Buccaneers ride 2 TD catches by rookie Egbuka to dramatic 23-20 win over Penix, Falcons

ATLANTA (AP) — Rookie Emeka Egbuka caught two touchdown passes, including a go-ahead 25-yarder with 59 seconds remaining, and Tampa Bay recovered after losing the lead on a marathon drive by Atlanta to beat the Falcons 23-20 in a dramatic opening game Sunday.

Egbuka, the first-round pick from Ohio State, had four catches for 67 yards.

“He's everything we thought since he's been here,” Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles said. “He played with so much poise and Baker (Mayfield) played with so much poise.”

Mayfield said his adjustment with Egbuka as another top play-maker for the Buccaneers has progressed “extremely quickly.”

“Just the way he carries himself,” Mayfield said. “... As you guys saw today, he's the real deal.”

Following Mayfield's 25-yard pass to Egbuka, Chase McLaughlin's missed extra point gave the Falcons an opening to force overtime with a field goal.

Michael Penix Jr., who capped an 18-play drive by scoring on a 4-yard run for a 20-17 lead with 2:17 remaining, moved the Falcons into field goal position in the final minute. Younghoe Koo was wide right on the 44-yarder.

Mayfield completed 17 of 32 passes for 167 yards with three touchdowns. Penix, entering his first full season as Atlanta's starter, completed 27 of 42 passes for 298 yards with one touchdown.

Bijan Robinson had 12 carries for 24 yards as the Tampa Bay defense held the Falcons to 69 yards rushing.

The Falcons had two calls overturned with successful challenges while the Buccaneers' defense was called for two personal fouls on roughing the passer calls on the Falcons' marathon drive, which covered 91 yards and lasted 8 minutes, 46 seconds.

“It felt like an eternity,” Mayfield said about the long wait on the sideline for the offense to have another opportunity.

On fourth down from the 4, Penix pump-faked and then took off on a run. Tampa Bay's Calijah Kancey held Penix's legs as the quarterback reached across the goal line before losing possession of the ball. A review confirmed the officials' call on the field that Penix scored before losing the ball.

Atlanta successfully challenged an incompletion to tight end Kyle Pitts and a call that Penix was down before reaching the first-down marker on another fourth-down run inside the 5. Following that challenge, the Falcons had a first down at the 1 but needed four downs before Penix scored with 2:17 remaining.

Vita Vea and Greg Gaines had roughing-the-passer penalties to extend Atlanta's drive.

Robinson had six catches for 100 yards, including a 50-yard scoring catch on Atlanta's opening possession. Despite his success as a receiver out of the backfield, Robinson and the Falcons couldn't establish a consistent running game.

Fourth-down conversions provided key plays as the first half, which ended with a 10-10 tie.

The Buccaneers converted a fourth-and-1 play when Mayfield found Mike Evans on a 6-yard pass, keeping a drive alive which ended with Chase McLaughlin's 48-yard field goal early in the second period.

Robinson was stopped on a fourth-and-1 run at the Tampa Bay 47, setting up the Buccaneers for Mayfield's 30-yard touchdown pass to Egbuka.

Injuries

Buccaneers: CB Benjamin Morrison (hamstring) was inactive.

Falcons: WR Jamal Agnew was listed as questionable with a groin injury in the second quarter. WR Darnell Mooney (shoulder) was held out after being considered a game-time decision.