The Atlanta Falcons did it. I watched the whole game and I barely understand how they did it, but a team that allowed 24 points in the first half held the Buccaneers to just six in the second half and managed to pull off an improbable comeback, steering the game to overtime on a literally last second 52 yard Younghoe Koo field goal. Then they won it in overtime with a huge catch and run touchdown by KhaDarel Hodge.

While the Falcons made an impossible number of mistakes in this one that prevented them from winning it outright in regulation, it’s beginning to feel like there’s something special underpinning this season. Atlanta keeps making these games unreasonably close, keeps overcoming mistakes that would sink a lesser team and finding a way to win, and they did it in this one with an offense that was cooking throughout much of the day. It was their first 30-plus point performance, and with the second half clampdown by the defense against a really good offense, suddenly these Falcons truly do look formidable.

There are miles to go and mountains of errors to work through, but none of that matters when you’re celebrating a primetime win, sitting at 3-2 and in first place in the NFC South thanks to a sterling 2-0 divisional record. These Falcons came through in the end, and it was something special.

Here’s a full drive-by-drive recap of the game you just watched.

1st Quarter

The Falcons received the opening kickoff, which was a touchback. The first down carry for Bijan Robinson went for about two yards. On second down, though, Kirk Cousins got good protection and found a streaking, wide open Kyle Pitts for a gain of about 25. Robinson then took the long way around to three yards. Then Cousins threw one well behind Darnell Mooney, who stretched but couldn’t come up with it. On third down, Cousins fired it to Drake London over the middle for about 12 and a first. A handoff to Bijan on the next play didn’t pick up much of anything, but then Cousins found London over the middle again and he bulldozed his way through multiple defenders to score the game’s first touchdown. 7-0 Falcons.

The Bucs took the kickoff close to the 40, one of the better returns against Atlanta this season. Then Baker Mayfield found Mike Evans over the middle on first down to pick up about 13 yards. Rachaad White then took it up the middle for four yards. Mayfield then threw one off-kilter that A.J. Terrell nearly picked off. Unfortunately, Mayfield took advantage of the fortunate break and hit Evans again for a first down. White then took it a couple of yards, getting brought down by Ruke Orhorhoro. On second down, White got nowhere, with the Falcons swarming all over him. On third down, though, a short pass to Cade Otton went for a first after a missed tackle. Mayfield then hit Chris Godwin inside the five yard line to move the Buccaneers into scoring range. Dee Alford was shaken up on the play, with Antonio Hamilton coming into the game. Mayfield then threw a touchdown pass to Evans on a play where they teased throwing it to Rachaad White. 7-7 tie.

Touchback. Cousins found Mooney on the sideline for about 15 yards and a first down. On the next play, he double clutched and found Tyler Allgeier underneath for about a four yard gain, and then Allgeier ran for a first down. Cousins then floated the next one under pressure, but luckily the defender had his back turned and Ray-Ray McCloud was able to reel it in for a first down. Then Cousins handed it off to Mooney, who clearly was supposed to hit on a deep pass but had to throw it away with pressure arriving. Cousins then hit London for about seven yards. Cousins was then sacked on third down to end the drive. Younghoe Koo missed to the left but got a closer re-do with a defensive offsides from the Buccaneers and then…missed again, in the exact same way.

Godwin got a first down on a short pass he sprinted away on, and then Bucky Irving took it for about 13 yards. Mayfield then wound up for a deep shot that sailed over Sterling Shephard’s head by a good 10 feet. Godwin then caught it about eight yards and was stopped cold by Justin Simmons. Mayfield then threw it a little behind Godwin and it fell incomplete. Chase McLaughlin then hit the field goal try from 53 yards out to make it 10-7 Buccaneers.

Touchback. A quick pass out to Bijan was rescued by a nice London block, allowing him to pick up six yards. Bijan then got maybe a yard on second down. Cousins then hit Mooney for about seven yards and a first.

