On the Saints’ first offensive possession, the protection recorded a takeaway, halting the house workforce’s momentum. Tykee Smith compelled the ball out of Chris Olave’s palms, blanketing the Saints’ receiver. Antoine Winfield Jr., who returned from a foot damage in Week Six, recovered the soccer and returned it 58 yards for a Tampa Bay landing, offering the Bucs’ with an early 14-0 lead contained in the Superdome.
On the following drive after Mike Evans drew a cross interference flag on Paulson Adebo, Carl Granderson was flagged for pointless roughness two performs later. A flea flicker picked up 15 yards for Sean Tucker on the trick play, however Mayfield’s cross to Evans on third down went incomplete. Chase McLaughlin drilled a 26-yard subject purpose, giving the Bucs a 17-0 lead within the first quarter.
On the next drive, following a pickup of 16 for Spencer Rattler on a scramble and a 13-yard achieve for Foster Moreau, Calijah Kancey dropped Alvin Kamara for a lack of one. After Kamara was stopped quick on third down by Yaya Diaby, the Saints had been compelled to kick a subject purpose initially of the second body, making it a 17-3 sport.
The Bucs subsequent drive started with back-to-back penalties, together with too many males on the sphere and a false begin. After a pair incompletions to Evans and Godwin, an pointless roughness penalty on the Bucs stalled the drive on third down. Rashid Shaheed then fielded Jake Camarda’s 47-yard punt, and he returned it 64 yards for a Saints’ landing.
Tampa Bay’s subsequent drive was lower quick as Paulson Adebo intercepted Mayfield on the Tampa Bay 30-yard line. He returned it 17 yards however an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Alontae Taylor introduced the Saints again 15 yards. New Orleans was not in a position to money in with factors after Vita Vea sacked Rattler on third down, which arrange a Grupe 29-yard subject purpose.
A turnover promptly ended the Bucs subsequent drive. Mayfield’s cross meant for Jalen McMillan was intercepted by Johnathan Abram on the Tampa Bay 40-yard line. He returned it 30 yards to the ten, and the Saints cashed in with a rating. Rattler linked with Bub Means on a 10-yard rating, giving the Saints a 20-17 lead. The Buccaneers instantly responded with a landing of their very own. A 39-yard achieve by Ryan Miller put the Bucs in optimistic subject place and Tucker took a display 36-yards to the home, capping off a six-play, 76-yard scoring drive. He maneuvered round site visitors and located the top zone.
The Saints fired again on a seven-play, 70-yard scoring drive. From second-and-seven, Rattler discovered Moreau sitting in a zone over the center of the sphere and the Saints’ tight finish picked up 41 yards on the catch-and-run, setting the house workforce up on the seven-yard-line. Alvin Kamara completed the drive with a four-yard landing. New Orleans took a three-point lead within the offensive shootout earlier than the two-minute warning.
The Bucs’ subsequent drive was stalled by an interception. Bryan Bresee batted down Mayfield’s cross meant for Cade Otton and Cam Jordan intercepted the ball on the New Orleans 40-yard line, placing Rattler and co. proper again on the sphere. The Saints weren’t in a position to take benefit with factors, after an efficient stress package deal by the Bucs on third down. Antoine Winfield Jr. and Lavonte David got here flying in, forcing an errant throw by the rookie.
Popping out the half, rookie Tykee Smith compelled one other fumble that Zyon McCollum recovered. After evaluation, the play was dominated an incomplete cross, establishing an ensuing punt. The Saints’ protection compelled a fast three-and-out and the Bucs adopted swimsuit with a Camarda punt. The Bucs’ protection introduced the stress on the following drive for N.O. Rattler was taken down by Ok.J. Britt and Chris Braswell on first down for a lack of 9 yards and the following play, Logan Corridor and Calijah Kancey obtained into the combo, splitting a sack for a lack of three, which resulted in third-and-22 and an eventual punt.
The Bucs’ offense adopted swimsuit with a landing. Godwin took a display 55 yards, culminating in a rating. He made the primary defender miss and cutback inside for an open shot on the finish zone. The RAC-artist utilized his bodily prowess within the open subject, giving Tampa Bay a five-point lead.
On the Saints’ subsequent drive, a 30-yard achieve by Johnson was introduced again because of an unlawful shift and ensuing replay of second down. An incompletion on third down arrange a Matthew Hayball punt. The Bucs’ following drive ended after a second-down sack by Willie Homosexual on Mayfield and a third-down scramble by Mayfield got here up in need of the sticks. The Bucs’ protection got here up with a takeaway on the following drive, this one by McCollum on the Tampa Bay 42-yard line. He intercepted Rattler’s cross meant for Shaheed, making a sensational leaping seize. Bucky Irving continued the stellar development for Tampa Bay with a 31-yard run. He shortly bounced to the skin with a lateral lower and threw a deadly stiff arm into the combo. Otton capped off the five-play, 58-yard drive with a landing. Below duress, Mayfield threw a low dart to No.88 proper on the numbers as he fell to the bottom, extending the visiting workforce’s lead, 37-27.
The Bucs’ protection then compelled a Saints’ three-and-out, together with a sack by Lavonte David on first down. The Tampa Bay offense put an exclamation mark on the sport with a 10-play, 71-yard scoring drive, capped off by an Irving one-yard landing run. A number of performs earlier than, the rookie working again introduced the Bucs to the New Orleans eight-yard line off an 18-yard display. The Saints’ protection had no solutions for the Bucs’ perimeter assault.
The protection shortly answered, with Smith intercepting Rattler on the Tampa Bay 36-yard line. The very subsequent play, Tucker handed by way of the B-gap for a 36-yard achieve post-cut. He ended the six-play, 64-yard drive with a five-yard landing, to present the Bucs’ a convincing 51-27 win.