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DOWN X DOWN › week 18 › Buccaneers at Saints
Updated Nov 2, 5:48 PM ET
2026
2026this season2025final

Week 18 · Sunday 1:00 PM ET · Caesars Superdome

TBvsNO

Buccaneers offensevsSaints defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 8 games for Buccaneers, 7 for Saints. Ranks are out of 32; #1 is the best offense or the stingiest defense.

TB offenseNO offense
Keys to the game · where this matchup tilts, from the season numbers4 reads
01
Biggest edge

Ground game edge

Buccaneers average 5.0 yards per carry (3rd). Saints allow 4.8 (30th).

02
Opportunity

Deep left is open

Saints are worst against deep left throws, allowing +1.21 EPA per attempt. Buccaneers send 7% of their throws there. That is a small part of their offense so far.

03
Watch out

Pressure problem

Buccaneers take a sack on 10% of dropbacks (30th). Saints get home on 7% (11th). League average is 7%.

04
Wash

EPA per play

Call this one even. Buccaneers average -0.09 EPA per play (26th). Saints allow +0.08 (27th). League average is +0.00.

Players to watch

TB Buccaneers

6Baker MayfieldQB · 68/110 · 679 yds · 3 TD · 2 INTEPA per dropback -0.257Bucky IrvingRB · 147 car · 728 yds · 6 TD · 18 recEPA per touch -0.02 · 25th2Emeka EgbukaWR · 28 rec · 240 yds · 2 TD · 49 tgtEPA per target -0.2614Chris Godwin Jr.WR · 27 rec · 243 yds · 0 TD · 35 tgtEPA per target +0.1925Jacob ParrishNickel Back · 36 tackles · 2 INT · 13 PD2 INT · T-11th in the NFL27Zyon McCollumLeft Cornerback · 30 tackles · 2 INT · 9 PD2 INT · T-11th in the NFL

NO Saints

6Tyler ShoughQB · 183/273 · 1721 yds · 13 TD · 6 INTEPA per dropback +0.02 · 20th41Alvin KamaraRB · 41 car · 125 yds · 3 TD · 22 recEPA per touch -0.1012Chris OlaveWR · 49 rec · 636 yds · 2 TD · 71 tgtEPA per target +0.53 · 18th14Devaughn VeleWR · 33 rec · 348 yds · 3 TD · 48 tgtEPA per target +0.46 · 25th99Chase YoungStrongside Linebacker · 14 tackles · 7 sacks · 3 PD7 sacks · T-3rd in the NFL96Carl GrandersonWeakside Linebacker · 25 tackles · 5.5 sacks5.5 sacks · T-9th in the NFL
The series · Buccaneers and Saints since 1999, and this season's records51 meetings

The Saints lead the series 28–23 since 1999. Dec 7, 2025, at Raymond James Stadium: the Saints won 24–20. Baker Mayfield started at quarterback for the Buccaneers and Tyler Shough for the Saints; Todd Bowles and Kellen Moore coached.

Buccaneers at home9–16the Buccaneers' record
In New Orleans14–12the Buccaneers' record
Most pointsBuccaneers 51 · Saints 422024 · 2013
Biggest winBuccaneers by 27 · Saints by 412001 · 2012
Playoffs1–0the Buccaneers' record

The last 5

2025 · Wk 14NO 24 at TB 20
2025 · Wk 8TB 23 at NO 3
2024 · Wk 18NO 19 at TB 27
2024 · Wk 6TB 51 at NO 27
2023 · Wk 17NO 23 at TB 13

2026 records

BuccaneersSaints
Overall3–52–5
Division2–00–1
Conference3–21–3
Other conference0–31–2
Home1–40–4
Away2–12–1
Last 5LWLWWLLLWL
StreakWon 2Lost 1
Points a game22.3 – 18.923.1 – 27.7

Every meeting since 1999, regular season and playoffs, from nflverse's game list, which starts in 1999; the all-time series goes back further. Franchises that moved count as one team (the Raiders, Chargers and Rams). Home and away are from the Buccaneers' side. Records are this regular season.

The lineups · Buccaneers offense against the Saints defenseDepth charts
Saints defense · 3-4 DBuccaneers offense · 3WR 1TE78Wirfs68Bredeson62Barton69Mauch67Goedeke88Otton6Mayfield7Irving2Egbuka17Hurst14Godwin91Broughton93Shepherd94Jordan96Granderson99Young20Werner55Elliss22Emerson1McKinstry7Sanker21Reid23Blackmon

Buccaneers offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBBaker Mayfield#6 · 68/110 · 679 yds · 3 TD · 2 INT
  • RBBucky Irving#7 · 147 car · 728 yds · 6 TD · 18 rec
  • WREmeka Egbuka#2 · 28 rec · 240 yds · 2 TD · 49 tgt
  • WRChris Godwin Jr.#14 · 27 rec · 243 yds · 0 TD · 35 tgt
  • WRTed Hurst III#17 · 11 rec · 168 yds · 1 TD · 24 tgt
  • TECade Otton#88 · 19 rec · 186 yds · 0 TD · 30 tgt
  • LTTristan Wirfs#78
  • LGBen Bredeson#68
  • CGraham Barton#62
  • RGCody Mauch#69
  • RTLuke Goedeke#67

Saints defense · Base 3-4 D

  • RDEVernon Broughton#91 · 14 tackles
  • NTNathan Shepherd#93 · 12 tackles · 0.5 sacks
  • LDECameron Jordan#94 · 13 tackles
  • WLBCarl Granderson#96 · 25 tackles · 5.5 sacks
  • SLBChase Young#99 · 14 tackles · 7 sacks · 3 PD
  • RILBPete Werner#20 · 53 tackles · 2 sacks · 2 PD
  • LILBKaden Elliss#55 · 29 tackles · 1 PD
  • RCBMartin Emerson Jr.#22 · 18 tackles · 2 INT · 4 PD
  • LCBKool-Aid McKinstry#1 · 23 tackles · 6 PD
  • NBJonas Sanker#7 · 44 tackles · 1 PD
  • SSJustin Reid#21 · 37 tackles
  • FSJulian Blackmon#23 · 36 tackles · 2 INT · 2 PD

Starters from each team's current depth chart (nflverse, from ESPN), drawn in the offense's base three-receiver set against the defense's base front. The nickel back, the extra defensive back most teams use against three receivers, is drawn lighter. Left and right are as the offense sees the field. The toggle at the top flips which offense is drawn.

Head to head · TB offense against NO defense
StatTB TB offFavors TB · Favors NONO NO def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
-0.09#26
+0.08#27+0.00
Success rate
41%#26
49%#3144%
Yards per play
4.9#25
6.0#285.4
Explosive play rate
10%#11
11%#289%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
-0.23#31
+0.09#23+0.03
Sack rate
10%#30
7%#117%
Running
Run EPA per carry
-0.01#8
+0.04#31-0.08
Yards per carry
5.0#3
4.8#304.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
40%#14
51%#3041%
Red zone TD rate
52%#27
60%#1461%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
104#31
144#16147
TE yards per game
27#32
68#2755
TE targets per game
4.1#32
8.9#287.6
RB receiving yards per game
17#29
38#2432
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Buccaneers: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
-0.387% of throws
+0.113% of throws
+0.347% of throws
Short
-0.0334% of throws
+0.1412% of throws
-0.1837% of throws

Saints: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+1.2117 throws
+0.5010 throws
+0.2516 throws
Short
+0.0476 throws
+0.2538 throws
+0.0967 throws

Green gains more than expected, red loses value. Cells with fewer than 5 throws are grayed out.