thousand arrangement to in the offseason. He finished 42 of 58 passes for 509 lawns, 4 goals as well as 1 interception.It's the 6th time he has actually tossed for 350 gardens and 3 touchdowns in a prime-time video game, tying Patrick Mahomes as well as Peyton Manning, depending on to ESPN Research.Eye-popping stat: Drake London continues to be actually dominant when he deals with Tampa bay Bay-- three of his four job 100-yard video games have come versus the Buccaneers, consisting of Thursday's 12-catch, 154-yard efficiency. He also grabbed his very first touchdown against Tampa bay Bay in the 1st quarter.Promising trend: Darnell Mooney remains to look more like the recipient he remained in Chicago in 2021 than in his ultimate 2 periods with the Bears. He had his very first activity along with a number of touchdown gets-- in 2021 he had a video game along with a rushing as well as acquiring goal-- and his 9 catches for 105 lawns are actually each near job highs for him. He did have pair of declines, nonetheless, including one that might have proved costly.Most shocking efficiency: A full week after not capturing an elapsed versus New Orleans, limited end Kyle Pitts placed in his absolute best statistical activity in virtually a year, grabbing 7 catches for 88 lawns, once again becoming portion of Atlanta georgia's offense. His catches and yards are his very most because Oct. 8, 2023, versus Houston, when Pitts possessed 7 catches for 87 lawns on a career-high 11 intendeds.-- Michael RothsteinNext video game: at Carolina Panthers (4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday, Oct. 13) Mike Evans scratched his 99th touchdown celebration, matching him along with Don Hutson for 11th-most enduring. Kevin C. Cox/Getty ImagesTampa Gulf BuccaneersAll summer long, the Bucs listened to the Falcons were the group to defeat in the NFC South, regardless of Tampa bay winning the division the past three years. That proved out Thursday night, using it now being a three-team ethnicity with the Bucs at New Orleans next.Tampa Bay possesses a ton of players it requires to obtain healthy and balanced, and it has 9 times to carry out it. The Bucs must know exactly how to complete, though, along with the offense entirely obstructed in the second fifty percent and also bad dealing with on defense.QB malfunction: Cook Mayfield finished thirteen of 16 passes for 131 gardens, 3 touchdowns-- 2 to pass receiver Mike Evans-- and also no interceptions in the very first one-half. He was blitzed on 7 of 15 dropbacks (47%) in the 1st one-half, with all three touchdowns coming versus the blitz. Mayfield's 11 touchdowns through the very first 5 activities are actually a job best.But after the large initial one-half, Mayfield as well as the Buccaneers rarely did anything in the 2nd one-half through the air, completing 49 yards.Biggest gap in the tactical plan: With Tampa bay linebacker SirVocea Dennis on damaged reservoir along with a shoulder trauma, the Falcons consistently exploited K.J. Britt in insurance coverage. He submitted an 18-yard touchdown to wide receiver Drake Greater london on the opening drive.Surprising performance: The Bucs' self defense relinquishing 550 yards of complete affront. It took a step forward recently versus the Eagles in relations to missed out on confronts yet resisted the Falcons in this particular team. The Falcons completed with 235 lawns after the catch, their very most in a video game given that Week 8 of 2019 versus Seat (236 ).-- Jenna LaineNext game: at New Orleans Saints (1 p.m. ET, Sunday, Oct. 13).