New Orleans
Saints
1-1
34
FINAL
14
Tampa Bay
Buccaneers
1-1
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a decisive matchup, the New Orleans Saints topped the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 34-14 in Week 3 of the 2027 season, showcasing their dominance and solidifying their position in the league. With playoff implications looming, both teams aimed to assert themselves, but it was the Saints who ultimately rose to the occasion.
On the offensive side, Travis Etienne Jr. was the standout performer for the Saints, racking up 107 rushing yards and continually finding gaps in the Buccaneer defense. Baker Mayfield, despite the loss, put together a solid performance for Tampa Bay, throwing for 219 yards and a touchdown, but it was not enough to keep pace with New Orleans’ relentless attack. Emeka Egbuka also had a noteworthy day, gaining 120 receiving yards, but the Buccaneers struggled to convert their yardage into points.
Defensively, the Saints made crucial plays that shifted the momentum in their favor. Jonas Sanker was a game-changer, recording two interceptions and a sack, highlighting his impact on the field. The turning point came when Sanker picked off Mayfield in the second half, leading to a quick Saints touchdown that effectively sealed the game and left Tampa Bay scrambling for answers.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baker Mayfield | QB | 32 | 11 | 34% | 219 | 1 | 2 | 43.6 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 17 | 11 | 65% | 196 | 1 | 1 | 99.1 |
| Ted Hurst III | WR | 1 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0 | 39.5 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 13 | 107 | 8.2 | 16 | 1 | 47 | 0 |
| Bucky Irving | HB | 6 | 81 | 13.5 | 2 | 1 | 63 | 1 |
| Mark Fletcher Jr. | HB | 11 | 59 | 5.4 | 8 | 2 | 45 | 0 |
| Jonnu Smith | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Emeka Egbuka | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tyler Shough | QB | 1 | -1 | -1.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emeka Egbuka | WR | 7 | 120 | 17.1 | 19 | 0 | 42 | 0 |
| Jordyn Tyson | WR | 4 | 91 | 22.8 | 22 | 1 | 43 | 0 |
| Chris Olave | WR | 2 | 50 | 25.0 | 9 | 0 | 28 | 0 |
| Ted Hurst III | WR | 1 | 49 | 49.0 | — | 0 | 49 | 0 |
| Jonnu Smith | TE | 2 | 35 | 17.5 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | TE | 1 | 19 | 19.0 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 0 |
| Chris Godwin Jr | WR | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | — | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Travis Etienne Jr | HB | 1 | 13 | 13.0 | 20 | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| Oscar Delp | TE | 2 | 12 | 6.0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 0 |
| Devaughn Vele | WR | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jonas Sanker | SS | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
| Rueben Bain Jr. | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Yaya Diaby | LEDG | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kaden Elliss | WILL | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Josiah Trotter | SAM | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Chase Young | LEDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Antoine Winfield Jr | SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Justin Reid | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Eric Kendricks | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Vita Vea | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tykee Smith | FS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jacob Parrish | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ja'Quan McMillian | CB | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| A'mauri Washington | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Ross | LEDG | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Benjamin Morrison | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Hayes | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Elijah Roberts | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Anzalone | WILL | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lorenzo Styles Jr. | SS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Pete Werner | MIKE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chase McLaughlin | K | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Ryan Wright | P | 2 | 2 | 4 | 38 |

