Tampa Bay
Buccaneers
6-8
10
FINAL
17
New Orleans
Saints
7-7
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a crucial Week 16 matchup, the New Orleans Saints topped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a final score of 17-10, solidifying their playoff positioning as the season nears its conclusion. With both teams vying for postseason glory, this victory was vital for the Saints to maintain momentum heading into the playoffs.
Bryce Young led the charge for New Orleans, throwing for 291 yards and two touchdowns, showcasing his poise in the pocket. CeeDee Lamb was his favorite target, racking up 131 receiving yards, while Tank Bigsby added a solid ground game with 53 rushing yards. The Saints' offensive performance was efficient, making key plays when it mattered most.
Defensively, New Orleans made a significant impact, with Quay Walker recording the only sack of the game, putting pressure on Buccaneers quarterback throughout. Although the Buccaneers' Kam Curl led all players with 11 total tackles, it was the Saints' ability to force crucial third downs that ultimately turned the tide. The game’s turning point came late in the fourth quarter when Young connected with Lamb for a critical touchdown, putting the Saints ahead for good.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bryce Young | QB | 31 | 20 | 291 | 2 | 2 | 89.5 |
| Terrence Young | QB | 46 | 24 | 209 | 0 | 0 | 64.4 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tank Bigsby | HB | 13 | 53 | 4.1 | 0 | 25 | 0 |
| Omarion Hampton | HB | 15 | 23 | 1.5 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Bryce Young | QB | 4 | 22 | 5.5 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| Terrence Young | QB | 5 | 20 | 4.0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| Jonathon Brooks | HB | 3 | 12 | 4.0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Rachaad White | HB | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Jack Westover | FB | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Tyrone Tracy Jr | HB | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| CeeDee Lamb | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DeVonta Smith | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CeeDee Lamb | WR | 7 | 131 | 18.7 | 1 | 67 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 2 | 92 | 46.0 | 1 | 80 | 1 |
| DeVonta Smith | WR | 7 | 76 | 10.9 | 0 | 20 | 1 |
| Josh Downs | WR | 7 | 54 | 7.7 | 0 | 14 | 1 |
| Ja'Tavion Sanders | TE | 5 | 51 | 10.2 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 3 | 26 | 8.7 | 0 | 14 | 1 |
| Omarion Hampton | HB | 4 | 21 | 5.3 | 0 | 12 | 1 |
| Tyrone Tracy Jr | HB | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Jonnu Smith | TE | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Tanner Koziol | TE | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Romeo Doubs | WR | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Tank Bigsby | HB | 2 | 2 | 1.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Rachaad White | HB | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kam Curl | SS | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Eric Stokes | CB | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Brian Branch | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ty Okada | FS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Charvarius Ward Sr | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Jihaad Campbell | MIKE | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quay Walker | WILL | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ronnie Hickman | FS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Will Johnson | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jahdae Barron | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kayden McDonald | DT | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lukas Van Ness | WILL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tremaine Edmunds | MIKE | 3 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| T'Vondre Sweat | DT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaylen Harrell | LEDG | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ja'Quan McMillian | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Micah Parsons | REDG | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah | WILL | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Jonas Sanker | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Laiatu Latu | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tershawn Wharton | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tommy Akingbesote | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Poona Ford | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Odafe Oweh | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Demetrius Knight Jr | MIKE | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Felix Anudike-Uzomah | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Harrison Phillips | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Niemann | SAM | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer Shrader | K | 1 | 1 | 2 | 47 |
| Chris Boswell | K | 1 | 1 | 1 | 36 |

