Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs New Orleans Saints Match Player Stats: Tyler Shough’s Two Rushing Scores Sink the Bucs

Every close NFC South battle comes down to who wins the fourth quarter, and this tampa bay buccaneers vs new orleans saints match player stats breakdown shows exactly how New Orleans stole one on the road. The Bucs controlled the stat sheet for most of the afternoon, yet a rookie quarterback’s legs turned a supposed mismatch into a signature upset. Here’s every number that mattered.

The Lead

The Buccaneers hosted the Saints on Sunday, December 7, 2025, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, in front of 63,125 fans who watched most of the action unfold through a steady rainstorm. New Orleans entered as 8.5-point underdogs at 2-10, while Tampa Bay carried a 7-5 record and had already beaten the Saints by 20 points earlier in the season. None of that history mattered once the whistle blew.

Rookie quarterback Tyler Shough ran for two touchdowns, including a 34-yard scamper to open the second half, as the Saints held off a late Buccaneers rally to win 24-20. Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay offense moved the ball with regularity — 301 total yards and 19 first downs — but repeated red-zone letdowns, a fourth-down drop in the end zone, and a missed opportunity in the final two minutes let New Orleans escape with a road win that tightened the division race.

Match Overview Table

Core Match Statistics Overview

This buccaneers vs saints box score tells a story of volume without payoff for Tampa Bay. The Bucs out-gained New Orleans and ran nearly 70 total plays, but three trips inside the red zone produced only one touchdown.

Third Down Efficiency

• New Orleans converted five of 11 third-down chances, nearly double Tampa Bay’s rate, and those conversions kept scoring drives alive in the first and fourth quarters.
• The Buccaneers moved the ball plenty on early downs but stalled on third down all afternoon, going just 3-for-13 despite Mayfield’s 30 pass attempts.

Fourth Down Aggression

• Tampa Bay went for it seven times on fourth down, converting twice, a sign of how often Todd Bowles’s offense found itself short of the sticks.
• New Orleans attempted just one fourth down and came up empty, relying instead on efficient third-down execution to sustain drives.

Rushing Production

• Both offenses topped 130 rushing yards, but New Orleans’ backfield generated three of the team’s four touchdowns on the ground.
• Bucky Irving and Rachaad White combined for 108 yards on the ground for Tampa Bay, yet neither found the end zone rushing.

Red Zone Execution

• The Buccaneers finished 1-for-2 in the red zone (50%), settling for two field goals on trips that started with real touchdown equity.
• New Orleans converted 2 of 3 red-zone chances, and its lone red-zone touchdown came off a quick strike rather than a grind.

Period-by-Period Analysis

First Quarter

• New Orleans opened with a 54-yard kickoff return from Mason Tipton, setting up a six-play, 45-yard drive capped by a Devin Neal touchdown run.
• Tampa Bay answered immediately with a 67-yard scoring drive finished by a 24-yard Mayfield-to-Bucky Irving touchdown pass.
• Both offenses traded quick strikes, but New Orleans’ opening drive set an early tone that carried into the rest of the game.

Second Quarter

• Tampa Bay’s defense forced a Shough interception, and the Buccaneers converted the turnover into a 41-yard Chase McLaughlin field goal.
• New Orleans missed a 48-yard field goal earlier in the quarter, a costly miss given how tight the final score turned out to be.
• The Bucs closed the half with a chance to add points but came away empty after four incomplete passes on their final drive.

Third Quarter

• Shough’s 34-yard touchdown scramble on the opening drive of the second half swung momentum back to New Orleans.
• Tampa Bay responded with a physical, 65-yard drive finished by Sean Tucker’s 1-yard touchdown run, aided by a 28-yard pass-interference penalty.
• A long, 11-play field-goal drive by New Orleans to end the quarter controlled the clock and tied the game at 17-17.

Fourth Quarter

• Shough’s second rushing touchdown, a 13-yard scramble, gave New Orleans a 24-17 lead with under nine minutes remaining.
• Tampa Bay answered with a 37-yard field goal, but Emeka Egbuka’s fourth-down drop in the end zone cost the Bucs a chance to tie it with a touchdown.
• A dropped interception by Deion Jones and a stalled final drive sealed the Buccaneers’ fate in the closing minutes.

New Orleans Saints Player Statistics

Tyler Shough (QB): 13-of-20 passing for 144 yards and one interception through the air, plus 7 carries for 55 yards and two rushing touchdowns. Shough’s legs were the single biggest factor in the outcome, providing 55% of New Orleans’ total offensive touchdowns by himself.

Devin Neal (RB): 19 carries for 70 yards and a touchdown, adding one catch for 14 yards. Neal’s workhorse effort on early downs let New Orleans control tempo and set up Shough’s play-action opportunities.

Devaughn Vele (WR): 3 catches for 40 yards on 5 targets. Vele was Shough’s most efficient target on a rainy afternoon that limited big passing plays for both offenses.

