The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the New Orleans Saints, 27-19, on Sunday, rallying back from a 10-point deficit and scoring two fourth-quarter touchdowns to capture their fourth straight NFC South title. The Buccaneers, who also made the playoffs as a Wild Card team in 2020 and went on to win Super Bowl LV, are the only team in the NFC that has made it to the postseason each of the last five years. The only teams with longer streaks are the AFC's Kansas City Chiefs (11) and Buffalo Bills (six).
Jalen McMillan's remarkable toe-tapping 32-yard touchdown catch gave the home team its first lead of the afternoon with 10 minutes left in regulation, and Bucky Irving expanded the lead to eight points with an 11-yard dash to the end zone on an improvised pitch from Baker Mayfield. Tampa Bay's defense needed one more stop in the game's final two minutes to punch the team's ticket to the postseason dance, and got it on a turnover on downs with 36 ticks left on the clock.
That set the scene for an emotional moment that captured not just the Bucs' sideline but the entire Raymond James Stadium crowd. Mayfield completed a nine-yard pass to Mike Evans that put the receiver's yardage total for the season at 1,004 and allowed him to tie all-time great Jerry Rice for the most consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons (11) in league history.
Incredibly, that simple nine-yard completion did more than just put Evans equal with a Hall of Famer and burnish his own resume for a bronze bust. It was also the exact number of yards needed to get Mayfield into a very exclusive club. With 221 passing yards and two touchdown tosses, Mayfield finished the season with 4,500 yards and 41 scoring passes, making him just the 10th quarterback in NFL history to record at least 4,500 yards and 40 touchdown passes in a single season. The list includes two Hall of Famers and a handful of others sure to be enshrined in Canton when eligible. The feat has been accomplished 17 times overall.
Quarterbacks with 4,500+ Passing Yards, 40+ Touchdowns in a Season, NFL History (listed chronologically)
- Dan Marino, Dolphins, 1984 and 1986
- Peyton Manning, Colts, 2004; Broncos, 2013
- Tom Brady, Patriots, 2007; Buccaneers, 2020 and 2021
- Matthew Stafford, Lions, 2011; Rams, 2021
- Aaron Rodgers, Packers, 2011
- Drew Brees, Saints, 2011 and 2012
- Andrew Luck, Colts, 2014
- Patrick Mahomes, Chiefs, 2018, 2022
- Joe Burrow, Bengals, 2024
- Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers, 2024
Mayfield also joined Brees (2011), Burrow (2024) and Rodgers (2020) as the only players ever to record 4,000+ passing yards, 40+ touchdown passes and a completion rate of at least 70% in a season. His final completion percentage of 71.4% was a career high and it ranked third in the NFL in 2024.
Highest Completion Percentage, NFL, 2024
- Tua Tagovailoa, Dolphins: 72.9%
- Jared Goff, Lions: 72.4%
- Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers: 71.4%
- Joe Burrow, Bengals: 70.6%
- Geno Smith, Seahawks: 70.4%
Mayfield also set new career single-season highs in passing yards, touchdown passes, completions (407), net yards per pass attempt (7.9) and passer rating (106.8). He tied for second in the NFL in touchdown passes, just two behind the leader and joined Tom Brady as the only Buccaneers ever to top 40 in that category. He also finished fourth in the league in passer rating.
Most Touchdown Passes, Single Season, Buccaneers History
1. Tom Brady (2021): 43
2. Baker Mayfield (2024): 41
3. Tom Brady (2020): 40
4. Jameis Winston (2019): 33
5t. Baker Mayfield (2023): 28
5t. Jameis Winston (2016): 28
Most Passing Touchdowns, NFL, 2024
1. Joe Burrow, Bengals: 43
2t. Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers: 41
2t. Lamar Jackson, Ravens: 41
4. Jared Goff, Lions: 37
5. Sam Darnold, Vikings: 35
Highest Passer Rating, Qualified Passers, NFL, 2024
- Lamar Jackson, Ravens: 119.6
- Jared Goff, Lions: 111.8
- Joe Burrow, Bengals: 108.5
- Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers: 106.8
- Jalen Hurts, Eagles: 103.7
Mayfield's final yardage total was the fifth-highest in a single season in Buccaneers history.
Most Passing Yards, Single Season, Buccaneers History
- Tom Brady, 2021: 5,316
- Jameis Winston, 2019: 5,109
- Tom Brady, 2022: 4,694
- Tom Brady, 2020: 4,633
- Baker Mayfield, 2024: 4,500
After rolling up 186 yards in the fourth quarter alone on Sunday, the Buccaneers finished the game with 395 total yards of offense while converting on 10 of 16 third-down attempts. Tampa Bay finished with the best third-down conversion rate in the NFL and finished in the top five in a long list of offensive categories.
