Breaking: In a driving Tampa rain, the New Orleans Saints stunned the Buccaneers 24 to 20 on Sunday night. A rookie quarterback ran the show and ran the ball. Tyler Shough powered the upset with two rushing touchdowns, 55 rushing yards, and one gutsy fourth quarter scramble that flipped the game.
How the Saints seized control
From the opening series, New Orleans chose clarity over style. They leaned on the ground game, protected the ball, and trusted their defense. Shough threw for about 144 yards, but his legs made the difference. His zone reads froze Tampa Bay’s edge defenders. His second effort runs kept drives alive when the field felt like a slick tarp.
Devin Neal gave the rookie real help. The rookie back stacked about 70 rushing yards and a key touchdown, and the Saints outgained Tampa Bay roughly 191 to 104 on the ground. In a storm like this, that gap wins games. I watched Buccaneers defenders slip on cutback lanes as Shough pulled and darted. He got skinny through traffic when it mattered.
Tampa Bay never found rhythm. Baker Mayfield finished near 122 passing yards with one touchdown and one interception. The turnover came at the worst time, in Saints territory, and it erased a scoring chance. A dropped end zone pass by Emeka Egbuka was another gut punch. Those two plays will haunt the Bucs’ film session.
The loss drops Tampa Bay to 7 and 6, and their grip on the NFC South loosens tonight.
The sequence that swung the night
The game turned late in the fourth quarter. Protecting a slim lead, Tampa Bay backed off the edge. Shough saw green and took it. He broke a 13 yard scramble through the right alley, moved the chains, and put the Saints in attack mode. Moments later, Neal finished the drive with a short, physical score. The Saints sideline exploded. The press box shook.
Coaching decisions mattered. New Orleans kept calling quarterback runs, even on long down and distance. That was bold in this weather, but the reads stayed clean. Tampa Bay called safe zones underneath on key downs. That gave Shough space to take off, and he punished the cushion.
- Three plays that decided it:
- Shough’s 13 yard scramble on the go ahead drive.
- Mayfield’s interception in Saints territory.
- Egbuka’s dropped touchdown in the end zone.
The Buccaneers had a late chance. They crossed midfield with two minutes left, but the Saints defense closed the door. New Orleans brought pressure with disciplined rush lanes. Mayfield had to check down. The clock bled out with no explosive play to save Tampa.
Why this upset hits hard
This was not a fluke bounce. It was trench work. In the rain, the team that runs with purpose usually wins. The Saints linemen fired off low and kept their feet. Their backs stayed north and south. Their rookie quarterback read leverage like a veteran.
For Tampa Bay, the missed chances add up. A wet ball is no excuse for drops in the paint. Red zone execution defines December football. The Bucs will point to details, pad level, hand placement, route depth. The tape will look cold.
Quarterback run packages are playoff problems. Defenses hate playing 11 on 11 in the box, especially in bad weather.
- By the numbers, quick hits:
- Saints rushing yards, about 191.
- Buccaneers rushing yards, about 104.
- Shough, two rushing touchdowns.
- Mayfield, one touchdown and one interception.
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What it means for the NFC South
The Buccaneers fall to 7 and 6. The division race tightens, and their margin for error shrinks. Home field edge in January slips further away. Their next divisional games now carry extra weight, and their health and ball security must improve fast.
The Saints rise to 3 and 10. That record hides a step forward. Shough earned trust in a hostile road storm. Neal looked like a bell cow. The defense bowed up in the fourth quarter and owned the last drive. This is the kind of win a young team can build on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Who was the star of the game?
A: Tyler Shough. He ran for two touchdowns, added 55 rushing yards, and made the key late scramble.
Q: What was the decisive play?
A: A fourth quarter 13 yard scramble by Shough that kept the winning drive alive, then a short Devin Neal score.
Q: How did the weather affect the game?
A: Heavy rain favored the Saints run heavy plan, and it undercut Tampa Bay’s timing in the pass game.
Q: How does this change the NFC South race?
A: Tampa Bay drops to 7 and 6 and loses cushion. New Orleans gains momentum before more divisional games.
Q: What went wrong for the Buccaneers?
A: A red zone drop, a costly interception, and a failure to limit quarterback runs in key moments.
The bottom line, the Saints took the fight to Tampa and finished the job. A drenched field, a rookie quarterback with no fear, and a ground attack that would not blink. The NFC South just got complicated, and New Orleans just found a spark. 🏈