Juwan Johnson (TE): 4 catches for 38 yards on 4 targets. Johnson moved the chains on several third-down situations, complementing the ground game with reliable underneath work.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Player Statistics

Baker Mayfield (QB): 14-of-30 passing for 122 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, plus 6 carries for 42 yards. Mayfield’s completion rate (46.7%) was well below his season average and reflected an offense that never found a rhythm in the rain.

Bucky Irving (RB): 15 carries for 55 yards, plus 2 catches for 26 yards and a receiving touchdown. Irving was Tampa Bay’s most complete offensive weapon, contributing in both the run and pass game.

Chris Godwin (WR): 5 catches for 55 yards on 8 targets. Godwin was Mayfield’s top target by volume, though he couldn’t turn that workload into a score.

Sean Tucker (RB): 7 carries for 29 yards and a touchdown. Tucker punched in Tampa Bay’s only rushing score of the day, a 1-yard plunge in the third quarter.

Statistical Leaders Summary Table

Why the Saints Won

Rookie Quarterback Rushing Damage

New Orleans built its entire offensive identity around Shough’s legs, and it paid off directly on the scoreboard.

Third-Down Discipline

New Orleans converted 45% of third downs compared to Tampa Bay’s 23%, which meant the Saints controlled the clock and kept Mayfield’s offense on the sideline for over 32 minutes of Buccaneers possession that never fully materialized into scoring chances.

Timely Special Teams Plays

A 54-yard kickoff return by Mason Tipton set up the opening touchdown, giving New Orleans short-field advantages that Tampa Bay’s own offense had to earn the hard way on longer drives.

Why the Buccaneers Lost

Red Zone Inefficiency

Tampa Bay settled for two field goals on trips that started with real scoring equity, including one drive that stalled after Godwin couldn’t corral a fourth-down pass at the Saints’ 47.

A Costly Fourth-Down Drop

Egbuka’s drop in the end zone on what would have been a tying touchdown forced the Bucs into a field goal instead of a go-ahead score with under five minutes left, a swing that ultimately decided the game.

Historical Context & Advanced Insights

Season Series Breakdown

Tampa Bay dominated the first meeting behind a defensive touchdown and a strong pass rush, but New Orleans flipped the script at home turf on the road, evening the season series and denying the Bucs a season sweep.

Advanced Statistical Insights

Mayfield’s passer rating of 55.1 reflected how little the Buccaneers’ aerial attack contributed on a wet field, while Shough’s 65.4 rating undersells his overall impact once his rushing production is factored in.

Tampa Bay actually out-gained New Orleans by 41 total yards and ran 14 more plays, yet still lost — a clear sign that yards-per-play efficiency and red-zone conversion mattered more than raw volume in this particular buccaneers vs saints match recap.

Game Implications & Key Lessons

What This Means for the Saints

• The win improved New Orleans to 3-10 and snapped a two-game losing streak heading into a home matchup with Carolina.
• Shough’s growing rushing production gives the Saints a legitimate building block at quarterback for 2026 and beyond.

What This Means for the Buccaneers

• The loss dropped Tampa Bay to 7-6 and pulled the team into a first-place tie in the NFC South.
• Red-zone execution and third-down conversion rate are now the clearest areas needing correction before the postseason push.

Key Lessons

• Mobile quarterbacks can neutralize a statistical advantage in total yards.
• Third-down efficiency often matters more than total offensive output.
• Red-zone touchdowns, not just red-zone trips, decide close divisional games.
• A single dropped pass in a critical situation can change a game’s entire outcome.
• Special teams field position can dictate an opponent’s offensive rhythm.
• Weather conditions tend to favor the run-heavy, ball-control approach.

FAQs

Who won the Buccaneers vs Saints game on December 7, 2025?

The New Orleans Saints won 24-20 on the road at Raymond James Stadium.

Who had the best rushing performance in this Buccaneers vs Saints match?

Tyler Shough led all rushers in impact with two touchdowns on 7 carries for 55 yards, while Devin Neal paced the Saints in volume with 70 yards on 19 carries.

What were Baker Mayfield’s stats in the Week 14 loss?

Mayfield finished 14-of-30 passing for 122 yards, one touchdown, and one interception, adding 42 rushing yards on 6 carries.

Did Tampa Bay outgain New Orleans in total yards?

Yes. The Buccaneers finished with 301 total yards to New Orleans’ 260, but conversion rates and red-zone results favored the Saints.

Who led the Buccaneers in receiving?

Chris Godwin led Tampa Bay with 5 catches for 55 yards on 8 targets.

What was the season series result between these two teams in 2025?

The teams split the series 1-1: Tampa Bay won the Week 8 meeting 23-3, and New Orleans won the Week 14 rematch 24-20.

Conclusion

This tampa bay buccaneers vs new orleans saints match player stats breakdown shows that total yardage rarely tells the full story in the NFL. New Orleans converted third downs, avoided costly red-zone mistakes, and let a rookie quarterback’s legs do the heavy lifting, while Tampa Bay’s volume-heavy approach broke down exactly when it mattered most. Efficiency and situational execution, not raw stat totals, decided this NFC South clash.