New Orleans
Saints
9-4
42
FINAL
51
Tampa Bay
Buccaneers
10-3
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 15 matchup, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers topped the New Orleans Saints with a final score of 51-42, solidifying their playoff hopes as the season winds down. Both teams fought hard, but it was the Buccaneers who managed to outlast their rivals in a high-scoring affair.
Baker Mayfield delivered a standout performance, throwing for an impressive 527 yards and five touchdowns, showcasing his ability to stretch the field and connect with his receivers. His offensive prowess was complemented by a solid outing from Bucky Irving, who, although limited in rushing yards with 36, contributed effectively in the ground game, allowing the Buccaneers to maintain a balanced attack.
On the defensive side, the Saints struggled to contain Mayfield, and while Kool-Aid McKinstry made his presence felt with five tackles and an interception, it was not enough to swing the momentum. The game's turning point came late in the third quarter when Mayfield threw a critical touchdown pass that extended the Buccaneers' lead, putting the Saints in catch-up mode for the remainder of the game.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 26 | 20 | 527 | 5 | 2 | 125.8 |
| Zach Wilson | QB | 24 | 10 | 358 | 4 | 1 | 111.1 |
| Spencer Rattler | QB | 7 | 5 | 172 | 2 | 0 | 153.2 |
| Tez Johnson | WR | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bucky Irving | HB | 14 | 36 | 2.6 | 1 | 16 | 1 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 8 | 22 | 2.8 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Emeka Egbuka | WR | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Trey Palmer | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tez Johnson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Noah Fant | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 3 | -1 | -0.3 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Lance | WR | 6 | 197 | 32.8 | 1 | 57 | 0 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 4 | 189 | 47.3 | 3 | 71 | 0 |
| Tez Johnson | WR | 6 | 168 | 28.0 | 3 | 57 | 0 |
| Bucky Irving | HB | 4 | 93 | 23.3 | 0 | 44 | 0 |
| Ted Hurst III | WR | 2 | 88 | 44.0 | 1 | 74 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 3 | 80 | 26.7 | 1 | 67 | 0 |
| Jalen McMillan | WR | 1 | 71 | 71.0 | 1 | 71 | 0 |
| Oscar Delp | TE | 2 | 64 | 32.0 | 1 | 44 | 0 |
| Emeka Egbuka | WR | 3 | 60 | 20.0 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| Noah Fant | TE | 4 | 47 | 11.8 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Chase Young | LEDG | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christen Miller | DT | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Tykee Smith | SS | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr. | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Trevor Nowaske | MIKE | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rueben Bain Jr. | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Reid | FS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Calijah Kancey | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Mykel Williams | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Decamerion Richardson | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jacob Parrish | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Josiah Trotter | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Harrison Smith | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Antoine Winfield Jr | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Nick Martin | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Hayes | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamin Davis | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jerome Baker | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Domani Jackson | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Josh Hines-Allen | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demonte Capehart | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vita Vea | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Junior Colson | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zyon McCollum | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Carlson | K | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Chase McLaughlin | K | 1 | 1 | 6 | 34 |

