Saints-Buccaneers result: Live updates, NFC game news | Saints

The New Orleans Saints host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at noon in a game that will have a big impact on the NFC South. Stay up to date with the score and live updates here.

Rookie Spencer Rattler will make his first career start for the Saints (2-3). The Buccaneers enter the game with a record of 3-2.

The two teams split the season series a year ago, with the Buccaneers winning Game 1 in New Orleans and the Saints getting revenge on New Year's Eve in Tampa.

Below are live updates from the game at Caesars Superdome.

UPDATED, 1:06 p.m.: After Adebo's interception return, Alontae Taylor was called for his own unsportsmanlike conduct, giving the Saints a vital 15-yard gain. Even on replay, I couldn't see what Taylor was doing.

Tough formation for the Saints and they will be kicked out. Dallin Holker was wide open in the end zone, but Rattler had already hidden and started running. He gets 5.

Wow. On third down, Kamara is stuffed, but the Bucs have to hold on defensively on a run game. This is new and a free first down for New Orleans.

The drive then stops. Rattler starts to get out and run pretty quickly, and on that third descent the big Vita Vea pulled him down by the arm.

So it's a field goal attempt for Grupe, just a 29-yarder. It's good, and the Bucs' lead is down to 17-13 exactly 9 minutes before halftime.

UPDATED, 1:01 p.m.: Sterling Shepard just picked up his second unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on two drives and was sent off. The Bucs were up 17-0 and had lost their collective mind.

Now Mayfield throws wildly over the middle and Adebo catches it! He returns inside the 20 and the Saints are on the verge of erasing a huge deficit in under five minutes. Wow.

UPDATED, 12:57 p.m.: Two consecutive penalties against the Bucs before their first snap on the next drive, so it's first-and-20. A sudden sloppiness from Tampa Bay, now at 14.

Mayfield is under pressure and throws low and incomplete for Evans, then misses Godwin down the sideline. So now third and 20, and a chance for the Saints to build some momentum and give the offense some good field position.

The crowd senses the moment and increases the volume. Screen pass and Demario Davis missed the ball for a 2-yard loss. There's one flag down, though – it's unnecessarily rough in Tampa Bay, which will give the Bucs even more of a tailwind.

Jake Camarda, who was benched last week for the Bucs' Thursday night loss in Atlanta, is back in the lineup and stumbles about three feet from the back of the end zone. He gets it away, but Shaheed will have a chance to give it back.

A good chance. He makes a cut and is free on the outside. And this guy is fast. Touchdown, Saints, and this second quarter couldn't feel more different than the first. And it hasn't even been two minutes yet.

Grupe's PAT is good and is easily 17-10.

UPDATED, 12:48 p.m.: A short pass to Kamara and then a run stuff ends the Saints drive. Blake Grupe is up for a 42-yard field goal, and that's good.

So New Orleans is on the agenda. Tampa Bay leads 17-3 with 13:43 left in the half.

And as you can see below, Olave will not be returning with a concussion.

Chris Olave is out with a concussion.

— Matthew Paras (@Matthew_Paras) October 13, 2024

UPDATED, 12:44 p.m.: Michael Thomas tweets back. Now that Derek Carr isn't in the starting lineup, he retweeted a video of Rattler warming up and asked for a “targeting” call on Olave (there's no such thing as targeting in the NFL, but it could have been unnecessarily harsh /should).

Big celebration for Rattler, who won the first down with a third-and-4 duel. This crowd is upset with the team, but is happy to watch Rattler now complete Foster Moreau for another first down.

As we near the end of the first quarter, the Saints have their deepest drive of the day at the Bucs 32.

The final play of the quarter will be a run stuff by Alvin Kamara running over left tackle.

Bucs 17, Saints 0. In the words of Vince Lombardi, hope is not a strategy.

UPDATED, 12:34 p.m.: We're playing the hits today. Paulson Adebo flagged a pass interference and gave the Bucs a first down at the 40 mark. This is, I believe, his eighth flag this year.

Willie Gay receives an unnecessary roughness penalty on the next snap. I didn't see what Gay did, but that's exactly what the Saints needed from McCollum on the Olave goal and didn't get it.

Now Mayfield is backing up running back Sean Tucker, and he has plenty of room to run. First descent on the 15th.