In 2024, Tampa Bay's offense ranked:
- 1st in the NFL in third-down conversion rate (50.9%)
- 1st in the NFL in yards after contact per rush (3.70)*
- 2nd in the NFL in pass completion rate (71.5%)
- T-2nd in the NFL in passing touchdowns (41)
- 2nd in the NFL in first downs per game (23.2)
- 2nd in the NFL in quarterback pressure rate (25.9%)*
- 3rd in the NFL in time of possession (32:00)
- 3rd in the NFL in yards per game (399.6)
- 3rd in the NFL in pass yards per game (250.4)
- 3rd in the NFL in yards per rush (5.3)
- 4th in the NFL in points scored per game (29.53)
- 4th in the NFL in yards per play (6.2)
- 4th in the NFL in rush yards per game (149.2)
- 4th in the NFL in red zone efficiency (66.7%)
- 4th in the NFL in passer rating (106.8)
- 4th in the NFL in fewest quarterback pressures allowed (170)*
* Per NFL Next Gen Stats
That combination of stats made the Bucs' 2024 offense unique in league history, as it is the first team ever to complete at least 70% of its passes in a season while also averaging over five yards a carry. The Bucs also joined the 1998 San Francisco 49ers as the only teams ever to surpass 40 touchdown passes and five yards per carry in a season. Only the 2024 Buccaneers, 2020 Green Bay Packers and 2011 New Orleans Saints have completed 70% of their passes and scored on 40 touchdown throws in a season.
McMillan's touchdown catch in the fourth quarter was his eighth of the year and it continued his red-hot finish to the regular season. He caught at least one touchdown pass in each of the Bucs' last five games, tying for the second longest streak by a rookie in NFL history.
Most Consecutive Games with a Touchdown Reception, Rookie, NFL History
1. Randy Moss, Vikings, 1998: 7
2t. Jalen McMillan, Buccaneers, 2024: 5
2t. Lee Evans, Bills, 2004: 5
2t. Chris Sanders, Oilers, 1995: 5
5t. Many others tied with: 4
McMillan scored a total of seven times in that five-week stretch, recording the most touchdown receptions of any player in the NFL in that span.
View the top images of Tampa Bay's Week 18 game against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, January 5th, 2025 at Raymond James Stadium, where the Buccaneers won their fourth-straight NFC South title.
Most Touchdown Receptions, NFL, 2024, Weeks 14-18
1. Jalen McMillan, Buccaneers: 7
2t. Davante Adams, Jets: 5
2t. Jordan Addison, Vikings: 5
2t. Tee Higgins, Bengals: 5
2t. Justin Jefferson, Vikings: 5
McMillan's eight touchdown receptions are the third most by a rookie in franchise history.
Most Touchdown Receptions, Rookie, Buccaneers History
- Mike Evans, 2014: 12
- Mike Williams, 2010: 11
- Jalen McMillan, 2024: 8
- Michael Clayton, 2004: 7
- O.J. Howard, 2017: 6
Irving's touchdown run in the final two minutes of regulation was his eighth of the year, the second-highest single-season total by a rookie in franchise history, behind Doug Martin's 11 in 2012. He and McMillan both tied for third in total touchdowns among all NFL rookies in 2024, and the Buccaneers are the only team in the league to have two different rookies score at least seven times.
Most Total Touchdowns Scored, NFL Rookies, 2024
1. WR Brian Thomas, Jacksonville: 10
2. WR Xavier Worthy, Kansas City: 9
3t. RB Bucky Irving, Tampa Bay: 8
3t. WR Jalen McMillan, Tampa Bay: 8
3t. WR Marvin Harrison Jr.: 8
Irving ran for 89 yards on 19 carries in Sunday's win, while losing five yards on two receptions. That put his final season total at 1,514 yards from scrimmage, as he became just the second rookie in Buccaneer annals to surpass 1,500.
Most Yards from Scrimmage, Rookie, Buccaneers History
- Doug Martin, 2012: 1,926
- Bucky Irving, 2024: 1,514
- Warrick Dunn, 1997: 1,440
- Cadillac Williams, 2005: 1,259
- Michael Clayton, 2024: 1,223
Irving is one of just four rookies to have a 1,500-yards-from-scrimmage campaign since 2018, joining Puka Nacua (2023), Najee Harris (2022) and Saquon Barkley (2018). Irving ended the season as the leader among all rookies in yards from scrimmage, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.
