The Tampa Bay Buccaneers rushed out to a 17-0 first quarter lead in New Orleans on Sunday and left the Superdome with a 51-27 win over their NFC South archrivals. The game was a lot more dramatic than that sentence would indicate.

After giving up 27 points in a penalty and turnover-riddled second quarter to go into halftime with a three-point deficit, the Buccaneers were nearly unstoppable on offense in the second half, tacking on four more touchdowns. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay's defense turned up the pressure on rookie QB Spencer Rattler in the second half and held the Saints without a score after halftime.

"It says a lot about the growth of the team, the leadership of the team," said Head Coach Todd Bowles of the Bucs rebounding so thoroughly after that tough second-quarter stretch. "Obviously the guys accepted coaching and making adjustments in the second half, and coming out understanding what they've got to do. We didn't finish that game against Atlanta; we finished this one."

The Buccaneers scored touchdowns on three straight fourth-quarter drives to pull away and finished the game with a franchise-record 594 net yards of offense. The previous record was 588 yards against Detroit on Dec. 26, 2020 in a Tom Brady-led offense. The Buccaneers also ran for 277 yards, the third most in team history. And the team's 51 points marked just the second team in franchise history it topped 50, just behind a 55-40 thrashing of the Rams in Los Angeles in 2019.

The win completed an unusual and potentially distracting week for the Buccaneers, who left Tampa for New Orleans on Tuesday ahead of the anticipated landfall of Hurricane Milton. The team used two planes to transport players and many of their families and pets to the site of the game and conducted all of their practices and meetings in hotels and at Tulane University. The dominant win meant a little bit more to the team given what transpired back at home during the week.

"It makes it extra special for these guys," said Bowles of the emotional win. "The biggest thing [is] a lot of them were playing with heavy hearts, just seeing what was happening in Tampa Bay. Our hearts pour out to the city. It's a tough city. It's a strong city. We don't know what we're going back to, but in our small part, this time we wanted to win one for the city and we're going to try to help any way we can when we get back. After going through a week like this and coming out on top, it made the guys feel special."

The Buccaneers took at least a temporary lead in the NFC South with the win, improving to 4-2 and 1-1 in the division. The Atlanta Falcons also came into the game with a 3-2 record after beating the Buccaneers in Week Five and were set to play at Carolina in the late-afternoon window.

Baker Mayfield was intercepted three times -one more than in his first five games combined – but two were on deflected passes and he still threw for 325 yards and four touchdowns. His favorite target was WR Chris Godwin, who caught 11 passes for 125 yards and turned a little swing pass into a 55-yard third-quarter touchdown that gave the Bucs the lead they would never relinquish. Running back Sean Tucker also took a short pass 36 yards to the house in the second quarter for his first career touchdown and TE Cade Otton added an eight-yard score on third down in the fourth quarter.

"That was a full group effort on offense," said Mayfield. "Obviously we had a few bad situations there with some tipped balls. The first interception was definitely the worst one. Just not a good decision. The guy had it covered up pretty well. Don't flinch. There's going to be ups and downs but that's why you play 60 minutes. There are two halves for a reason. Just regroup and find a way."

After putting up was previously a season-high 160 yards in Atlanta in Week Five, the Bucs' running game exploded in New Orleans. Starter Rachaad White was out with a hamstring injury but Tucker gained 136 yards on 14 carries, the final one a five-yard touchdown run, and rookie Bucky Irving added 81 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. The Buccaneers averaged 7.9 yards per carry, the fourth-highest single-game mark in team annals.

"For guys like that to be able to step in and play like that, that's more than just a next-man-up mentality. That was a huge jump he just took today and I'm really, really happy for him. We've got a lot of competition in that room. We've got guys that can tote the rock, and when the offensive line is blocking like that, hats off to those guys. Especially late in the game, when they know we're running the ball, they're loading the box, there's going to be some guys that are unblocked. For them to make people miss and make those explosive plays was huge.

All three of Mayfield's interceptions came during a second quarter in which the Saints flipped the momentum with 20 points scored in the matter of five minutes. The run included a 54-yard punt return for a touchdown by WR Rashid Shaheed and 10 points scored off turnovers. The majority of Tampa Bay's season-high 12 penalties for 86 yards occurred in that second period, as well. The visiting team regrouped at halftime and played a much cleaner and more productive second half.

"We regrouped in the second half, got our composure," said Bowles. "I was proud to see it. The offense got clicking, the defense didn't give up a second-half score, so we turned it around against a tough team.