The Bucs ultimately have to settle for a field goal here. A nice (maybe a little lucky?) pass breakup from Alontae Taylor, who hit a pass intended for Evans in the end zone on third down.

So the Saints finally get a stop, but it ends with a Chase McLaughlin field goal. 17-0 Bucs in a disastrous first quarter for the Saints.

UPDATED, 12:22 p.m.: The air is out of this place. The Saints are in a terrible position here, as they're down two touchdowns less than seven minutes into the game and a rookie quarterback is now forced to play catch-up without his top receiver.

Third and third in the first series. Rattler's throw too far for Bub Means. The saints will sting.

The Saints had Rattler throw to Bub Means while Nick Saldiveri and Landon Young blocked. This is a preseason game. Right? Right?

UPDATED, 12:19 p.m.: Call stand. The Bucs lead 13-0 until the extra point. If I'm on the Saints, I'm angry that there wasn't a personal foul for the helmet-to-helmet hit.

Zyon McCollum will be fined for this hit, but that won't help New Orleans.

The extra point is good and it's 14-0 down from midway through the first quarter.

UPDATED, 12:17 p.m.: Well, Rattler barely escaped the pressure, rolled right and found Juwan Johnson for a 27-yard gain. That's enough for starters.

He then fumbled the snap and lost 5 yards. So this is the Spencer Rattler Experience.

Oh boy. He completes just before Chris Olave, who is hit hard and makes a fumble. Antoine Winfield grabs the ball for Tampa Bay and storms down the sideline. Landing. Oof.

They're going to go over this again to see if Olave ever had it… Looking at the replay, I don't think he had it. He also left the field with a possible concussion. And from the replay it was clear that this hit was helmet-to-helmet and probably should have been flagged.

We'll see what the Replay Center says.

UPDATED, 12:12 p.m.: Baker Mayfield was 6 of 6 for 62 yards on that drive. Saints just need to find a way to influence him or the recipients. Far too easy so far.

Now we see what young Spencer Rattler can accomplish in his first appearance of the regular season. The moment many fans have been waiting for, and they react with huge cheers as he jogs across the field.

UPDATED, 12:09 p.m.: The Bucs went for four first downs, the last being a cross route from Baker Mayfield to Mike Evans that put Tampa Bay near the red zone.

The most important play on the drive so far was a 7-yard completion on third-and-5 from Mayfield to Chris Godwin. The Saints defense offers a little too much cushion there.

And with all the debate about the offensive line and backup quarterback, this defense is often overlooked. But it's becoming a big problem.

Here's Bucs rookie running back Bucky Irving on a throwing play. He has a ton of space and is inside the 10, all the way down to the 4. Mayfield to Godwin on a slant, touchdown.

Man, the Saints defense was a sieve on this drive. Only a third less. The Bucs lead 7-0 with 10:05 left in the first period.

UPDATED, 12:01 p.m.: We just had a rousing national anthem followed by loud cheers for Spencer Rattler as he was introduced to the audience as the starter.

By the way, the crowd still seems to be streaming in as we approach kick-off. I can't see many Bucs fans, but still some empty seats, especially at the ends.

Captains go for coin tosses. The Bucs win the toss and want the ball.

A stripped-down Jeremy Shockey is here to do the Who Dat vocals. We are ready to go.

UPDATED, 11:10 a.m.: Welcome back to the Saints live blog. I'm Times-Picayune deputy sports editor Zach Ewing, and I'm here to give you some updates, some analysis and some social media reaction to today's Saints vs. Buccaneers game.

The big news, as you know, is that rookie Spencer Rattler is starting at quarterback for the Saints. We'll see how Rattler performs, but pregame inactivity has created an additional obstacle for him: Lucas Patrick is inactive, meaning three regular offensive line starters – all on the interior – are gone for the Saints, the Most likely Nick Saldiveri and Landon Young will start at the guard spots and Conner McGovern at center.

Also not playing today is running back Kendre Miller, who was placed on injured reserve on Saturday but is inactive for one game day.

For the Bucs, running back Rachaad White and starting center Graham Barton are notable inactives.

Obviously, this is a big problem for the Saints, who are one game behind the Bucs and Falcons in the NFC South and would fall behind both in the tiebreaker system if they couldn't win today. They would also, you know, like to end this three-game losing streak.

Back with more before kick-off in around 50 minutes.