Falcons stun Bucs in overtime behind Kirk Cousins' franchise-record 509 passing yards

Atlanta Falcons backmost Kirk Cousins passed for 509 passing yards connected Thursday night, breaking the team's single-game franchise record, portion starring a 36-30 triumph implicit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. 

Cousins broke the grounds connected a nighttime wherever the Falcons honored erstwhile franchise backmost Matt Ryan, who antecedently held the grounds with 448. 

Backup wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge came onto the tract successful overtime to regenerate an injured subordinate and stunned the Buccaneers connected a 45-yard touchdown. 

"God is real, God is good, I commune for this," Hodge said connected the Amazon Prime broadcast aft the game. "God was connected my side, I conscionable did what I had to do."

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Atlanta Falcons backmost Kirk Cousins throws a walk against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the archetypal fractional of an NFL shot crippled Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, successful Atlanta.  (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

The Falcons had appeared to stroke a accidental astatine pulling disconnected a triumph aggregate times precocious successful the game. 

Atlanta trailed Tampa by conscionable 3 points, 30-27, during an Atlanta thrust successful the 4th quarter. But a Kirk Cousins walk that was delivered perfectly to wide receiver Darnell Moody connected 3rd down was dropped. If Moody made the catch, it would person enactment the Falcons successful the Buccaneers’ reddish zone, oregon more. 

After the drop, Falcons kicker Yonghoe Koo had a 54-yard tract extremity effort blocked.

The Falcons got the shot backmost again, down conscionable 3 points aft Buccaneers moving backmost Bucky Irving fumbled heavy wrong Atlanta territory connected the ensuing drive. But that thrust went nowhere, arsenic Cousins threw an interception connected a 4th down conversion attempt. 

COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEAM STRANDED IN BUSES ON FLOODED INTERSTATE AMID HURRICANE HELENE DESTRUCTION

KhaDarel Hodge (12) of the Atlanta Falcons reacts aft recovering a fumble successful the endzone for a touchdown against the New Orleans Saints during the archetypal 4th astatine Mercedes-Benz Stadium connected September 29, 2024 successful Atlanta, Georgia. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

The Falcons got the shot backmost again for 1 much accidental to necktie oregon triumph the game, inactive conscionable down 3 with implicit a infinitesimal connected the timepiece erstwhile Tampa punted aft losing 14 years connected the ensuing drive. 

Cousins led the Falcons backmost into field-goal scope and clocked the shot with conscionable 1 2nd remaining. A hold of crippled punishment extended Koo’s tract extremity effort to 52 yards, but helium nailed it to nonstop the crippled to overtime. 

The Falcons past got the shot to commencement overtime, and Cousins enactment the discourtesy successful Tampa Bay territory connected an 18-yard walk to Drake London. London was injured connected the play, forcing Hodge to travel disconnected the seat and into the crippled successful London's place. The touchdown walk went to him connected the precise adjacent play. 

The Falcons emerged victorious successful a crippled betwixt 2 teams representing states severely impacted by Hurricane Helene. 

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Atlanta Falcons wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge (12) celebrates his touchdown disconnected a New Orleans Saints fumble during the archetypal fractional of an NFL shot game, Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024, successful Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)

Georgia and Florida are among the states astir devastated by Helene’s destruction. The storm's decease toll arsenic of Thursday roseate to 33 successful Georgia with $417 cardinal successful damage.

Florida has seen aggregate towns astir wiped out, including the municipality of Clearwater Beach.

Ahead of the game, the 2 quarterbacks of the respective teams, Cousins and Baker Mayfield, announced they volition each donate $50,000 to Team Rubicon to assistance those affected by Hurricane Helene.

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