The Bucs clearly wanted this game badly, given the history of the series and the troubles back at home, in part to give the people in the Bay area a respite from their worries following the hurricane. That was quite plainly demonstrated during a sequence in the second half that began with Mayfield absorbing huge hits on an eight-yard scramble that came up inches short of a first down. He went into the sideline medical tent to have his ribs examined but was able to return to start the Bucs' next drive minutes later after a Zyon McCollum interception and followed Irving on a 31-yard breakaway run to throw blocks far downfield.

"I think it means a lot," said Godwin of the win. "At the end of the day, it's a game. There's a lot of real life happening back home. I think if were able to give some people a bit of a reprieve from the things that they are facing right now, that's a plus for us."

McCollum's interception sparked the Buccaneers' three-touchdown fourth-quarter onslaught and was his second pick of the season. Rookie safety Tykee Smith had his best game as a pro, snaring an interception in the fourth quarter and forcing a fumble that was returned 58 yards for a touchdown by safety Antoine Winfield Jr. on the Saints' first possession. Smith was all over the field, adding a quarterback hit and two passes defensed. Lavonte David led the team with nine tackles and added his third sack of the season. DLs Vita Vea, Calijah Kancey and Will Gholston also had sacks and OLB Chris Braswell split one with LB K.J. Britt.

"It was huge," said Bowles of McCollum's takeaway. "I think it was a three or four-point game at that time. To get it in the plus side of the field and get some momentum going and then going for another score right there was huge."

Rattler, making his first career start in place of the injured Derek Carr showed poise in the first half and frequently made downfield plays on designed rollouts. He completed 11 of 17 passes for 140 yards and a touchdown in the first half as the Saints gained 196 total yards before halftime. The second half was a different story, with Bowles throwing an endless variety of blitzes and simulated pressures at the rookie, who was 11 of 26 for 103 yards, one touchdown and two picks after halftime. The Saints gained just 107 yards and did not score in the second half

"It was composure, more or less," said Bowles. "And then we were setting the edge more with our outside guys instead of trying to drop him. We knew if we could cut him off from [escaping] the pocket and just keep him as a pocket passer we had a chance to get a little bit of pressure on him."

The Buccaneers and Saints combined to score 51 points in the first half, tying for the most in any NFL game this season. Tampa Bay hit halftime with a 288-196 yardage advantage but were down 3-1 in turnover ratio. Winfield's touchdown return and Shaheed's punt return score essentially cancelled each other out but the Bucs fell behind thanks to those three turnovers and nine costly first-half penalties.

Irving brought the opening kickoff out to the Bucs' 26 and Mayfield started the opening drive with a quick strike over the middle to Evans for 12 yards. A false start pushed the offense back five yards, but Mayfield scrambled left and threw on the run to Godwin in traffic for eight yards. Two plays later, on third-and-five, Godwin ran a quick curl on the right side and Mayfield found him for seven yards and a first down. The Bucs' QB stayed hot, finding WR Sterling Shepard on the left side for nine and then hitting Evans on a corner route for 22 more to the Saints' 19. A pitch left to Irving got the back to the edge and he sprinted down to the four. The Bucs went back to the air on first-and-goal, with Mayfield zipping a hard pass over the middle to Godwin for the score.

Rattler's first NFL pass was a good one, as he rolled right and found TE Juwan Johnson for a gain of 27 into Bucs territory. Rattler bobbled the snap on the next play and had to fall on the ball five yards behind the line of scrimmage. On the next play, S Tykee Smith knocked the ball out of Olave's hands and it was picked up and returned 58 yards for a touchdown by Winfield.

After another touchback, the Saints started again at their 30 and got seven yards on first down on a hard-charging run up the middle by Kamara. Two plays later, on third-and-three, WR Bub Means couldn't quite pull in a one-handed catch of a high pass on an out and the Saints had to punt. Rookie WR Jalen McMillan caught it at the Bucs' 21 and was immediately tackled at that spot.

Mayfield faked a handoff and rolled right, pump-faked to Godwin and then hit Shepard over the middle for nine. A pass-interference call on CB Paulson Adebo added 10 yards to the 40 but a tunnel screen to Godwin didn't work as well as usual, resulting in just four yards, but Tucker's first carry was a fast dash over left tackle for 11 yards. A personal foul on DE Carl Granderson tacked on 15 more to the Saints' 30. The Bucs then got tricky with a reverse fleaflicker call, but Mayfield had to check it down to Tucker, who escaped a tackler to get down to the 15. A delay of game flag and Mayfield's first incompletion made it second-and-15. A couple nifty moves by Mayfield on a scramble for 12 yards made it third-and-three but a shot under pressure to Evans in the end zone was out of reach. McLaughlin came on to hit a 26-yard field goal for a 17-point lead with four minutes left in the first quarter.

