{{pageModel.leagueAbbr}} {{pageModel.subtitle}} | Las Vegas Review-Journal
National Football League
Tampa Bay 26, New Orleans 9
When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, October 1, 2023
Where: Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, Louisiana
Temperature: Dome
Head Official: Shawn Hochuli
Attendance: 70003

Baker Mayfield threw three touchdown passes and the Tampa Bay defense did not allow a touchdown as the visiting Buccaneers defeated the New Orleans Saints 26-9 on Sunday afternoon.

Mayfield completed 25 of 32 passes for 246 yards and threw touchdowns of 4 yards to Cade Otton, 1 yard to Trey Palmer and 5 yards to Deven Thompkins.

Saints running back Alvin Kamara made his season debut after serving a three-game suspension for violating the NFL's personal conduct policy and quarterback Derek Carr started despite a sprained AC joint in throwing shoulder sustained a week earlier in a loss at Green Bay.

But the Bucs (3-1) held Kamara to 51 yards on 11 rushes and 33 yards on 13 pass receptions while Carr completed 23 of 37 for 127 yards. New Orleans (2-2) managed just 197 total yards and three field goals by Blake Grupe.

Grupe kicked a 32-yard field goal to pull New Orleans within 14-6 at the end of the third quarter.

Chase McLaughlin's 51-yard field goal pushed the lead to 17-6 with 13:31 left in the game.

Grupe's 44-yarder got the Saints within eight points, but Mayfield's 5-yard touchdown to Thompkins increased the lead to 23-9 with 3:44 left.

After a Carr fumble, McLaughlin kicked a 28-yard field goal to complete the scoring with 2:24 left.

On the first possession of the game, Carr passed for 17 yards and Kamara ran for 9 yards, leading to Grupe's 37-yard field goal for a 3-0 lead that held up through the end of the first quarter.

Mayfield's touchdown pass to Otton was the fourth third-down conversion in as many tries during a 17-play, 87-yard drive that gave the Bucs a 7-3 lead.

The Saints stopped a scoring threat when Isaac Yiadom intercepted Mayfield at the Saints 1-yard line in the final minute of the first half. But on the next play, Antoine Winfield Jr. forced a fumble by Adam Prentice and recovered the ball at the 6.

Two plays later, Mayfield connected with Palmer with 19 seconds left, increasing Tampa Bay's lead to 14-3 at halftime.

--Field Level Media

Top Game Performances
Rushing
Tampa Bay   New Orleans
Rachaad White Player Alvin Kamara
15 Attempts 11
56 Yards 51
3.7 Avg Yards 4.6
0 Touchdowns 0
11 Long 13
Receiving
Tampa Bay   New Orleans
Chris Godwin Player Michael Thomas
8 Receptions 4
114 Yards 53
14.2 Avg Yards 13.2
0 Touchdowns 0
42 Long 20
Team Stats Summary
 
  Yards Scoring Defense
Team Tot Rus Pas TD FG INT Sck FF
Tampa Bay 353 114 239 3 2 1 3.0 2
New Orleans 197 70 127 0 3 1 1.0 0
Upcoming Games
  • New Orleans will play their next game on the road against New England. The Saints have a W/L % of .500 after a win and .500 after a loss.
  • Tampa Bay will play their next game at home against Detroit. The Buccaneers have a W/L % of .667 after a win and 1.000 after a loss.