New Orleans stunned Tampa Bay 24-20 at Raymond James Stadium on December 7, handing the Buccaneers their fourth loss in five games. Tyler Shough rushed for two touchdowns and passed for 144 yards in the upset win. Baker Mayfield threw for just 122 yards on 14-of-30 passing as rain limited both offenses throughout the afternoon. Devin Neal scored his first NFL touchdown and rushed for 70 yards.
The loss put Tampa Bay in a first-place tie with Carolina at 7-6 in the NFC South. New Orleans finished 3-10 despite beating both division leaders on the road this season.
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Tampa Bay’s Fourth-Down Gambles Backfired
Todd Bowles sent his offense out seven times on fourth down. They converted twice. Each failure handed New Orleans excellent field position and ultimately determined the outcome.
Tampa Bay failed on five fourth-down attempts, giving the Saints possession at favorable spots throughout the game.
Carl Granderson blew up a pitch to Bucky Irving on fourth-and-one in the first quarter, dropping him for a seven-yard loss. Demario Davis stopped Sean Tucker short on fourth-and-one late in the second quarter. Kool-Aid McKinstry knocked away a pass intended for Chris Godwin on fourth-and-two in the fourth quarter.
“We couldn’t get a fourth-down play. We couldn’t make a fourth-down play and that’s disheartening,” Bowles said.
The final stop came with 1:21 remaining. Mayfield found Cade Otton for three yards on fourth-and-four, but Otton fell inches short of the marker. Davis made the tackle to end Tampa Bay’s last chance.
New Orleans converted five of 11 third downs while Tampa Bay managed three of 13. The Saints averaged starting drives at their own 41-yard line.
| Down | New Orleans | Tampa Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Third Down | 5/11 (45%) | 3/13 (23%) |
| Fourth Down | 0/1 (0%) | 2/7 (29%) |
Those conversion rates and field position advantages proved insurmountable.
Game Statistics Breakdown
| Category | New Orleans | Tampa Bay |
|---|---|---|
| Final Score | 24 | 20 |
| Total Yards | 260 | 301 |
| First Downs | 16 | 19 |
| Turnovers | 1 | 1 |
| Possession | 27:48 | 32:12 |
| Penalties | 10-82 | 7-49 |
Tampa Bay outgained New Orleans by 41 yards and controlled the ball nearly five minutes longer. New Orleans scored three touchdowns to Tampa Bay’s two.
Rain throughout the afternoon limited both passing attacks. The teams combined for 266 passing yards on 50 attempts, averaging 5.3 per throw.
Quarterback Performance in Wet Conditions
Mayfield opened the game completing eight straight passes. Once heavy rain arrived in the second quarter, he connected on just six of his final 22 attempts.
| Quarterback | Comp/Att | Yards | TD | INT | Sacks | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tyler Shough (NO) | 13/20 | 144 | 0 | 1 | 3-23 | 65.4 |
| Baker Mayfield (TB) | 14/30 | 122 | 1 | 1 | 0-0 | 55.1 |
Shough took three sacks but still averaged 7.2 yards per attempt, doubling Mayfield’s 4.1. That gap widened as conditions worsened.
Advanced metrics show Shough attempted deeper passes early (71 total air yards) while Mayfield’s throws traveled just 29 yards in the air despite 10 more attempts. Tampa Bay receivers gained 94 yards after catch compared to New Orleans’ 73, showing the Buccaneers relied on shorter passes with receivers creating yards after the reception.
Mayfield connected with Bucky Irving on a 24-yard screen pass for a touchdown on the opening drive. Tampa Bay never found the end zone through the air again.
“We just gave it away, or didn’t make the plays to win it,” Mayfield said. “Just too many mistakes. Conditions aren’t an excuse because they had to play in them, too.”
Shough and Chris Olave had a miscommunication on a deep route in the second quarter. Zyon McCollum read it perfectly and returned the interception 19 yards to the New Orleans 40, setting up Chase McLaughlin’s 41-yard field goal for a 10-7 Tampa Bay halftime advantage.
