The Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed a win against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 8 and got one in an almost impossible-to-fathom way. 

The Bucs became the first team in 52 years to win an NFL game without completing a pass. 

Baker Mayfield only attempted three passes all game, none of which found their way into the hands of a Bucs receiver. 

Pouring rain and a muddy field made passing nearly impossible for both teams. Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. had a miserable outing, completing just eight of 24 passes and throwing four interceptions. His passer rating of 12.0 was somehow 27.6 points less than Mayfield’s. 

No matter the circumstances, the Bucs needed to find a way to win against a division opponent, and they did. 

Tampa’s season is back from the dead. Even at 3-5, the Bucs are only a half-game out of first place and are probably the favorites to win the NFC South. 

Here are my five winners and two losers from the Bucs’ crucial 16-0 shutout of the Falcons:

1. Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell: If you’re not going to pass the ball all game, you'd better have a running back who can control the game. Better yet, two running backs. 

The dynamic duo of Irving and Gainwell were the entire offense on Sunday. Irving ran 27 times for 170 yards and scored Tampa’s only touchdown. Gainwell added a career-high 140 rushing yards on 25 carries. 

This is the explosive backfield the Bucs envisioned when they signed Gainwell in free agency this offseason. 

2. Alex Anzalone: Another of Tampa’s high-profile free agent signings, Anzalone played his best game as a Buc against Atlanta. 

The 32-year-old linebacker had a horrendous start to the season, but has been much better lately. He picked off Penix Jr. twice on Sunday, showing the playmaking ability that made him such a heralded addition this offseason. 

3. Todd Bowles: Nobody got more criticism than Bowles throughout the first six weeks of the season, so it’s only right he gets some much-deserved praise for Sunday’s effort.

Bowles managed to keep the locker room together despite all the chatter about the Bucs possibly firing him mid-season and whether or not Tampa would start trading some of its veteran players before the deadline. 

He also has his defense playing like one of the best units in the NFL again, which is a huge boost for Tampa’s playoff chances. 

4. Zyon McCollum and Jacob Parrish: Tampa’s starting cornerbacks were outstanding again against the Falcons, as they have been pretty much all season. 

Each recorded an interception, and Atlanta’s star WR Drake London was held to one catch for eight yards on six targets. 

5. Chase McLaughlin: McLaughlin remained perfect on the season with another three made field goals and one extra point. 

Despite the terrible weather conditions, McLaughlin was automatic once again and continues to be one of Tampa’s most reliable players, if not the most reliable. 

1. Baker Mayfield: On the one hand, it must be nice for a quarterback not to have to do anything all game and still pick up a huge win. On the other hand, no QB wants to go out in the rain and just hand the ball off on every play for three hours. 

Mayfield also had issues holding onto the ball, fumbling three times on Sunday. Was it just weather-related? Or is he still affected by the dislocated thumb that caused him to miss three games?

Mayfield is going to have to step up if the Bucs are to win on the road against the Chicago Bears next Sunday night. 

2. Ted Hurst: To be fair, all of Tampa’s pass-catchers could be on the “loser” list, but I am singling out Hurst not because of how he played, but because he has failed to take advantage of Emeka Egbuka missing Tampa’s last two games. 

Hurst was looking at an expanded role without Egbuka, but the Bucs have only completed seven passes in the last two games, and none of them have been to the third-round rookie.