The time came, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the New Orleans Saints in a thriller, 27-19, to win the NFC South.
Coming into this contest, the Bucs knew they were in a win-and-get position, as the Atlanta Falcons needed to defeat the Carolina Panthers and hope for a Tampa Bay loss to sneak into the playoffs as division winners.
But Tampa Bay heads into the playoffs as the NFC’s fourth seed, and they’ll wait to see who they get in the wild card round, as the loser of the Detroit Lions-Minnesota Vikings game on Sunday night will finish the spot. the conference.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans receives a pass against the New Orleans Saints at Raymond James Stadium. (Images by Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn)
It may have been jubilation at Raymond James Stadium at the final whistle, but there were plenty of nervous Bucs fans when halftime arrived and the Spencer Rattler-led Saints held a 16-6 lead.
The Saints were playing their first game since the senseless act of violence that took place in New Orleans’ French Quarter in the early hours of New Year’s Day, a terrorist attack that killed 14 people and left many more injured.
A minute of silence was held for all members of the New Orleans community before kickoff, where a true display of patriotism was captured on the Fox Sports broadcast.
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And it was all New Orleans to start this game, as they scored on each of their first four drives: three field goals and a touchdown pass from Rattler to Dante Pettis.
Meanwhile, Baker Mayfield and the Bucs were trying to find something and got exactly what they needed to start the second half. Mayfield orchestrated a 10-play, 72-yard drive that ended in a Peyton Durham touchdown to finally give the Bucs a touchdown that day. The 16-13 deficit was more than manageable.
The Saints defense didn’t help, however, as they were upset and forced a Mayfield interception even though the Bucs defense got a three after their touchdown.
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Dante Pettis celebrates with tight end Juwan Johnson after catching a touchdown pass against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Raymond James Stadium. (Images by Jonathan Dyer-Imagn)
After adding another field goal, the Saints had a 19-13 lead heading into the fourth quarter, where the Bucs went into desperation mode. Luckily for them, Mayfield didn’t flinch.
Early in the fourth quarter, Mayfield stepped up in a collapsed pocket and delivered an absolute hit to Jalen McMillan, who stood two feet in the right front of the end zone for a 32-yard touchdown that gave the Bucs a 20-19 lead later. the extra point.
Then the icing on the cake was a broken play that resulted in an 11-yard run by Bucky Irving for the touchdown.
The Bucs finally defeated the Saints in their final series, and with just seconds left to play, Tampa Bay and its fan base were celebrating the division title and victory.
But what made this win even more special was what the Bucs did with their final play of the game, when veteran receiver Mike Evans needed five catches and 85 yards to reach a $3 million incentive while also becoming the first player in NFL history to achieve it. 1,000 receiving yards in his first 11 seasons.
Evans, who was stuck on eight receptions for 80 yards, caught a nine-yard pass from Mayfield and threw the ball into the air after being tackled, knowing he had just made NFL history and won $3 million.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield drops back to pass against the New Orleans Saints at Raymond James Stadium. (Images by Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn)
Looking at the stat sheet, Mayfield finished 21 of 32 for 221 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, with Evans catching nine passes for 89 yards. Irving finished with 89 rushing yards on 19 carries.
For the Saints, Rattler was 26 of 42 for 240 yards with his only touchdown pass, while tight end Juwan Johnson led the way with six catches for 80 yards.
