Tampa Bay
Buccaneers
7-0
27
FINAL
22
New Orleans
Saints
4-4
AI Recap
AI RECAPThe Tampa Bay Buccaneers narrowly defeated the New Orleans Saints 27-22 in a crucial Week 16 matchup that kept their playoff hopes alive. With both teams vying for a better position in the postseason, every point mattered in this tightly contested battle.
Tyler Shough led the Saints' passing attack, throwing for 230 yards and three touchdowns, showcasing his ability to move the ball effectively. Tank Bigsby contributed significantly on the ground, racking up 89 rushing yards, while Jamari Johnson was the top receiver for the Buccaneers, finishing with 69 yards. These offensive efforts kept the game competitive until the final whistle.
Defensively, Jacob Parrish was a standout for Tampa Bay, recording five total tackles and a sack, but it was Tykee Smith who made the most significant impact with two crucial interceptions. The turning point came when Smith picked off Shough late in the fourth quarter, allowing the Buccaneers to seal the victory and maintain their momentum heading into the playoffs.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Shough | QB | 28 | 13 | 46% | 230 | 3 | 3 | 71.1 |
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 17 | 10 | 59% | 143 | 1 | 1 | 81.2 |
| Ted Hurst III | WR | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tank Bigsby | HB | 9 | 89 | 9.9 | 17 | 0 | 50 | 0 |
| Bucky Irving | HB | 9 | 71 | 7.9 | 4 | 1 | 52 | 0 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 3 | 34 | 11.3 | 3 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | — | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Alvin Kamara | HB | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | 4 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jamari Johnson | TE | 2 | 69 | 34.5 | 39 | 1 | 55 | 0 |
| Oscar Delp | TE | 3 | 57 | 19.0 | 2 | 1 | 28 | 0 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 2 | 55 | 27.5 | 1 | 1 | 44 | 0 |
| Marvin Harrison Jr | WR | 2 | 45 | 22.5 | 3 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 4 | 40 | 10.0 | 4 | 1 | 22 | 0 |
| Bryce Lance | WR | 1 | 32 | 32.0 | 4 | 0 | 32 | 0 |
| Emeka Egbuka | WR | 1 | 24 | 24.0 | 9 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| Darren Waller | TE | 1 | 20 | 20.0 | 16 | 0 | 20 | 0 |
| Kenny Gainwell | HB | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Ted Hurst III | WR | 2 | 11 | 5.5 | 3 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Bucky Irving | HB | 3 | 6 | 2.0 | 11 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tykee Smith | SS | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| Benjamin Morrison | CB | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Jacob Parrish | CB | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Bray Hubbard | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josiah Trotter | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Young | LEDG | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Christen Miller | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antoine Winfield Jr | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Roquan Smith | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Keionte Scott | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rueben Bain Jr. | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Caden Dowler | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Yaya Diaby | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Mack Wilson Sr | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eli Bowen | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Beanie Bishop Jr | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jayden Jackson | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zyon McCollum | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Kaden Elliss | MIKE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Alex Anzalone | SAM | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase McLaughlin | K | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Charlie Smyth | K | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |

