The Buccaneers will find plenty of things to dislike when they watch the film of Sunday’s game in New Orleans, but they’ll like the outcome.
After blowing a 17-0 lead and failling behind 27-24 at the end of the first half, the Buccaneers scored the only 27 points of the second half to secure a 51-27 win over the Saints. Quarterback Baker Mayfield had a big hand in all of the swings.
Mayfield threw a touchdown to Chris Godwin to touch off the scoring, but then threw three interceptions in the second quarter to help the Saints erase the big Tampa lead. Two of the three picks were off deflections and the bounces were better for Mayfield after the break. He hit Godwin for a short pass that the wideout broke for a 55-yard score and then scrambled long enough to find tight end Cade Otton for his fourth touchdown pass of the day.
Mayfield was 24-of-36 for 325 yards overall and Sean Tucker had 14 carries for 136 yards and a touchdown. He also had three catches for 56 yards and a touchdown while Bucky Irving ran for 81 yards and a score. That may not bode well for Rachaad White having an outsize role in the offense once he’s healthy enough to return.
The Bucs rolled up 594 yards overall, so it’s safe to say this would have been a much calmer win if not for the three turnovers.
Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler had some good moments in the first half, but the Buccaneers defense got to him in the final two quarters and he threw a pair of interceptions in the fourth quarter to kill any hope of another comeback. The loss is the third in a row for the Saints and their defense has gotten strafed by the Chiefs and Bucs over the last two games.
They won’t have a long time to lick their wounds as they’ll play the Broncos in Sean Payton’s return to New Orleans on Thursday night. They may not have wide receiver Chris Olave, who was ruled out after a concussion evaluation, and quarterback Derek Carr’s oblique injury may leave Rattler to start again in that contest.
The Buccaneers will have extra time to rest before they take on the Ravens on Monday night in Week Seven.