Shough’s Rushing Stats Powered New Orleans
Shough carried seven times for 55 yards and two touchdowns. He completed 13 of 20 passes for 144 yards despite taking three sacks.
| Player | Team | Carries | Yards | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Devin Neal | NO | 19 | 70 | 3.7 | 1 | 21 |
| Tyler Shough | NO | 7 | 55 | 7.9 | 2 | 34 |
| Bucky Irving | TB | 15 | 55 | 3.7 | 0 | 32 |
| Rachaad White | TB | 11 | 53 | 4.8 | 0 | 11 |
| Baker Mayfield | TB | 6 | 42 | 7.0 | 0 | 16 |
| Sean Tucker | TB | 7 | 29 | 4.1 | 1 | 13 |
Shough scored on a 34-yard run to open the third quarter on a read option. Tampa Bay’s Yaya Diaby crashed inside, leaving the edge wide open. New Orleans took a 14-10 advantage on the play.
“We were getting Taysom [Hill] on a linebacker for maybe a pylon wheel shot and it kind of got all muddied up at the end, so I was just trying to get out of there and make a play,” Shough said. “Just saw green grass and went for it.”
He scored again with 8:26 remaining on a 13-yard scramble. Vita Vea and Logan Hall collapsed the pocket, but Shough spun away from multiple defenders and found the edge. New Orleans led 24-17 on the score.
Shough’s 55 rushing yards set a Saints franchise record for a rookie quarterback, surpassing the previous mark Archie Manning held since 1971. The two rushing touchdowns matched Manning’s performance against Dallas on October 17, 1971.
Neal carried 19 times for 70 yards and three first downs. He scored on a three-yard run on the opening drive. Mason Tipton’s 54-yard kickoff return set up excellent field position to start the game. Neal also caught one pass for 14 yards.
Tampa Bay rushed for 179 yards compared to New Orleans’ 139 but found the end zone just once. Tucker scored on a one-yard plunge midway through the third quarter, briefly putting the Buccaneers ahead 17-14.
Saints Defense Forced Critical Turnovers
Alontae Taylor jumped a deep pass from Mayfield in the third quarter and returned it 10 yards to the Tampa Bay 47. Three plays later, Shough scored on a 34-yard run.
| Player | Team | Total | Solo | TFL | Sacks |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Christian Izien | TB | 8 | 5 | 1 | 0 |
| Demario Davis | NO | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| Kool-Aid McKinstry | NO | 7 | 6 | 0 | 0 |
| Jordan Howden | NO | 6 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| Vita Vea | TB | 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
Izien finished with a game-high eight tackles after replacing Tykee Smith, who left with a stinger late in the first half. Izien added a tackle for loss while playing extended snaps.
Vea sacked Shough for seven yards on New Orleans’ second possession and finished with two tackles for loss. He generated four total pressures throughout the game.
McKinstry’s fourth-down pass breakup in the fourth quarter might have saved the game. On fourth-and-two from the New Orleans 47, Mayfield targeted Godwin on the sideline. McKinstry’s physical coverage forced an incompletion.
“Kool-Aid has been making plays all year long, so I’m super excited for him,” Taylor said. “That play was huge. To me, that’s just as big as an interception.”
Granderson tallied two tackles for loss, both on fourth-down stops that ended Tampa Bay possessions. Chase Young generated four quarterback pressures without recording a sack.
Pass Catching Stats
Chris Godwin caught five passes for a game-high 55 yards.
| Player | Team | Targets | Rec | Yards | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chris Godwin | TB | 8 | 5 | 55 | 0 |
| Devaughn Vele | NO | 5 | 3 | 40 | 0 |
| Juwan Johnson | NO | 4 | 4 | 38 | 0 |
| Chris Olave | NO | 5 | 3 | 30 | 0 |
| Bucky Irving | TB | 3 | 2 | 26 | 1 |
Juwan Johnson caught all four targets thrown his way, providing Shough with a reliable outlet when plays broke down. Johnson averaged 9.5 yards per reception.
Emeka Egbuka caught two of nine targets for 15 yards. He dropped a wide-open touchdown pass in the fourth quarter that would have tied the score at 24. The rookie broke free near the goal line but couldn’t secure the high throw. Tampa Bay settled for McLaughlin’s 37-yard field goal, cutting the deficit to 24-20 with 4:54 left.
