Honestly, the weather in Tampa on December 7, 2025, felt like a bad omen from the jump. A persistent, driving rain turned Raymond James Stadium into a slippery mess, and if you're a Bucs fan, the resulting 24-20 loss to the New Orleans Saints probably still stings. It wasn't just a loss. It was a sloppy, mistake-riddled afternoon that basically handed the Saints a win they desperately needed to snap a two-game skid.
Baker Mayfield looked human. Very human.
In conditions where you’d expect the veteran to thrive on grit, the offense sputtered, finishing a measly 3-of-13 on third downs. You can’t win professional football games like that. Especially not against a division rival that smells blood in the water.
The Shough Factor and the Short Field
Most people expected Derek Carr or perhaps a healthy dose of Alvin Kamara. Instead, we got rookie Tyler Shough and a heavy ground game because Kamara was sidelined with those nagging knee and ankle issues. Shough didn't light up the stat sheet through the air—he only threw for 144 yards—but he was a nightmare on the ground.
The kid ran for two touchdowns.
The biggest one was a 34-yarder where he looked completely untouched. It’s sort of embarrassing when a rookie quarterback weaves through your defense like he’s playing a video game on easy mode, but that’s exactly what happened in the third quarter.
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Why Field Position Was Everything
The Saints didn't actually outgain the Buccaneers by much. Tampa had 301 total yards to New Orleans' slightly lower total, but the Saints played the field position game like masters.
- Mason Tipton’s 54-yard opening kickoff return put the Saints at the Bucs' 45-yard line immediately.
- A holding penalty on a Tampa punt later in the game erased a good return and pinned Baker deep.
- Short fields became the theme of the day.
When you're playing in a monsoon, every yard of field position is worth triple. The Bucs kept giving the Saints a head start, and eventually, the bill came due.
Mayfield’s Struggles and the Egbuka Drops
We have to talk about Emeka Egbuka. It’s tough to be hard on a rookie, but this was a rough one for him. With Tet McMillan on a bye, Egbuka had a real chance to cement himself in the Rookie of the Year race. Instead, he ended the day with just 15 yards.
Worse than the stats were the drops. He had two absolute heartbreakers. One was on a critical third down, and the other was an end-of-the-game pass in the end zone that literally could have won the game for Tampa Bay. If he catches that, we’re talking about a gutsy come-from-behind win. Instead, it’s just another "what if" in a season full of them.
Baker Mayfield’s final line—14 for 30 for 122 yards, one touchdown, and one pick—doesn't tell the whole story. He was under fire. Without Tristan Wirfs protecting the blind side (he was out with a knee injury), rookie Benjamin Chukwuma had to step in. Chukwuma actually held his own for a first career start, but the cohesion just wasn't there. Mayfield was sacked twice and hurried constantly by Carl Granderson and the Saints' front four.
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The Defensive Silver Lining
It wasn't all bad news for the local crowd. Vita Vea is still a mountain of a man who makes life miserable for everyone in his vicinity. He finished with five tackles and a sack, and for a while, it looked like the Bucs' defense might actually bail out the offense.
Chris Braswell Jr. also showed some serious flash. He notched a 13-yard sack on Shough that absolutely killed a Saints drive in the second quarter.
But the "big play" bug bit the secondary at the worst times. Even with Zyon McCollum snagging a beautiful interception and returning it 20 yards, the defense couldn't stop Shough from scrambling when it mattered most. When you hold a team to 13 completions, you usually expect to win. You don't expect the quarterback to beat you with his legs for 55 yards and two scores.
Breaking Down the Scoring
- First Quarter: Devin Neal (another rookie!) punched in a 3-yard TD for the Saints. Bucs answered with a 24-yard swing pass to Bucky Irving to tie it at 7.
- Second Quarter: Chase McLaughlin hit a 41-yard field goal. 10-7 Bucs.
- Third Quarter: Shough’s 34-yard run made it 14-10 Saints. Sean Tucker (who has been a beast lately) answered with a 1-yard plunge. 17-14 Bucs.
- The Collapse: Charlie Smyth tied it with a field goal, and then Shough put the dagger in with a 13-yard TD run with eight minutes left.
The final score of 24-20 was solidified when the Bucs' last-gasp fourth-down attempt fell short. It was a classic NFC South "rock fight."
Looking Ahead: The Actionable Path for Tampa Bay
The division lead is gone for now, or at least it’s dangerously thin. If the Bucs want to salvage the 2025-26 season after this Tampa Bay New Orleans Saints game, they have to address a few glaring issues immediately.
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First, the third-down conversion rate is a crisis. You cannot go 3-for-13 and expect to beat playoff-caliber teams. Offensive coordinator Liam Coen needs to find ways to get the ball out of Baker's hands faster, especially when the weather isn't cooperating.
Second, the kick return coverage needs a complete overhaul. Giving up 50+ yards on a return is basically giving the opponent free points. It puts the defense in a hole before they even step onto the turf.
Finally, they need Tristan Wirfs back. Benjamin Chukwuma was a "good" story for an undrafted kid, but he isn't an All-Pro. The lack of a veteran presence on the left side changed how the Bucs had to call plays.
Your Next Steps:
Keep a close eye on the injury report for Week 15. If Wirfs and Bucky Irving (who also dealt with foot/shoulder issues) aren't back to 100%, the Bucs are going to have to lean even harder on Sean Tucker and Rachaad White to carry the load. Also, watch the waiver wire for secondary depth; the Saints exposed some spacing issues in the Tampa defensive backfield that other teams will surely try to copy.