Photos from Buccaneers vs. Saints at Raymond James Stadium.
The Buccaneers' attempt at a comeback fell short as the team dropped, 24-17, to the Saints at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa in Week 14.
WATCH: BUCS VS. SAINTS HIGHLIGHTS
New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees put together an impressive performance, lifting the Saints to victory. Brees completed 31 of 41 passes for 312 yards and two touchdowns, with both scores coming in the first half. He helped the Saints to a 14-0 lead in the first half, the largest margin the Saints would lead by all day.
The Buccaneers were playing catch-up from the get-go. After trailing New Orleans early by 14, they cut the lead to seven. New Orleans booted a field goal before halftime and the Buccaneers responded with a kick of their own to enter the break down by just one score. Both teams scored one touchdown in the second half, but New Orleans led the entire time.
Jameis Winston finished with below 200 passing yards for just the second time in his career, picking up 182. He threw one touchdown to Adam Humphries in the second half and finished the day with 24 rushing yards. Running back Doug Martin was near the 100-yard mark, as seems routine this season, after he picked up 81 rushing yards.
Lavonte David led the Bucs in tackles with 13 while Major Wright and Bruce Carter both finished with eight. Carter performed well filing in for Kwon Alexander, who is serving a four-game suspension.
Following the loss, Tampa Bay drops to 6-7 on the season. Although the division title has been locked up by the Panthers, the Bucs are very-much contenders for one of the two NFC wild card spots. The team has three games left, including one in St. Louis on Thursday. To keep their playoff hopes alive, it's critical for the Bucs to win all three.
