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Saints Look to Halt Slide Against Buccaneers

Saints Look to Halt Slide Against Buccaneers

By Niles Carpenter, Saints Contributor

The New Orleans Saints (2-3) aim to snap a three-game losing streak as they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-2) in a critical Week 6 NFC South showdown. After a strong start, the Saints have hit a rough patch, worsened by quarterback Derek Carr‘s injury. Spencer Rattler, the former South Carolina standout, is set to make his first NFL start.

Rattler will face a Tampa Bay defense looking to rebound after a tough overtime loss to the Atlanta Falcons. The Saints need to rediscover their offensive rhythm, where they’ve been inconsistent lately despite having the fourth-best scoring average in the NFL (28.0 points per game).

Meanwhile, the Buccaneers, led by Baker Mayfield, are eager to bounce back after a missed opportunity last week. Mayfield has been solid, completing 71.9% of his passes with 11 touchdowns this season. Tampa Bay needs this win to keep pace in a tight NFC South race.

The Saints historically hold the edge in this rivalry, but Tampa Bay has won three of its last four trips to the Superdome. With both teams desperate for a victory, this matchup will test whether the Saints’ defense, ranked 8th in points allowed (19.2), can hold off Mayfield and the Bucs’ 9th-ranked offense (25.4 points per game).

2024 NFL Regular Season League Rankings

TeamSaintsBuccaneers
Record2-33-2
Scoring Avg. (NFL Rank)28.0 (4t)25.4 (9)
Opp. Scoring Avg. (NFL Rank)19.2 (8)22.8 (17t)
Total Off. (NFL Rank)323.2 (17t)321.8 (19)
Rushing Off. (NFL Rank)127.2 (10)108.8 (20)
Passing Off. (NFL Rank)196.0 (21)213.0 (15t)
Total Def. (NFL Rank)356.2 (23)378.2 (30)
Rushing Def. (NFL Rank)105.0 (7)119.8 (16)
Passing Def. (NFL Rank)251.2 (26)258.4 (28)
Punt Return Avg. (NFL Rank)10.9 (10)10.3 (12t)
Kickoff Return Avg. (NFL Rank)28.3 (6)29.5 (5)
Turnover Margin (NFL Rank)+3 (7)+2 (8t)
Possession Avg.30:0830:11
Touchdowns1714
Penalties2924
Penalty Yards290167
Opp. Penalties3229
Opp. Penalty Yards282288

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