Buccaneers vs Saints Data Crunch

Sophomore running back Sean Tucker led the dominant rushing attack with 136 yards on 14 carries, an average of 9.7 yards per tote. The marked the third-highest per-carry average in franchise history with at least 10 carries in a game.

Most yards per carry, Buccaneers player, team history (min. 10 attempts)

1. 10.1…Ricky Bell, vs. New Orleans, October 14, 1979 (10-101)
2. 10.0…Doug Martin, in Oakland, November 4, 2012 (25-251)
3. 9.7…Sean Tucker, in New Orleans, October 13, 2024 (14-136)
4. 9.6…Ronald Jones, vs. Atlanta, December 29, 2019 (11-106)
5. 9.6…Warrick Dunn, vs. Dallas, December 3, 2000 (22-210)

Entering the game, Tucker had a career total of 30 rushing yards and 23 receiving yards, for a total of 53 yards from scrimmage. Against the Saints, he gained 56 yards on three catches and scored on both a 36-yard reception and a five-yard run. He became the first Buccaneer to score on both a run and a pass since Leonard Fournette did so against Atlanta on October 9, 2022. Tucker's performance marked only the sixth time in team history that a Buccaneer player gained 192 or more yards from scrimmage and scored multiple touchdowns in a single game. Doug Martin and Warrick Dunn have each achieved this feat twice, James Wilder once.

Rookie runs back Bucky Irving also had a productive afternoon in the Superdome, rushing 14 times for 81 yards (5.8 average) and a touchdown and catching two passes for 24 yards. Shades of “Thunder and Lightning”… This was only the fourth time in team history that two Buccaneer running backs each had more than 100 yards from scrimmage and at least one touchdown in a game, and the first time that Mike Alstott did not was involved. Alstott and Dunn (the aforementioned Thunder & Lightning duo) achieved this feat together twice, while Alstott and Errict Rhett did it once.

quarterback Baker Mayfield led the passing attack, completing 24 of 36 passes for 325 yards, four touchdowns, three interceptions and a 97.6 passer rating. Two of Mayfield's three interceptions came on unfortunate pass deflections, and his performance was otherwise so strong that he became the first NFL quarterback in five years to throw three interceptions in a game and still have a passer rating better than 95.

Mayfield set a career-high with those four touchdown passes, marking the second time he did so as a Buccaneer and the third time in his career. He is the only quarterback in the NFL to have two games with four or more touchdown passes this season. Mayfield leads the NFL with 15 touchdown passes through six weeks. He is also second in the NFL with a passer rating of 109.4.

Most touchdown passes, NFL, 2024

1. Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers: 15

2t. Joe Burrow, Bengals: 12

2t. Jordan Love, Packers: 12

4. Sam Darnold, Vikings: 11

5t. CJ Stroud, Texans: 10

5t. Lamar Jackson, Ravens: 10

Highest passer rating, NFL, 2024

1. Joe Burrow, Bengals: 110.3
2. Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers: 109.4
3. Lamar Jackson, Ravens: 108.4
4. Jayden Daniels, Commander: 107.1
5. Jared Goff, Lions: 105.3

Wide receiver Chris Godwin was Mayfield's favorite target that day. Godwin caught 11 of 13 passes intended for him and converted them for 125 yards and two touchdowns. It was the 22nd 100-yard reception game of the regular season for Godwin, who ranks second in Bucs history in that category Mike Evansat 36. Both Evans and Godwin are tied for the NFL lead with five touchdown receptions this season.

Most touchdown receptions, 2024

1t. Mike Evans, Buccaneers: 5

1t. Chris Godwin, Buccaneers: 5

1t. Ja'Marr Chase, Bengals: 5

1t. George Kittle, 49ers: 5

Godwin has recorded at least five receptions and at least 50 receiving yards in every game this season, and his streak of seven such games dating back to last season is the longest active streak in the NFL. He has the second-most games that meet this criteria since 2019, just two behind the leader.

Most games with five-plus receptions, 50-plus receiving yards, NFL, 2019-24

1. Stefon Diggs, Vikings/Bills/Texans: 56

2t. Chris Godwin, Buccaneers: 54

2t. Davante Adams, Packers/Raiders: 54

4. Travis Kelce, Chiefs: 53

5. Tyreek Hill, Chiefs/Dolphins: 50

Of Godwin's 125 yards rushing Sunday at the Superdome, 105 came after he caught the ball, marking his highest YAC total in a single game. The other such case also occurred against New Orleans during the 2021 season. Godwin increased his YAC total to 335 in 2024, leading all NFL players by a significant margin.

Most yards after catch, NFL, 2024

1. Chris Godwin, Buccaneers: 335
2. Ja'Marr Chase, Bengals: 276
3. CeeDee Lamb, Cowboys: 234
4. Jayden Reed, Packers: 229
5. Austin Ekeler, Commander: 227th

Godwin's second touchdown of the game came in the third quarter on a short pass that he converted into an electrifying 55-yard score. He caught the ball a foot behind the line of scrimmage, so his YAC on that one play totaled 55.5 yards. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, the expected number of yards after the catch on that play, based on the position of the defenders when he caught the ball, was just 8.6.

Mayfield has a passer rating of 138.3 when throwing to Godwin. Among players with at least 20 targets in 2024, Godwin ranks third in the NFL in passer rating when targeted.

Highest Team Passer Rating in Targeted Attack, NFL, 2024 (minimum 20 targets)