Tampa Bay
Buccaneers
5-11
20
FINAL
12
New Orleans
Saints
8-7-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a crucial Week 18 matchup, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers topped the New Orleans Saints 20-12, securing their playoff positioning in a tightly contested battle. The stakes were high as both teams fought for momentum heading into the postseason, but it was the Buccaneers who emerged victorious.
Jayden Daniels led the Buccaneers' offensive charge, throwing for 245 yards and two touchdowns, showcasing his ability to make key plays under pressure. Bucky Irving contributed significantly on the ground with 92 rushing yards, while DeVonta Smith proved to be a reliable target with 87 receiving yards, helping to keep the chains moving throughout the game.
Defensively, the Saints struggled to contain Tampa Bay's offensive attack despite Jihaad Campbell's standout performance, recording seven total tackles and 1.5 sacks. The game's turning point came late in the fourth quarter when the Buccaneers' defense held firm, forcing the Saints to turn the ball over on downs, allowing Tampa Bay to secure the win and solidify their playoff aspirations.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | YDS | TD | INT | RTG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jayden Daniels | QB | 37 | 18 | 245 | 2 | 1 | 76.9 |
| Justin Fields | QB | 29 | 15 | 83 | 0 | 2 | 28.9 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bucky Irving | HB | 18 | 92 | 5.1 | 0 | 27 | 0 |
| Tank Bigsby | HB | 12 | 82 | 6.8 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Tyrone Tracy Jr | HB | 6 | 65 | 10.8 | 0 | 36 | 0 |
| Justin Fields | QB | 3 | 52 | 17.3 | 0 | 43 | 0 |
| Jayden Daniels | QB | 6 | 13 | 2.2 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| Jonathon Brooks | HB | 4 | 2 | 0.5 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Eli Raridon | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DeVonta Smith | WR | 8 | 87 | 10.9 | 2 | 21 | 0 |
| Jerry Jeudy | WR | 5 | 87 | 17.4 | 0 | 29 | 1 |
| Emeka Egbuka | WR | 2 | 38 | 19.0 | 0 | 24 | 0 |
| CeeDee Lamb | WR | 5 | 31 | 6.2 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | WR | 4 | 29 | 7.3 | 0 | 14 | 0 |
| Mike Gesicki | TE | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| Ja'Tavion Sanders | TE | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Bucky Irving | HB | 1 | 8 | 8.0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 2 | 7 | 3.5 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Jack Westover | FB | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Eli Raridon | TE | 2 | 4 | 2.0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Kylen Granson | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jihaad Campbell | MIKE | 7 | 1.5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Kyler Gordon | CB | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Lukas Van Ness | WILL | 4 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Joey Bosa | REDG | 5 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jahdae Barron | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tershawn Wharton | DT | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Micah Parsons | REDG | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kam Curl | SS | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Brian Branch | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| C.J. Gardner-Johnson | SS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Charvarius Ward Sr | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Tremaine Edmunds | MIKE | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jerome Baker | SAM | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Roger McCreary | CB | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Billy Bowman Jr | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ty Okada | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ugo Amadi | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Vita Vea | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaden Hicks | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Marcus Williams | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Quay Walker | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kayden McDonald | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| George Karlaftis | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Poona Ford | DT | 0 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ronnie Hickman | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Harris | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| DJ Johnson | REDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Austin | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Spencer Shrader | K | 4 | 4 | 0 | 53 |
| Ryan Fitzgerald | K | 2 | 3 | 2 | 55 |