Olave caught three passes for 30 yards. Vele caught three for 40 yards.
Special Teams Impact
Tipton returned the opening kickoff 54 yards to the Tampa Bay 45. New Orleans scored six plays later when Neal ran it in from three yards out for a 7-0 advantage.
| Player | Team | Returns | Yards | Average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason Tipton | NO | 1 | 54 | 54.0 |
| Dante Pettis | NO | 4 | 84 | 21.0 |
| Kameron Johnson | TB | 2 | 39 | 19.5 |
Kai Kroeger averaged 50.7 yards on three punts. His 54-yard boot in the second quarter flipped field position when New Orleans needed breathing room. Riley Dixon punted once for 31 yards.
Charlie Smyth missed a 48-yard field goal attempt wide left in the second quarter but converted from 30 yards in the third to tie the score at 17. McLaughlin made both attempts, connecting from 41 and 37 yards.
NFC South Playoff Standings
Tampa Bay entered Week 14 leading Carolina by half a game in the division standings. The loss created a first-place tie at 7-6 with three games remaining.
The Buccaneers and Panthers meet twice in the final three weeks, first in Charlotte for Week 16 and again in Tampa for the regular-season finale. Those matchups will likely determine the division champion.
New Orleans finished 3-10 with a 2-2 division record. The Saints defeated both current division leaders on the road, beating Carolina in Week 1 and Tampa Bay in Week 14. Both wins came as significant underdogs. Tampa Bay was favored by 9 points on December 7.
For complete statistics, Pro Football Reference provides detailed breakdowns. The Saints’ official recap and Buccaneers’ postgame report offer team perspectives.
Injury Report
Tristan Wirfs’ oblique injury kept him out of the lineup. The Buccaneers also played without Mike Evans, who was recovering from a clavicle injury. Luke Haggard’s shoulder problem sidelined him as well.
Undrafted rookie Ben Chukwuma made his first NFL start at left tackle. Ben Bredeson left in the second quarter with a knee injury, forcing additional offensive line adjustments. Tykee Smith exited with a stinger late in the first half.
New Orleans played without Alvin Kamara, who sat out with knee and ankle issues. Taliese Fuaga’s ankle injury kept him out. Justin Reid missed the game with a knee problem.
Five Saints draft picks from 2025 started the game including Shough, Neal, left tackle Kelvin Banks Jr., cornerback Quincy Riley, and safety Jonas Sanker.
Neal and Shough combined for 125 rushing yards, the most by Saints rookies since Alvin Kamara and Trey Edmunds totaled 154 yards at Buffalo on November 12, 2017. Banks graded out at 80.5 from Pro Football Focus against Tampa Bay’s pass rush.
What Comes Next
Tampa Bay hosted Atlanta on Thursday Night Football on December 11, leaving just four days to prepare and address execution problems on critical downs.
New Orleans hosted Carolina on December 14. The Panthers entered that matchup fresh off their bye week at 7-6, providing the Saints another opportunity to affect the playoff race despite being eliminated from postseason contention.
Shough’s development as a dual-threat quarterback provides New Orleans with a potential cornerstone for 2026. The win improved his record as a starter to 2-1, with both victories coming on the road against teams in playoff position.
Tampa Bay’s recent struggles raised concerns about their ability to hold off Carolina for the division title. The Buccaneers lost four of five games following a 6-2 start. Their remaining schedule included Atlanta, Carolina twice, and Dallas.
For complete Saints vs Buccaneers coverage and player statistics, visit The Sportie.
Post-Game Analysis
“Our guys have faced a lot of adversity this year and they’ve grown through this journey,” New Orleans head coach Kellen Moore said. “For our guys to come out and have the energy and the physicality they played with, I thought was a credit to our guys.”
Moore adjusted his approach as weather conditions worsened. After throwing 11 times in the first half, Shough attempted just nine passes after halftime. New Orleans ran 21 times in the second half, controlling possession.
The ESPN game recap provides additional context on the upset. The Saints capitalized on short fields created by Tampa Bay’s fourth-down failures while executing in critical moments.