Jake Camarda dropped the ensuing kickoff at the one-yard line and it bounced into the end zone for the type of touchback that puts the ball at the 20. Kamara's first-down run only got two yards thanks to the rookie duo of Smith and Chris Braswell. Two plays later, Rattler converted a third-and-seven with a sharp sideline pass to Means for 10 yards. Rattler found Means again on a crosser on the next play for eight yards and CB Jamel Dean was shaken up making the tackle. Two plays later, Rattler took off on a third-down scramble and weaved through defenders for 16 yards to the Bucs' 45. Another play-action rollout worked again as Rattler found TE Foster Moreau down the right seam for 13 more. Calijah Kancey's tackle on Kamara a yard deep in the backfield brought the first quarter to a close. After Kamara got eight yards on an outlet pass on the left sideline, OLB Yaya Diaby wrapped up the veteran back on third-and-three and the Saints settled for K Blake Grupe's 42-yard field goal.

Irving took the next kickoff out to the Bucs' 24, but a 12-men-on-the-field penalty followed by a false start meant the drive started with a first-and-20. After two incompletions, a tunnel screen to Godwin didn't fool the Saints defense and it lost a yard. A personal foul at the end of the play on Shepard forced Camarda to punt out of his end zone and Shaheed took it 54 yards to the house to narrow the Bucs' lead to 17-10.

Tampa Bay's offense started its next drive at the 25 and got eight yards on an Irving run but gave 15 back on an unsportsmanlike conduct flag on Shepard. On the next snap, Adebo undercut a pass to Evans and intercepted it, running the ball back to the Bucs' 13.

The Saints' turnover-induced drive actually started at the 28 thanks to an unsportsmanlike conduct flag on New Orleans. Rattler rolled out again and ended up scrambling to the 23 and two plays later, on third-and-two, a holding call on Kancey erased a stop on Kamara and made it first down at the 14. Tampa Bay's defense bottled up a Shaheed end-around and a short pass to Kamara to make it third-and-seven. Rattler tried to scramble up the middle but Vea reached out with one hand to snag his jersey and bring him down for a zero-yard sack, leading to a 29-yard field goal by Grupe.

Starting again from the 28, Mayfield missed Godwin on first down but threw on target to McMillan on the next play. Unfortunately, the ball bounced off the receiver right to S Johnathan Abram for an interception that was returned to the 10. That set up a one-play touchdown drive as Rattler hit Means in the left edge of the end zone for the go-ahead score.

A holding call on G Ben Bredeson erased a tough seven-yard run by Irving but two plays later WR Ryan Miller turned his first NFL catch into a 39-yard gain to the Saints' 40. Three plays later, on third-and-six, Tucker released out into the right flat and Mayfield found him on the run, giving the second-year back a chance to weave through the defense for a 36-yard touchdown.

After a touchback, Smith forced a throwaway on second down with a good blitz. However, Rattler escaped out to his right on third-and-five and hit Means on the sideline for a gain of 14. On the next play, rattler stood in under pressure and found Moreau down the middle for 41 yards to the Bucs' seven. Two Kamara runs from there took it in and gave the lead back to the Saints.

An incompletion and a quick out to Godwin made it third-and-four, and Mayfield found the same target on the next snap for 21 yards up the left seam, bringing on the two-minute warning. After the break, Shepard couldn't hold onto a short pass on first down. On second down, DT Bryan Bresee deflected Mayfield's pass at the line and it was intercepted by DE Cameron Jordan at the Saints' 40.

A defensive holding call on CB Zyon McCollum moved the ball to the 45 and Kamara got the ball across midfield on a seven-yard run to the left. A short out to Means got out of bounds with a first down at the Bucs' 45, followed by two Rattler throwaways under heavy pressure. Winfield blitzed quickly into the backfield on third down and hit rattler as he threw to force an errant throw.

The ensuing punt went down to the Bucs' 19 and the Bucs got a first down on a nine-yard run by Irving and a short pass to Shepard. Tampa Bay used its first timeout with 19 seconds left in the half. An offside call on the Saints added five yards but also took the clock down to 14 seconds. Mayfield's next pass was broken up over the middle and a pass to Otton got the ball to the 36 with five seconds left. The Bucs pitched it around a bit on the final play of the half but got just over midfield as time expired.

