TAMPA, Fla. — Baker Mayfield used his legs and arms to help the Tampa Bay Buccaneers win their fourth straight championship and Mike Evans had more than 1,000 yards receiving.
Mayfield opened the scoring with a 32-yard touchdown pass to Jalen McMillan and scrambled 28 yards for a crucial first down on the next drive to lead the Buccaneers against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. led to a 27-19 victory.
Evans caught a 9-yard pass on the last play of the game, making him the 11th consecutive season with over 1,000 yards, tying him with Jerry Rice for the most yards in NFL history. After a long scramble by Mayfield from the Tampa 12 on third-and-14, the Buccaneers drove to the Saints 11. Mayfield targeted Evans, but Bucky Irving flipped the ball backwards and ran 11 yards for a TD, making it 27-19.
The Saints turned the ball over on downs, and the Buccaneers gave Evans one more chance to get the milestone.
Mayfield threw a short pass to Evans, who ran up the field for a 9-yard gain. He stood up, spiked the ball, and was mauled by his teammates in a frenzied celebration.
The Buccaneers are in third place in the NFC and are scheduled to play the Washington Commanders next weekend at Raymond James Stadium.
Mayfield threw for 212 yards and two TDs and rushed for a career-high 68 yards as the Buccaneers (10-7) rallied from a 10-point halftime deficit and Atlanta needed a loss to Carolina to win the division. I confirmed that there was no. .
Spencer Rattler passed for 240 yards and one TD for the Saints (5-12).
The Buccaneers trailed for much of the game and were trailing 16-6 at halftime. Mayfield connected with McMillan for a score in the fourth quarter to take the lead. McMillan was assessed a 15-yard unsportsmanlike penalty after making a 33-yard catch to extend the drive on fourth-and-8. The rookie receiver signaled a first down with a gesture that was interpreted as imitating firing a gun. This moved the Buccaneers from 9th to 24th place.
But McMillan made a toe-tapping catch in the end zone for his seventh TD in the past five games.
The Saints scored on their first four possessions, including a 5-yard touchdown pass from Rattler to Dante Pettis.
Facing a weak secondary without three starters, Rattler carved open Tampa’s defense in the first half. He completed 21 of 28 for 151 yards and a 10-point lead.
Evans caught two passes on third-and-long to extend the drive, stopping at 7 yards, but the Buccaneers made it 13-6 on Chase McLaughlin’s 25-yard shot.
But Rattler quickly moved the Saints into scoring position, completing seven consecutive passes, including a 39-yarder by Blake Group to make it 16-6 at halftime.
With Tom Brady watching from the TV booth, the Buccaneers made it to the playoffs for the fifth straight year. The streak began in 2020, when Brady left the Patriots for Tampa Bay and led the Buccaneers to their second Super Bowl victory.
Mayfield revived his career by replacing Brady last year when he retired and helped the Buccaneers advance to the divisional round.
Mayfield had a career year this season, throwing 41 TD passes.
The Saints are coming off a disappointing season that started with a lot of promise. New Orleans opened 2-0, defeating the Panthers and Cowboys 91-29. But the Saints fell apart, with coach Dennis Allen losing his job and special teams coordinator Darren Rizzi taking over on an interim basis.
This season, the Buccaneers were 0-6 without a lead. Blake Gloop hit a 35-yard field goal to give the Saints an early 3-0 lead.
After a run-in-to-the-kicker penalty on a punt gave Tampa Bay a 5-yard lead, McLaughlin responded with a 52-yard field goal.
On the group’s next drive, New Orleans gained 39 yards to take a 6-3 lead.
Homeowners in Zephyrhills are complaining about their yards still being flooded months after Hurricane Milton.
Zephyrhills homeowners still have flooded yards months after Milton
