Bucs sail past Saints 26-9, take first place in NFC South

It was a dominant showing on both sides of the ball as the Bucs bested the Saints on Sunday.

After a miserable Monday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers put themselves back in the driver’s seat of the NFC South, rolling over the New Orleans Saints 26-9. After the Saints took an early 3-0 lead, the Bucs pulled away and never looked back, keeping New Orleans out of the endzone and looking as potent on offense as they have all year.

Both teams spent most of the first half mired in a defensive battle for field position. The game turned in the Bucs favor halfway through the second quarter with a 17-play, 83-yard touchdown drive that hinged on a timely scramble from Baker Mayfield and a pass interference call on Marshon Lattimore in coverage on Mike Evans.

The game nearly took a turn for Tampa Bay after an unwise throw from Mayfield was picked off by Saints cornerback Isaac Yiadom just short of the endzone. Fortuntely for the Bucs, safety Antoine Winfield Jr. felt like taking over the game, forcing and recovering a fumble by fullback Adam Prentice on the following play. The Bucs scored two plays later on a touchdown pass to wide receiver Trey Palmer.

Winfield Jr. was a one-man wrecking crew against the Saints, recording a sack, a quarterback hit, two tackles for a loss and two pass breakups, including one in the endzone, all while leading the team with 9 total tackles.

The second half started with marginally more offensive production, with the Bucs and Saints trading punts and field goals until the Bucs pulled ahead with a 75-yard scoring drive.  A 42-yard catch and run by Chris Godwin put Tampa Bay in position for a touchdown pass to a diving Deven Thompkins:

The defense closed out the game with a series of turnovers, including a sack-fumble of Carr by Vita Vea and an interception off Jameis Winston on his one and only attempt in the game. In general the defense was stout, holding the Saints to just 197 total yards and allowing no plays longer than 14 yards.

The Bucs were still far from perfect. They committed 11 penalties for 91 yards, which killed several offensive drives. While they were better running the ball in New Orleans than against the Eagles, Tampa Bay still only averaged 3.5 yards rushing.

New Orleans’ offensive woes appear to have no obvious solution. Derek Carr 62.2% of his passes but averaged an anemic 3.4 yards per attempt. Alvin Kamara returned from suspension and rushed for just 51 yards and caught 13 passes for 33 yards. The Saints converted just five third downs and were shutout in the red zone.

The biggest loss Tampa Bay suffered was a hamstring injury to Mike Evans that knocked him out of the second half of the game. The Bucs are on bye next week, which gives them a chance to get healthy again before facing the Lions in Week 6. Nevertheless, the Bucs leave New Orleans with a firm lead in the NFC South and a viable pathway to another divisional title.

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