Tyler Shough has stared down the two best teams in the NFC South — and beaten them both in their own buildings.
In a season that has delivered more frustration than fulfillment, the New Orleans Saints showed again that they’re far more competitive than their record suggests. Powered by their rookie quarterback’s poise and playmaking, the 3–10 Saints stunned the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24–20 on Sunday in a rain-soaked, mistake-filled divisional showdown that tightened an already chaotic NFC South race.
Shough, now 2–3 as a starter with both wins coming on the road against division leaders, ran for two touchdowns and finished with 144 yards passing and 55 rushing despite the driving storm that turned the afternoon into a battle of survival. His fourth-quarter 13-yard touchdown scramble — a Houdini act in which he spun free from Logan Hall and Vita Vea — put New Orleans ahead for good at 24–17 with just over eight minutes remaining.
The Buccaneers (7–6), four-time defending NFC South champions, have now dropped four of five and slipped into a first-place tie with Carolina. The two teams meet twice in the final three weeks, setting up a high-stakes sprint to the finish.
Tampa Bay still had chances. Plenty of them. After Shough’s go-ahead score, Mayfield marched the Buccaneers into striking distance. But Emeka Egbuka let a potential touchdown slip through his hands in the end zone, forcing Tampa Bay to settle for a 37-yard Chase McLaughlin field goal that trimmed the deficit to 24–20 with under five minutes left.
The Bucs got the ball back with 1:48 remaining and no timeouts, but the late-game magic they leaned on early in the season never materialized. Mayfield misfired twice, scrambled for 6 yards, and found Cade Otton for only 3 yards on fourth-and-4 — turning the ball over on downs and sealing the upset.
Mayfield finished just 14 of 30 for 122 yards and an interception in one of his least effective outings of the year.
Shough’s mobility defined the game. His 34-yard touchdown sprint on the opening drive of the second half — the longest of his career — gave New Orleans its first lead at 14–10. That advantage disappeared quickly after a costly 29-yard pass-interference penalty on Jonas Sanker set up Tampa Bay’s response drive, capped by Sean Tucker’s 1-yard touchdown run to go up 17–14.
Still, the rookie answered. A pair of fourth-down swings highlighted the third quarter: New Orleans converted on fourth-and-1 at the Tampa Bay 5 when Shough completed a short pass, only to have it erased by an illegal man downfield penalty. That forced the Saints to settle for Charlie Smyth’s 30-yard field goal to tie the game at 17–17.
New Orleans rarely sees early touchdowns — they had just one first-quarter TD all season entering Sunday — but Mason Tipton’s 54-yard opening kickoff return set the tone. The Saints started at the Tampa Bay 45, and Devin Neal capped the quick four-play drive with a 3-yard touchdown run to give New Orleans a 7–0 lead.
The Bucs leaned aggressively on fourth-down attempts throughout the first half, and it backfired. Carl Granderson blew up a fourth-and-1 pitch to Bucky Irving for a 7-yard loss. Later, Tucker was stuffed on a fourth-and-1 at the Saints’ 49. Even the Saints got burned on fourth-and-1 when Neal was dropped for a 3-yard loss by Haason Reddick on the very next series.
The only successful fourth-down try of the half came on Tampa Bay’s final drive, when Mayfield ran for 4 yards on fourth-and-1 — but the series ended with no points.
With All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs sidelined, undrafted rookie Benjamin Chukwama was thrust into his first NFL start for Tampa Bay. Against a motivated Saints front seven in bad weather, he held his own at times but the Bucs still struggled to establish rhythm or protection.
Saints: Return home to host Carolina next Sunday, looking to build on their most impressive win of the season. Buccaneers: Host Atlanta on Thursday night in a game that suddenly carries major division-title implications.
Behind Shough’s composure, resilience, and legs, the Saints reminded the NFC South that they aren’t done fighting — and reminded the Buccaneers that nothing comes easy in the storm.