Most Yards from Scrimmage, NFL Rookies, 2024
- Bucky Irving, Buccaneers: 1,514
- Brian Thomas, Jaguars: 1,330
- Brock Bowers, Raiders: 1,207
- Malik Nabers, Giants: 1,206
- Ladd McConkey, Chargers: 1,149
Most Rushing Yards, NFL Rookies, 2024
- Bucky Irving, Buccaneers: 1,122
- Jayden Daniels, Commanders: 891
- Tyrone Tracy, Giants: 839
- Caleb Williams, Bears: 489
- Ray Davis, Bills: 442
Irving finished the season with a per-carry average of 5.4 yards, setting a new single-season franchise record. He ranked fourth among all NFL running backs with at least 200 carries in that category and recorded the third-highest average ever for a rookie with 200-plus attempts.
Highest Yards Per Carry Average, Rookie, NFL History
- Adrian Peterson, Vikings, 2007: 5.6
- Clinton Portis, Broncos, 2002: 5.5
- Bucky Irving, Buccaneers, 2024: 5.4
- Ickey Woods, Bengals, 1988: 5.3
- Barry Sanders, Lions, 1989: 5.3
After coming out of its Week 11 bye, Tampa Bay topped 130 rushing yards in each of its last seven games, the longest such streak in team history. In fact, it doubles the previous long, as the team's prior record was a three-game streak. The Buccaneers averaged 183.3 rushing yards per game in that span, second only to the 206.5 averaged by the Baltimore Ravens.
Evans did not score in Sunday's victory but he did lead the team with nine receptions for 89 yards, finishing the year with 1,004 receiving yards. That extended his streak of 1,000-yard seasons to 11, the most ever to start a career and now tied with Jerry Rice for the most consecutive such campaigns in NFL history. Evans is also now all alone in second place in terms of overall number of 1,000-yard receiving seasons.
Most 1,000-Yard Receiving Seasons, NFL History
1. Jerry Rice*, 49ers/Raiders/Seahawks: 14
2. Mike Evans, Buccaneers: 11
3. Randy Moss*, Vikings/Raiders/Patriots/49ers/Titans: 10
4t. Larry Fitzgerald, Cardinals: 9
4t. Terrell Owens*, 49ers/Cowboys/Eagles/Bills/Bengals: 9
4t. Jimmy Smith, Jaguars/Cowboys: 9
4t. Tim Brown*, Raiders/Buccaneers: 9
* Member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame
Evans finished the season tied for fourth in the NFL with 11 touchdown receptions. That marked the sixth time in his career he has surpassed both 1,000 receiving yards and 10 touchdown passes. Only four members of the Hall of Fame have done that more often: Rice (9), Marvin Harrison (8), Moss (8) and Owens (8).
Tampa Bay's defense held the Saints to 292 total yards of offense on Sunday, including just 61 in the second half. After taking a 16-6 lead into halftime, New Orleans added just one field goal after the intermission. Over their last five games combined, the Buccaneers' defense has held its opponents to a total of nine points and never more than three in any one game.
Pro Bowl nose tackle Vita Vea had one of the team's two sacks to improve his final season total to a career-high 7.0. Outside linebacker Yaya Diaby collected the other sack, giving him 4.5 on the season. Diaby also tallied four quarterback hits, while cornerback Zyon McCollum had four passes defensed. The Buccaneers finished the season with six different players who had at least four sacks. That's tied with the Cowboys and Broncos for the most number of players with four-plus sacks in 2024.
Tampa Bay's defense held the Saints to 64 yards on 19 carries, marking the fourth straight opponent that has failed to reach 70 rushing yards against the Buccaneers. Since Week 12, the Buccaneers have allowed an average of 58.7 rushing yards per game and 3.2 yards per carry, both the lowest marks in the league in that span. Since coming out of it's Week 11 bye, Tampa Bay has out-rushed its opponents by an average of 124.6 yards per game.
Kicker Chase McLaughlin made field goals of 52 and 25 yards in Sunday's win and is now an incredible 32 of 39 in his career on attempts of 50 yards and beyond. Overall, McLaughlin made 30 of his 32 field goal attempts this season and did not miss from inside 50 yards. He has now set the team's record for field goal percentage in two consecutive seasons.
Best Field Goal Success Rate, Single Season, Buccaneers History
- Chase McLaughlin, 2024: 93.8% (30-32)
- Chase McLaughlin, 2023: 93.5% (29-31)
- Connor Barth, 2011: 92.9% (26-28)
- Ryan Succop, 2020: 90.3% (28-31)
- Steve Christie, 1990: 85.2% (23-27)