NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Baker Mayfield overcame three turnovers with 325 yards and four touchdowns passing, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the New Orleans Saints 51-27 on Sunday in what they hoped would be a morale boost to their many fans who endured Hurricane Milton earlier in the week.
The result blemished rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler’s first NFL start for New Orleans, which has lost four straight after opening the season with a pair of lopsided victories.
Trailing by three after a wild, high-scoring first half in which Tampa Bay (4-2) lost an early 17-0 lead, the Bucs pulled ahead for good on Godwin’s second touchdown of the game — a 55-yarder on a short catch and long run during which three Saints missed tackle attempts.
Safety Zyon McCollum’s diving interception of Rattler’s underthrown pass initiated a fourth-quarter drive that ended with Mayfield’s 8-yard scoring pass to tight end Cade Otton on third-and-goal as Tampa Bay continued to pull away.
The Buccaneers, who fled Milton’s path on Tuesday and practiced all week in New Orleans, wound up racking up all kinds of gaudy stats and highlights in the Superdome, which was all but empty before the game ended. Just a smattering of happy fans in Bucs colors remained when Sean Tucker scored for the second time for the final margin.
The Bucs rushed for 277 yards as a team, led by Tucker’s 136 yards and one TD rushing. Bucky Irving added 81 yards and short touchdown. And Tucker also turned a short catch into a 36-yard touchdown.
Rattler, who was intercepted twice, finished 22 of 40 for 243 yards and a TD pass to fellow rookie Bub Means. Alvin Kamara scored his seventh TD this season on a 4-yard run and Rashid Shaheed returned a punt 54 yards for a touchdown.
Already missing first-string QB Derek Carr because of an oblique injury last week at Kansas City, the Saints quickly fell behind when Mayfield capped the game’s opening possession with his first scoring pass — 4-yarder to Godwin.
Rattler’s first series ended when receiver Chris Olave was stripped by Tykee Smith moments after making a catch and absorbing an unflagged helmet-to-helmet hit from McCollum. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. scooped up the loose ball and returned it 58 yards to make it 14-0.
Chase McLaughlin’s 26-yard field goal made it 17-0 late in the first quarter before the Saints scored their first points on Blake Grupe’s 42-yard field goal in the second quarter. New Orleans would up scoring 20 straight points in a span of 5:06 on Shaheed’s punt return, another field goal and Means’ 10-yard catch.
Paulson Adebo’s interception in Bucs territory set up Grupe’s second field goal. An interception by Saints safety Johnathan Abram set up Rattler’s TD pass.
After Tucker and Kamara exchanged scores, Tampa Bay was threatening to regain the lead again when Mayfield was intercepted for a third time in the quarter. His batted pass was hauled in by defensive end Cameron Jordan, helping preserve a 27-24 Saints lead at halftime.
Injuries
Buccaneers: Cornerback Jamel Dean left in the first quarter with a hamstring injury.
Saints: Olave’s injury further depleted an offense already missing Carr, tight end Taysom Hill (ribs), center Erik McCoy (groin), Cesar Ruiz (knee), guard Lucas Patrick (chest). … Starting safety Tyrann Mathieu left the game with a forearm injury in the first half.
Up next
Buccaneers: Host Baltimore in a Monday night game on Oct. 21.
Saints: Host Denver on Thursday in Broncos coach Sean Payton’s first game in the Superdome since his brief retirement from the Saints after the 2021 season.
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Brett Martel, The Associated Press