First Quarter:
Tampa Bay’s kick coverage unit might manage to give a flag football team good starting field position if we ever saw the matchup. For the umpteenth week in a row the Buccaneers allowed a hefty kick return
right across midfield. With the field position of dreams, Tyler Shough engineered a fantastic opening drive picking apart the middle of the field, adding in a read option, and finished by handing the ball off for the first rushing touchdown of Devin Neal’s career. 7-0, Saints.
Can the Buccaneers respond? They can. Unfortunately, for Kameron Johnson he does not get to run back his kicks against Tampa Bay’s special teams unit. After setting up Tampa Bay just shy of the 35-yardline, Johnson got to look on— Watching Baker Mayfield, Bucky Irving, and Chris Godwin give Tampa Bay fans a reminder of what it feels like to he alive.
Mayfield started off 5/5, tossing the ball for 60 yards. 21 and 26 yards receiving for Chris Godwin and Bucky Irving respectfully, got Tampa Bay seven points of their own when the latter caught a short screen pass and took it the distance. 7-7, All even.
Second Quarter:
Quarter number two started out tied. Following a failed fourth down attempt by Josh Grizzard’s offense, the Saints pushed into field goal range. The missed kick by New Orleans, would not be capitalized on as the Bucs’ offense would follow up with Riley Dixon. New Orleans’ next drive was Zyon McCollum’s. A miscommunication on a deep ball from Shough gave Tampa’s corner one of the easiest interception opportunities of his career. Cashing in on the chance, McCollum set his offense up with fantastic starting field position. Chase McLaughlin booted the ball through the uprights and gave Tampa their first lead of the day. 10-7, Bucs.
The score still sat at a three point differential when the first half hit its two-minute warning. A long final two minutes would conclude with a Baker Mayfield heave into the end zone that would fall harmlessly to the ground. 10-7 at the half of a rain-filled slog in Tampa Bay.
Third Quarter:
With the ball first and the first turnover of the second half Tampa Bay’s momentum went from a downpour to misting. While the weather suffered no such decrescendo, Tyler Shough cashed in on Baker Mayfield’s interception. A read option carry and a long touchdown run for Shough gave the lead back to New Orleans. 14-10, Saints.
The Bucs’ offense has played a good bit of games without their superstars this season. Bucky Irving, one of the superstars to miss time this year, has seen his backups featured quite often. Throughout that process, new stars have shined, most notably Sean Tucker— Tampa’s third string runner who flashed an ability to take over games if called upon. With Irving stalled in the Raymond James Stadium mud (11 carries for 18 yards, 1.6 yards per rush), Josh Grizzard made a rare, highly positive strategic adjustment. Trailing for the first time since the game’s first quarter, Grizzard turned away from Bucky Irving and gave the Saints a dose of Sean Tucker. Tucker, a runner with a vastly different playstyle than Irving, took Tampa right down the field. On a drive that featured runs, runs, and a few more runs, Sean Tucker speared New Orleans’ defense and a carried them into the end zone with him as he crossed the goal line. 17-14, Buccaneers.
Responding to Tampa Bay’s touchdown, New Orleans got some points for their own— Adding another field goal and leaving the game tied at 17.
Fourth Quarter:
A Tampa Bay turnover on downs provided Bucs’ fans with an uneasy start the final quarter. New Orleans’ next drive would do nothing to quell that uneasy sensation. Missed tackles, dropped interceptions, third downs allowed, and just a general lack of quality football left those in attendance to watch Tyler Shough run in his second touchdown of the day. 24-17, Saints.
Three and a half quarters into a miserable Sunday rainy Sunday, Bucky Irving finally hit the gas and broke a long run. Irving’s run put Emeka Egbuka in the perfect position for a wide open dropped touchdown pass. Settling for a short field goal the Bucs slimmed New Orleans’ lead to four. 24-20, New Orleans.
Tampa Bay’s formerly great, transitioned to reliable, fell to solid, ultimately dipped to just okay, and has now slipped to bad, defense allowed Tyler Shough (A bottom-five, rookie quarterback) to run the clock down inside the two-minute warning.
1:48 seconds, no timeouts, and a chance at victory— A situation that favored Tampa Bay and Baker Mayfield like a father with his first-born son, has become the perfect personification of how far the team has fallen. The 2025 Tampa Bay Buccaneers were good, maybe even great, they are no longer. The Bucs are still 7-6 with everything in front of them, but they are not to be taken seriously until further notice.
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