Tampa Bay (5-2) at New Orleans (1-6)
Sunday, 4:05 p.m. EDT, Fox.
BetMGM NFL Odds: Buccaneers by 4.
Against the spread: Buccaneers 4-3; Saints 2-5.
Series record: Saints lead 40-27.
Last meeting: Buccaneers beat Saints 27-18 on Jan. 5, 2025, at Tampa Bay.
Last week: Buccaneers lost to Lions 24-9; Saints lost to Bears 26-14.
Buccaneers offense: overall (16), rush (24), pass (9), scoring (13)
Buccaneers defense: overall (17), rush (11), pass (21), scoring (22)
Saints offense: overall (24), rush (14t), pass (25), scoring (29)
Saints defense: overall (19t), rush (24), pass (12), scoring (27)
Turnover differential: Buccaneers plus-4; Saints plus-1.
Buccaneers player to watch
WR Tez Johnson. The speedy rookie has caught TD passes in consecutive games and should continue to get an increased role with Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Jalen McMillan sidelined by injuries.
Saints players to watch
WR Chris Olave is coming of one of the better games of his career last week in Chicago, where he caught five passes for 98 yards and two TDs. Olave’s 44 catches for 440 yards and three TDs receiving this season are all team highs.
Key matchup
The Saints defensive front, bolstered by the recent return of end Chase Young, against Buccaneers blockers and QB Baker Mayfield, who routinely frustrates opponents with his ability to escape pressure and extend passing plays or scramble for first downs.
Key injuries
Buccaneers: Evans (collar bone) is likely done for the season, Godwin (fibula) is week to week, McMillan (neck) remains on injured reserve. … DL Calijah Kancey (pec), TE Ko Kieft (leg) and RG Cody Mauch (knee) were lost for the season. … RT Luke Goedeke (foot) and RG Luke Haggard (shoulder) remain out. … RB Bucky Irving (foot, shoulder) and edge rusher Haason Reddick (knee, ankle) aren’t expected to play.
Saints: Olave (ankle) was rested earlier this week. … RB Alvin Kamara (ankle) and TE Juwan Johnson (neck) practiced on a limited basis this week.
Series notes
The Buccaneers have won the past two meetings and five of the past six. … The Saints are 21-13 against the Buccaneers in games played in the Superdome. … The Buccaneers’ longest winning streak in the series is three games during the 2022 and 2023 seasons.
Stats and stuff
Mayfield has 1,767 yards passing, 13 TDs and two picks. He’s thrown at least three TD passes in each of his two games at New Orleans. … Mayfield has used his legs to escape pressure and run for first downs in critical spots during games throughout the season but didn’t scramble once against the Lions. … The Buccaneers lead the NFL in TD receptions by rookies with seven. WR Emeka Egbuka has five and WR Tez Johnson has two. … Egbuka leads all rookie receivers in receiving yards (527), receiving touchdowns (five) and receptions (31). … CB Jamel Dean has three picks in the past four games. … OLB Yaya Diaby leads the team with four sacks. … The Bucs have an NFL-high 49 strip-sacks since 2019 when coach Todd Bowles came in as defensive coordinator. … K Chase McLaughlin is 37 of 44 (84.1%) in his career on field goals from 50-plus yards. Only Brandon Aubrey (90.6%) has been more accurate from that distance among kickers with at least 30 tries. … Saints QB Spencer Rattler is coming off his second career game with multiple TD passes last week but also turned the ball over four times on three interceptions and a lost fumble. … Rattler has not thrown an interception in his past three home starts. … RB Alvin Kamara has 598 receptions and can become fifth RB with 600 catches. Kamara has 47 receptions, 688 scrimmage yards and nine TDs (six rushing, three receiving) in seven home games against the Bucs. … Olave is one of three players (along with Christian McCaffrey & Jaxon Smith-Njigba) to have at least five catches and at least 50 yards receiving in six games this season. … Juwan Johnson had five catches for a season-high 79 yards last week and his 31 receptions this season is tied for fifth among TEs. … Versatile reserve QB Taysom Hill has caught a TD pass in two of his past three games against Tampa Bay. … LB Demario Davis led the Saints with 10 tackles last week, his 39th game with at least that many, ranking fifth most among active players. … CB Alontae Taylor had his third tackle for loss of the season last week. … CB Kool-Aid McKinstry had his fifth pass defensed and second tackle for loss of the season last week. … Rookie S Jonas Sanker is one of four rookie DBs (Marques Sigle, Malaki Starks & Xavier Watts) to have five games with as many as five tackles this season.
Fantasy tip
Buccaneers TE Cade Otton has 16 receptions for 197 yards in the past three games and could present a matchup problem for the Saints, particularly in the red zone.
READ MORE:Bucs look to prolong recent dominance of NFC South rival Saints
