Tampa Bay
Buccaneers
2-12
22
FINAL
26
New Orleans
Saints
5-9
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a thrilling Week 18 showdown, the New Orleans Saints narrowly defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, finishing the game with a score of 26-22. With playoff implications hanging in the balance, the Saints managed to secure their position as they head into the postseason, while the Buccaneers will look to regroup after a hard-fought battle.
Tyler Shough led the Saints with an impressive performance, throwing for three touchdowns and providing a spark to the offense. On the opposing side, Baker Mayfield showcased his skills with 270 passing yards, but it was not enough to overcome New Orleans' aerial attack. Jordyn Tyson emerged as a key target for Shough, racking up 141 receiving yards and keeping the Buccaneers' defense on their heels throughout the game.
Defensively, the Saints made crucial plays that contributed to their victory. Chase Young was a standout with two sacks, consistently pressuring Mayfield and disrupting the Buccaneers' rhythm. A pivotal moment came when Justin Reid's interception late in the fourth quarter halted Tampa Bay's momentum, allowing the Saints to maintain their lead and secure the win.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 42 | 25 | 60% | 270 | 2 | 1 | 84.4 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 45 | 23 | 51% | 248 | 3 | 0 | 89.8 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bucky Irving | HB | 14 | 61 | 4.4 | 20 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 11 | 52 | 4.7 | 15 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 3 | 42 | 14.0 | 30 | 1 | 32 | 2 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 7 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Kenny Gainwell | HB | 4 | 10 | 2.5 | β | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | β | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Kendre Miller | HB | 3 | 1 | 0.3 | β | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | β | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Emeka Egbuka | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | β | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cade Otton | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | β | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Adonai Mitchell | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | β | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 12 | 141 | 11.8 | 45 | 1 | 36 | 0 |
| Adonai Mitchell | WR | 7 | 111 | 15.9 | 17 | 0 | 30 | 1 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 6 | 66 | 11.0 | 12 | 1 | 16 | 1 |
| Cade Otton | TE | 6 | 59 | 9.8 | 15 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Emeka Egbuka | WR | 5 | 51 | 10.2 | 8 | 1 | 15 | 1 |
| Ted Hurst III | WR | 3 | 33 | 11.0 | 8 | 1 | 15 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 3 | 31 | 10.3 | 13 | 1 | 14 | 0 |
| Khari Blasingame | FB | 3 | 12 | 4.0 | β | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Devaughn Vele | WR | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | β | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| Kenny Gainwell | HB | 1 | 4 | 4.0 | β | 0 | 4 | 0 |
| Noah Fant | TE | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | β | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alex Anzalone | WILL | 9 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 8 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Justin Reid | FS | 3 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Danny Stutsman | MIKE | 5 | 1.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Chase Young | LEDG | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dominique Hampton | MIKE | 6 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Rueben Bain Jr | LEDG | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Decamerion Richardson | CB | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zyon McCollum | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Byron Murphy Jr | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Quincy Riley | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Christen Miller | DT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Cameron Mitchell | CB | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yaya Diaby | REDG | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ar'Darius Washington | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vita Vea | DT | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cameron Jordan | REDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Benjamin Morrison | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antoine Winfield Jr | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Calijah Kancey | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zah Frazier | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Howden | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Osa Odighizuwa | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tykee Smith | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Elijah Roberts | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josiah Trotter | MIKE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Carlson | K | 1 | 1 | 3 | 24 |
| Chase McLaughlin | K | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |

