NEW ORLEANS — Baker Mayfield managed to bounce back from three turnovers by throwing for 325 yards and four touchdown passes, leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a convincing 51-27 victory over the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. The win served as a much-needed morale boost for fans who had faced the impact of Hurricane Milton earlier in the week.
This game marked a difficult start for rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler, who made his first NFL appearance for New Orleans. Following a pair of early-season victories, the Saints have now suffered four consecutive losses.
After a frenetic and high-scoring first half that saw Tampa Bay (4-2) initially take a commanding 17-0 lead, the Buccaneers fell behind by three points. However, they regained control when Chris Godwin caught his second touchdown pass of the game on a 55-yard play, breaking tackles from three Saints defenders on the way.
A crucial moment in the game came when Buccaneers safety Zyon McCollum made a diving interception off a poorly thrown pass from Rattler. This interception led to Mayfield’s 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Cade Otton on a third-and-goal play, which only extended Tampa Bay’s lead.
Practicing in New Orleans all week after fleeing the hurricane, the Buccaneers showcased impressive statistics and highlights in the Superdome, although the stands were largely empty by the game’s end, with only a few Bucs supporters remaining to celebrate Sean Tucker’s second touchdown—a fitting capstone to their performance.
Tampa Bay’s ground game was on full display as they accumulated 277 rushing yards, with Tucker leading the charge with 136 yards and one rushing touchdown. Bucky Irving contributed 81 yards along with a short touchdown, while Tucker also transformed a short catch into a 36-yard touchdown.
Rattler struggled, completing 22 of 40 passes for 243 yards, including a touchdown pass to rookie Bub Means, but was also intercepted twice. Alvin Kamara found the end zone for the seventh time this season with a 4-yard run, and Rashid Shaheed made an impact with a 54-yard punt return for a score.
The Saints, already without starting quarterback Derek Carr due to an oblique injury from the previous week against Kansas City, fell behind early when Mayfield threw a 4-yard touchdown pass to Godwin on the opening drive.
Rattler’s debut took a hit when his receiver, Chris Olave, was stripped of the ball shortly after making a catch. Tykee Smith’s hit resulted in a turnover that allowed safety Antoine Winfield Jr. to return the fumble 58 yards, extending the Bucs’ lead to 14-0.
Chase McLaughlin added a 26-yard field goal to push the Buccaneers ahead 17-0 late in the first quarter. New Orleans eventually responded with a 42-yard field goal from Blake Grupe, before unleashing a scoring spree that totaled 20 unanswered points over five minutes with Shaheed’s punt return touchdown, another field goal, and Means’ 10-yard catch.
An interception by Paulson Adebo in Bucs territory led to Grupe’s second field goal, and a pick from Saints safety Johnathan Abram set up Rattler’s touchdown pass, showing the resilience of the struggling Saints.
Tampa Bay’s Tucker and New Orleans’ Kamara would each score again, but Mayfield’s third interception altered the momentum of the game, allowing the Saints to cling to a narrow 27-24 lead as both teams headed to halftime.
Injury updates revealed that Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean exited the game with a hamstring injury, while the Saints continued to be hampered by missing numerous starters, including Carr, Taysom Hill (ribs), Erik McCoy (groin), and others. Safety Tyrann Mathieu also left the game in the first half due to a forearm injury.
Looking ahead, the Buccaneers are scheduled to host the Baltimore Ravens for a Monday night matchup on October 21, while the Saints will face the Denver Broncos on Thursday, marking Sean Payton’s return to the Superdome after his brief retirement from the team following the 2021 season.