Tampa Bay
Buccaneers
13-1-2
35
FINAL
18
New Orleans
Saints
7-9
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a decisive Week 18 showdown, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers topped the New Orleans Saints with a final score of 35-18, sealing their playoff aspirations. With both teams vying for a crucial postseason berth, the stakes were high, and the Buccaneers ultimately rose to the occasion.
Tyler Shough of the Saints put on a remarkable performance, throwing for 419 yards and two touchdowns, showcasing his skills as the game’s leading passer. However, it was Bryce Lance of the Buccaneers who made the biggest impact, racking up 191 receiving yards and contributing significantly to Tampa Bay's offensive success. Despite a lack of significant rushing yards from either side, Lance's versatility proved invaluable.
Defensively, the Buccaneers were relentless, highlighted by Yaya Diaby's three sacks and Jonas Sanker's standout play, including a sack and an interception. The game's turning point came when Tampa Bay's defense stifled a promising Saints drive, allowing them to maintain control and ultimately secure the win. With this dominant performance, the Buccaneers demonstrated their readiness for the challenges that lie ahead in the playoffs.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Shough | QB | 56 | 27 | 48% | 419 | 2 | 3 | 63.0 |
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 27 | 18 | 67% | 347 | 1 | 2 | 91.2 |
| Bryce Lance | WR | 0 | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Lance | WR | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | 5 | 1 | 15 | 1 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 2 | 14 | 7.0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 |
| Bucky Irving | HB | 1 | 1 | 1.0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 2 | -2 | -1.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Lance | WR | 8 | 191 | 23.9 | 39 | 0 | 52 | 0 |
| Ted Hurst III | WR | 11 | 126 | 11.5 | 60 | 1 | 38 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 7 | 115 | 16.4 | 37 | 1 | 27 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 3 | 64 | 21.3 | 9 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 2 | 59 | 29.5 | 2 | 0 | 33 | 0 |
| Oscar Delp | TE | 3 | 53 | 17.7 | 19 | 1 | 27 | 0 |
| DeAndre Hopkins | WR | 3 | 49 | 16.3 | 6 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 3 | 37 | 12.3 | 19 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Chris Godwin Jr | WR | 1 | 31 | 31.0 | 3 | 0 | 31 | 0 |
| Alvin Kamara | HB | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Emeka Egbuka | WR | 2 | 15 | 7.5 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Bucky Irving | HB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 14 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yaya Diaby | REDG | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Young | LEDG | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Rueben Bain Jr | LEDG | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Reid | FS | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jacob Parrish | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| Christen Miller | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jailin Walker | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| A'Shawn Robinson | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josiah Trotter | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Benjamin Morrison | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ifeatu Melifonwu | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quincy Riley | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demario Davis | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Anfernee Jennings | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Rozeboom | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carl Granderson | REDG | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antoine Winfield Jr | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Keionte Scott | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Al-Quadin Muhammad | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zyon McCollum | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bryan Bresee | DT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Alex Anzalone | SAM | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Vita Vea | DT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Carlson | K | 2 | 2 | 0 | 63 |
| Chase McLaughlin | K | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |

