The Buccaneers spent Weeks Four through Seven of the 2025 season in a series of battles against top NFC contenders in other divisions, from Philadelphia to Seattle to San Francisco to Detroit. They emerged from that gauntlet with a 5-2 record that is tied for the best in the conference, and will now dive back into NFC South contention with a game in New Orleans prior to the Bucs' bye week.
The Buccaneers opened the season with a 23-20 win in Atlanta but that was their only game against a division foe in the first seven weeks. Now they will take on the 1-6 Saints, who are coming off a 26-14 loss on the road to the Chicago Bears in Week Seven. Prior to that, the Saints beat the New York Giants in Week Five and lost a close six-point game to the New England Patriots in Week Six.
The Buccaneers will be looking to rebound from their least dynamic performance of the season so far in a 24-9 Monday Night Football loss at Ford Field. Wide receiver Mike Evans was lost to a broken clavicle in the first half and the Bucs' usually explosive passing attack had trouble getting into synch other than a nifty 22-yard touchdown by rookie Tez Johnson off a screen pass. Baker Mayfield threw the ball a season-high 50 times, completing 28 for 228 yards, one touchdown and one interception, just his second pick of the season. Jamel Dean recorded a career-high third interception of the season and four different Bucs defenders got to Jared Goff for a sack, including Yaya Diaby to give him a team-leading 4.0 on the season.
The Saints fell behind 20-0 to the Bears in the first half on Sunday and were not able to get back into the game despite two touchdown passes from Spencer Rattler to Chris Olave. Rattler was picked off three times by the Chicago defense, after he threw just one pick in the Saints' first six outings. In his first full season as the starter, the 2024 fifth-round pick has thrown for 1,450 yards and eight touchdowns while also running for 155 yards. Olave is the team's most productive receiver, with 44 catches for 440 yards and three touchdowns, and ageless veteran Alvin Kamara continues to pace the Saints' ground game with 342 yards, plus another 25 catches. Defensive end Carl Granderson leads the defense with 4.5 sacks and cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry has a team-best two interceptions.
The Saints and Buccaneers own the last eight NFC South titles, with New Orleans taking the division for four years in a row (2017-20) before the Bucs matched that streak over the last four campaigns. No team has ever won the South in five straight seasons. The Buccaneers have won five of the six meetings over the last three seasons and last year set a franchise record with 594 yards of offense in a 51-27 victory in the Superdome.