2nd Quarter

Cousins then had to scramble away from pressure and did a nice job of it, ultimately throwing it away. Cousins then tried London over the middle, but an unnecessary roughness call on the Buccaneers got the Falcons a first. Allgeier then picked up eight yards, but a holding call on Ryan Neuzil backed Atlanta up ten yards instead. A quick pass to McCloud picked up about eight yards, On the next play, Cousins threw a beautiful ball into a tight window to find KhaDarel Hodge, who picked up 22 yards. A quick pass to Robinson went nowhere as he scampered but couldn’t get away from a Buccaneers defender, but it got worse because Kyle Pitts was called for holding. Mooney then reeled one in for about seven yards, and then Cousins tried for Pitts, but the pass was broken up. On third down, though, Cousins took an end zone shot and Mooney did a fantastic job of reeling it in despite having two defenders near him. 14-10, Falcons.

A line drive kick was returned past the 50 by Sean Tucker. Cade Otton then reeled in a short pass and rumbled for 22 yards. White then got the carry and went nowhere thanks to James Smith-Williams. Evans then caught a too-easy touchdown grab to put the Bucs back on top. That sequence was far too easy for Tampa Bay. 17-14, Buccaneers.

Bijan picked up maybe a yard on first down. Then Cousins found Pitts, who took off sprinting to get 19 yards. Robinson then spun out of a tackle attempt and picked up six yards. Pitts then caught a first down pass. On the next play, Cousins had a defender in his face almost immediately and got rid of it, and it was called intentional grounding. Robinson then caught a quick pass and picked up about six yards. A quick pass to Allgeier picked up maybe seven yards, and Koo came on for the try. He hit it from 54 yards to knot things up. 17-17.

The next return was finally stopped cold short of the 20 by Richie Grant. Irving then took it 10 yards. White then took the handoff 56 yards. A quick toss pass to Irving got nine yards, and then Irving got a few more to set up 1st and goal. Irving was then stuffed on first down, and then Mayfield threw a short pass to White that was stopped for a small loss by Clark Phillips, who delivered a big hit. Sterling Shepard then reeled in a touchdown grab. 24-17 Buccaneers.

Touchback. Cousins threw to McCloud over the middle, but he couldn’t bring it in. Then Cousins hit London, who was able to get back up after he stumbled but his knee didn’t hit the ground and get a first down. London caught the next pass, too, getting seven yards. The next pass was just behind Robinson, but he was able to juke his way by a defender for a first down and a clock stoppage. McCloud caught one over the middle for eight yards, and then London grabbed one near the sideline and got out of bounds. The next pass over the middle was tipped and hung threateningly in the air, but was not intercepted. Then Cousins was sacked by Logan Hall for a loss of about five yards, with Hall working his way by Kaleb McGary. Then Cousins missed Mooney on third down, and Bradley Pinion pinned the Bucs inside the 10.

The Buccaneers ran the half out.

3rd Quarter

Bucky Irving returned it past the 35 yard line. A fake outside handoff to Rachaad White went nowhere thanks to Grady Jarrett; the ball came out but White was already down. Mayfield was then pressured on second down and had to get it out to Godwin, but Matthew Judon was held and that brought the play back. White caught a pass in the backfield but slipped, losing two yards. Then on 3rd and 20, Mayfield was flushed out of the pocket and ran for about 10. The Bucs punted, and Avery Williams called for the fair catch.

Cousins tried it downfield to Mooney, but good coverage and a little slip ensured it was incomplete. Cousins went right back downfield to Drake London, who caught it at midfield for 31 yards. A toss to Allgeier for five yards followed, and a false start on Matthew Bergeron backed the Falcons up five yards. Cousins then threw an ill-advised ball to Mooney that Mooney had to knock to the ground. He then found Kyle Pitts for seven yards. On fourth down, Cousins went to Mooney and got it for 14 yards. A short pass out of the backfield to Mooney got a yard or two. Pitts then reeled in a first down grab. Another short pass to McCloud went for maybe a yard or two, but two penalties backed the Falcons up ten yards. Bijan got about five yards, and then Cousins was sacked. Cousins threw it low to Mooney and he couldn’t come up with it. Koo banged home the field goal try, however, to make it 24-20 Buccaneers.

