Baker Mayfield threw two touchdown passes and the host Tampa Bay Buccaneers came from behind to defeat the New Orleans Saints 27-19 and win their fourth consecutive NFC South title Sunday.
In addition to securing a playoff spot, Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans reached 1,000 yards receiving for the 11th consecutive season to tie Jerry Rice’s NFL record, hitting the mark on the final play of the regular season.
Mayfield passed for 221 yards and rushed for 68, but the Buccaneers (10-7) didn’t lead until he threw a 32-yard touchdown pass to Jalen McMillan with 10:09 left in the game. Tampa won for the sixth time in seven games and will host a playoff game next weekend.
Blake Grupe kicked four field goals and rookie Spencer Rattler passed for a season-high 240 yards and a touchdown for the Saints (5-12), who lost their last four games.
The Bucs received the second-half kickoff and drove to Mayfield’s 6-yard touchdown pass to Payne Durham to get within 16-13.
Jordan Howden’s interception of Mayfield gave New Orleans the ball at the Tampa 37 and led to Grupe’s 49-yard field goal and a 19-13 lead at the end of the third quarter.
Mayfield converted a fourth-and-8 with a 33-yard completion to McMillan and two plays later the pair teamed on the go-ahead touchdown. Bucky Irving ran 11 yards for a touchdown and a 27-19 lead with 1:51 remaining.
Rattler drove New Orleans to the Tampa 32 in the final minute, but threw an incompletion on fourth and 5.
With one last possession, Evans was able to reach 1,000 yards receiving on a 9-yard catch and run to end the game and earn a $3 million bonus in the process. Evans finished with nine receptions for 89 yards.
The Saints drove to Grupe’s 35-yard field goal on the first possession of the game and on the ensuing possession Chase McLaughlin tied the score with a 52-yarder after a roughing-the-punter penalty on New Orleans moved the ball into field-goal range.
The score remained tied until Grupe kicked a 39-yard field goal on the second play of the second quarter.
Rattler threw a 5-yard touchdown pass to Dante Pettis Jr. to complete a 14-play 79-yard drive and give New Orleans a 13-3 lead.
Mayfield drove Tampa to the New Orleans 7 before the drive stalled and McLaughlin kicked a 25-yard field goal to trim the lead to 13-6 with 1:03 left before halftime. Rattler drove the Saints to Grupe’s 39-yard field goal with seven seconds left, giving New Orleans a 16-6 halftime lead.
