The New Orleans Saints host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Caesars Superdome in Week 8 at 3:05 p.m. on Oct. 26 with the broadcast on FOX. It will be the Saints' first NFC South contest of the 2025 season. New Orleans faces Tampa Bay on the road to close out the season series in Raymond James Stadium in Week 14 at noon on Dec. 7 at 12 p.m. with the broadcast on CBS. New Orleans is 21-15 all-time at home against Tampa Bay and 19-11 in contests played at Tampa. In 2024, the Saints lost the season series 0-2.
2025 NFL WEEK 15: NEW ORLEANS SAINTS vs. TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
2025 NFL WEEK 14: NEW ORLEANS SAINTS at TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Meet your Saints opponent: Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Coach: Todd Bowles
Quarterback: Baker Mayfield
2024 record: 10-7, first in NFC South
Most recent regular season matchup: Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025 - Buccaneers 27, Saints 19
Buccaneers-Saints series record: Saints lead 40-27 (including one postseason game)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2024 season recap:
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers opened the 2024 season strong with a 4-2 start including wins over a pair of playoff teams, the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia Eagles. Four straight losses would drop them to 4-6 putting their playoff hopes in danger as they trailed the then 6-4 Falcons in the NFC South. The Bucs rose to the challenge and won six of their last seven games to secure a 10-7 record and their fourth straight NFC South title. They lost 23-20 to the Commanders in the Wild Card round on a game-ending field goal.
| 2024 Buccaneers Per Game Stats | League Ranking | |
|---|---|---|
| Scoring Avg. | 29.5 | 4 |
| Opp. Scoring Avg. | 22.6 | 16 |
| Total Off. | 399.6 | 3 |
| Rushing Off. | 149.2 | 4 |
| Passing Off. | 250.4 | 3 |
| Total Def. | 341.8 | 18 |
| Rushing Def. | 97.8 | 4 |
| Passing Def. | 243.9 | 29 |
Deep Dive: Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster review
1. Wide receivers add to dynamic offense
With the Buccaneers posting the third best scoring and passing offense in 2024, they could prove even more dynamic in the passing game with two key offseason moves. Their wide receiver core will be bolstered by their first round draft pick, Emeka Egbuka from Ohio State, as well as the return from injury of Chris Godwin who the team inked to a three-year contract. Egbuka, selected 19th overall, joins the Buccaneers after setting the Buckeyes' career record with 205 receptions. He racked up 81 receptions for 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns playing in all 16 games for the national champions last season. Godwin will rejoin the team in 2025 after he recovers from an ankle injury that kept him out for most of the 2024 season. He was limited to seven games, hauling in 50 receptions for 576 yards and five touchdowns.
2. Taking a chance on Haason Reddick
The Buccaneers added free agent outside linebacker Haason Reddick on a one-year deal in free agency. Reddick is coming off a shortened season with the New York Jets where he only appeared in 10 games due to a contract dispute and played the fewest snaps of his career and matched his career low in sacks with 1.0 and logged a career low with 14 tackles (nine solo). Coach Todd Bowles said he considered the last season a "wash" for Reddick and they expect his old self that accrued 50.5 sacks from 2020-2023, the fourth most sacks in the NFL in that span. Bowles hopes Reddick can help the Buccaneers generate pressure without blitzes with Tampa dialing up the third highest blitz percentage in the NFL in 2024, sending an extra man 34.2% on every dropback, according to Pro Football Reference.
"Like I said last year, we need to rush better with four, and I think he's a great addition to help us rush with four so we can cover more and do those type of things," Bowles said. "We'll still pressure some, but hopefully it won't be as much as last year, because we had to instead of how we want to. I think he brings that to the table."
3. First-time play caller at offensive coordinator
For the third year in a row, the Buccaneers will feature a new offensive coordinator after their last two, Dave Canales and Liam Coen, received head coaching jobs with the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars, respectively. Unlike when they brought in Coen to replace Canales, the Buccaneers chose to replace Coen with an in-house candidate, elevating Josh Grizzard to the role after his success as the Buccaneers passing game coordinator in 2024. Grizzard will be calling plays for the first time in his career, but said he started thinking about what he would do as a play-caller as he progressed from a quality control coach of the Miami Dolphins to his current position.
"I would say two years ago I really started thinking like a coordinator," Grizzard said. "When you're in the booth and you're looking at coverages and just doing your mundane (quality control) work, you start thinking, 'OK, what do I call next? What do I call next? What's this situation?' Whatever it might be. So over the last two years, trying to think in that way to prepare myself for this day."