Chris Godwin caught one for a big gain, but Jessie Bates punched it out before Mike Evans was able to recover it. Godwin then got ten yards and a first down on his next catch before Bukcy Irving picked up a yard on first down. Mayfield then took off running and was stopped just short of a first down, and then they kicked it outside to Godwin for a first down. An unnecessary roughness call followed to give the Bucs another 15 yards. Irving was then taken down by Jarrett for no gain. Otton then reeled it in for eight yards, but on third down, David Onyemata blew into the backfield to take down Mayfield for a huge sack that forced the Bucs to settle for a field goal. 27-20 Buccaneers.

Touchback. A quick pass to Mooney got three yards, and then Cousins tried McCloud over the middle but had it broken up. Cousins tried McCloud again and found him for a big first down over the middle. Bijan then evaded a tackler, broke a tackle, and picked up 29 yards.

4th Quarter

Robinson then took it about six yards on first down, and then picked up two yards on second down. Jordan Whitehead was injured on the play. Allgeier got the ball on third down, but was taken down for a loss. On fourth down, the Falcons elected to go for it, and Cousins hit Mooney for a first down before Mooney put a defender in the dirt and blew past a couple others for a touchdown. 27-27 tie.

Touchback. Mike Evans got a first down grab to kick things off, and then Mayfield escaped the pocket to run for 18 yards. White then got three yards, and Mayfield misfired to Otton for an incompletion. Mayfield then tried to scramble again, but was taken down after a yard by Lorenzo Carter. Chase McLaughlin hit a 53 yard field goal to make it 30-27 Buccaneers.

Touchback. Cousins had pressure in his face and had to get rid of it to Robinson, who came back for it and still managed to make a defender miss for five yards. Robinson then got a yard on second down. Cousins tried Mooney over the middle and didn’t get it, but a pass interference call on the Buccaneers gave Atlanta first down. A quick pass to McCloud then got three yards, and then fired it to London over the middle for another first down. Allgeier went nowhere kicking outside on first down, and a holding call on Chris Lindstrom backed the Falcons up further. A quick screen to McCloud got four yards, and then Pitts caught one and juked a couple defenders (though he maybe should have powered straight ahead) for 10 yards. On third down, Cousins was able to hit a wide open Mooney downfield, but Mooney simply dropped it. Koo’s 54 yard field goal try was blocked. What a dispiriting end to that drive.

Matthew Judon knocked down Mayfield’s first down pass. White then picked up about seven yards on second down, and then Mayfield scrambled up the middle for a first down. Irving then got five yards. A quick pass to Irving picked up three more, and then White was able to pick up the first. Irving then got free and ran for close to a first down, but had the ball stripped out of his hands by Jessie Bates and recovered by Kaden Elliss. Turnover!

A first down carry for Allgeier went absolutely nowhere, and then Cousins was sacked on second down. Third down was a nothing burger, and then the Falcons made the surprising decision to go for it on 4th and 14, where Cousins threw a pick. Turnover.

James Smith-Williams took White down for a loss. Irving then took it for about seven yards, but a holding call on the offense backed the Bucs up. A quick screen went for a couple of yards, and the next carry for Irving went nowhere. The Falcons used all their timeouts and were set to receive a punt with 1:21 left. The punt rolled into the end zone to give the Falcons the ball at the 20.

Pitts got the grab for about seven yards and got out of bounds. A shot downfield over the middle to Mooney got about 20 yards. McCloud then caught it on the sideline for a first down, and fumbled it out of bounds, which did not stop the clock. The Falcons had to spike it to make it 3rd and 1, and then London caught the ball and rolled out of bounds to give Atlanta 17 seconds and a first down. McCloud was hit over the middle but dropped it. Then Cousins somehow got the ball to London over the middle to pick up considerable yardage and was able to spike it with one second left, with Koo coming on to try it from 47 yards out. Unfortunately, somehow the Falcons got a delay of game that then made it a 52 yard attempt. Koo being Koo, he came through in the clutch to hit it and send us to overtime. 30-30.

Overtime

Touchback. Allgeier got the ball first and picked up a yard. Cousins then flung one to London for eight yards. He went back to London for a first down, but London was shaken up on the play. On the next play, Cousins went to KhaDarel Hodge over the middle, and Hodge somehow got free from a tackle attempt and got loose, running all the way for a game-winning touchdown. 36-30 Falcons!