Expert recap and game analysis of the New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers NFL game from December 7, 2025 on ESPN.

New Orleans isn’t playing for a postseason berth, but this win revealed plenty about what their young QB and the supporting cast around him.

Rookie QB Tyler Shough stunned the Buccaneers and drew a bold “starter” claim from a teammate plus national praise after his muddy breakout win.

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers square off against the New Orleans Saints, every matchup matters, but some positional groups tilt clearly in Tampa Bay’s favor. In a rivalry where games often come down to a handful of critical moments, these advantages could play a major role in determining the outcome.

With M-V-P chants following each touchdown pass, Stafford completed 25 of 35 pass attempts for 273 yards and three touchdowns in the win. He started the game 12 for 12 for 121 yards and one touchdown before his first incompletion, which was knocked out of the receiver's grasp by the defender.