Another trip to Mercedes-Benz Stadium brought another defining moment for Emeka Egbuka. Just eight months after helping Ohio State capture a national championship in Atlanta, the rookie wide receiver delivered in his NFL regular-season debut, catching two touchdown passes — including the game-winner with under a minute to play — to lead the Tampa Bay Buccaneers past the Atlanta Falcons 23-20 in a thrilling season opener on Sunday.
Egbuka, the Buccaneers first-round draft pick, caught four passes for 67 yards. His final grab, a 25-yard strike from Baker Mayfield with 59 seconds remaining, capped a dramatic sequence in which Tampa Bay reclaimed the lead after surrendering it late in the fourth quarter.
“We’re resilient, and we play as a team,” Egbuka said of the Buccaneers’ last-minute response.
Mayfield, who completed 17 of 32 passes for 167 yards and three touchdowns, praised his instant chemistry with the rookie.
“The adjustment with Emeka has come extremely quickly,” Mayfield said. “He’s another top playmaker for us, and he showed it today.”
After the go-ahead score, however, Chase McLaughlin missed the extra point, leaving the door open for Atlanta to force overtime with a field goal.
The Falcons had already mounted a bruising, 18-play, 91-yard drive earlier in the quarter that lasted 8 minutes, 46 seconds. That march featured two successful replay challenges by head coach Raheem Morris and was extended by a pair of roughing-the-passer penalties on Vita Vea and Greg Gaines.
On fourth down from the 4-yard line, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. pump-faked before darting into the end zone, stretching the ball across the goal line just before losing possession. A review confirmed the score, giving Atlanta a 20-17 lead with 2:17 remaining.
Penix, making his first season-opening start as the Falcons’ franchise quarterback, finished 27 of 42 for 298 yards with one touchdown. Bijan Robinson added six catches for 100 yards, including a 50-yard scoring reception on Atlanta’s opening drive. But Tampa Bay held Robinson in check on the ground, limiting him to just 24 yards on 12 carries.
After Egbuka’s late heroics, Penix drove the Falcons into field goal range, setting up Younghoe Koo for a 44-yard attempt with seconds remaining. But the normally reliable kicker’s effort sailed well wide right — and not close. Koo was not available to reporters afterward.
Fourth-down conversions proved pivotal throughout the game. Tampa Bay kept a first-half drive alive when Mayfield found Mike Evans for a 6-yard completion on fourth-and-1, a possession that ended with McLaughlin’s 48-yard field goal. Later, after Robinson was stuffed on fourth-and-1 at midfield, the Buccaneers capitalized with a 30-yard touchdown strike from Mayfield to Egbuka.
Atlanta had its own fourth-down drama, successfully challenging a spot to gain a first down at the 1-yard line during its marathon fourth-quarter drive. But it still took four attempts before Penix finally broke through.
The Buccaneers (1-0) hit the road again for a Monday night clash at Houston on Sept. 15. The Falcons (0-1) will look to bounce back when they visit Minnesota next Sunday night.