The Saints got the ball to start the second half and got off to a good start with yet another rollout pass by Rattler to Shaheed. Rattler went much deeper to Shaheed two plays later but McCollum was there to knock it away. Rattler converted a third-and-nine with a strike down the middle to Johnson, then faced a third-and-six three snaps later and this time wasn't able to move the chains. Rattler did hit Means right at the line to gain but Smith knocked the ball out of the receiver's hands. The play was originally ruled a fumble, recovered by McCollum, but the play was reviewed and overturned into an incompletion. The Saints punted and McMillan fair caught it at the Bucs' eight.

Godwin stiff-armed a defender on short pass to turn a loss into a seven-yard gain on first down. Two plays later, on third-and-four, a deep shot down the left side to Evans was incomplete and the Bucs punted back.

New Orleans got the ball again at their own 45 but went backward on back-to-back sacks, the first split by Kenny Britt and Chris Braswell and the second split by Kancey and Logan Hall. A draw play to Jamaal Williams got just nine and the Saints punted it back to the Bucs' eight again.

Tucker cut back to the middle on a first-down run and picked up six, then took a short pass just past the sticks for a first down. A nine-yard scramble by Mayfield two plays later made it first down at the 30, and a second-effort run by Tucker tackled on 10. Two snaps later, Godwin took a short pass out to the right, veered in to get past two defenders then bounced off a would-be tackle to break free for a 55-yard score.

After a touchback, OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka blew up an attempted screen to Kamara, who caught a short pass on second down for two yards. An illegal shift flag on the Saints erased a big gain for Johnson and a blitz on third-and-13 forced Rattler into an off-target throw to Kamara. The resulting punt took the ball down to the Bucs' 33.

An end-around to Shepard got nine yards to start the next drive, but the Saints got most of it back on Willie Gay's eight-yard sack. An unbelievable scramble by Mayfield that included several sacks avoided in the backfield, came up inches short of a first down at the 42. Mayfield was shaken up on the play which likely played into the decision to punt. Camarda's first punt, which resulted in Shaheed being tackled inside the 10, was erased by a penalty on the Bucs, and the second kick bounced out of bounds at the 18.

A scramble for eight and a run for five by Kamara moved the chains as the third quarter came to an end. The Bucs took it away on the first play of the fourth quarter, as Rattler tried to go over the top to Shaheed but had it intercepted by a leaping McCollum at the Bucs' 42.

The Bucs got the ball inside the Saints' 10 in just two plays, starting with Irving's ridiculous 31-yard run that journeyed all over the field. From the 27, Tucker then got around left end for 18 yards, with a late hit flag at the end taking the ball down to the Saints' four. The Saints burned a timeout to avoid a 12-men-on-the-field penalty, and Irving then took a toss-sweep right to the three. The Bucs drew an offensive pass interference penalty to back it up to the 13 and a swing pass to Shepard got it back to the eight. Mayfield bought time to survey the field on third down and eventually delivered the ball to Otton, who went low to haul it in just over the goal line. The Bucs went for two to try to get a 12-point lead but another swing pass to Shepard failed.

Tampa Bay's defense continued to dial up the heat on Rattler, with David sacking him on first down and heavy pressure on third down forcing the young quarterback to heave it blindly in Shaheed's direction. It sailed out of bounds incomplete and the Saints punted it, with McMillan getting 11 yards to the Bucs' 29 on the return.

After a four-yard run by Tucker, Shepard took a toss to the left, got around the corner and tiptoed down the sideline for a gain of 24 across midfield. Tucker cut and bobbed between tacklers on the next play to get 13 more to the Saints' 30. Runs by Tucker and Irving picked up another first down at the 20 but the Saints picked up another end-around to Shepard, with Chase Young dropping him for a loss of seven. The Bucs called a timeout almost exactly at the midway point of the fourth quarter. On third-and-16, Mayfield threw a long-developing screen pass to Irving, who sliced through traffic to get 18 and a first down at the eight. On the next snap, Irving went straight up the middle and absorbed a hard hit at the goal line to get within inches of the touchdown. Irving got it in over left guard on the next play.

With a 17-point lead, the Bucs' defense started laying back to kill the clock and a trio of underneath receptions got the Saints 28 yards to get into Bucs' territory. A deep shot to Shaheed was over the target and Smith picked off the next pass in front of Shaheed at the Bucs' 36.

Tucker broke free again on the next play and gained 36 yards to the Saints' 28. His next two runs accounted for three yards and the Saints used a timeout with 2:41 left. Tucker then got around the left end for 12 more and a first down at the 13. Tucker got eight yards on his next carry and, after the two-minute warning, loped around left end for a five-yard touchdown.

The Bucs were concerned only with the clock on the Saints' final drive and Rattler was able to get his team down to the Bucs' 21. However, Gholston sacked the rookie passer on the final play as the clock ran down to zero.