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Not even the most excited fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints were ready for what was to come in their Week 6 matchup. These two teams exploded for an offensive show, with 51 points scored in the first half alone at Spencer Rattler's first-ever NFL start.
The NFC South has provided excellent matchups for the league this year, with Falcons-Saints and Buccaneers-Falcons providing two of the best games of the season. However, with Derek Carr out, the expectation was a bit low for this matchup.
Boy, were they on to something.
But then the second half arrived and the script flipped over again. The Saints scored 27 points in the second quarter and absolutely nothing at the rest of the game. After Baker Mayfield's turnover fest ended, the visitors dominated the rest of the game, putting a 50-burger away from home against a divisional rival.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints box score
Tampa Bay Buccaneers box score
Quarterback
Rushing and receiving
Defense
New Orleans Saints box score
Quarterback
Rushing and receiving
Defense
Buccaneers vs. Saints game summary
With Derek Carr out for the game with an oblique injury, this was the first time that New Orleans fans would be able to see what they've got in Spencer Rattler. There were some encouraging signs, but as the game went on, it became clear that he still has a long way to go before getting ready.
Tampa Bay opened 17-0 in the first quarter, and although they were losing at halftime, they got the control of the game back as soon as they returned from the locker room. Offensively, they had more juice; defensively, they found a way to contain Rattler's quick-strike game.
Baker Mayfield threw just six passes in the second half, but two of those were touchdowns. Chris Godwin also had a fantastic game, with two touchdowns, over 100 receiving yards and a long touchdown that changed the outcome of the game entirely.
The best team walked away with a win, and Tampa Bay proved once again that last year's run to the NFC Divisional Round wasn't a fluke. They are ready to compete with everyone.
