NFL Week 6: Baker Mayfield passes for 4 TDs as the Bucs treat storm-weary fans to a huge win over the Saints
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NEW ORLEANS — Baker Mayfield overcame three turnovers with 325 yards and four touchdowns passing, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the New Orleans Saints 51-27 on Sunday in what they hoped would be a morale boost to their many fans who endured Hurricane Milton earlier in the week.
The result blemished rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler’s first NFL start for New Orleans, which has lost four straight after opening the season with a pair of lopsided victories.
Trailing by three after a wild, high-scoring first half in which Tampa Bay (4-2) lost an early 17-0 lead, the Bucs pulled ahead for good on Chris Godwin’s second touchdown of the game — a 55-yarder on a short catch and long run during which three Saints missed tackle attempts.
ROD CHRISTOPHER GODWIN JR.
????: #TBvsNO on FOX pic.twitter.com/LHuT5fjXoi
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) October 13, 2024
Safety Zyon McCollum’s diving interception of Rattler’s underthrown pass initiated a fourth-quarter drive that ended with Mayfield’s 8-yard scoring pass to tight end Cade Otton on third-and-goal as Tampa Bay continued to pull away.
The Buccaneers, who fled Milton’s path on Tuesday and practiced all week in New Orleans, wound up racking up all kinds of gaudy stats and highlights in the Superdome, which was all but empty before the game ended. Just a smattering of happy fans in Bucs colors remained when Sean Tucker scored for the second time for the final margin.
The Bucs rushed for 277 yards as a team, led by Tucker’s 136 yards and one TD rushing. Bucky Irving added 81 yards and short touchdown. And Tucker also turned a short catch into a 36-yard touchdown.
In today's @Buccaneers victory, they became the 5th team in @NFL history to total 300+ passing yards (325) and 275+ rushing yards (277) in a game, joining the below:
Miami in Week 3, 2023
San Francisco in Week 5, 2012
Dallas in Week 1, 1978
Green Bay in Week 9, 1962 pic.twitter.com/a81c0RPGue— NFL345 (@NFL345) October 13, 2024
Rattler, who was intercepted twice, finished 22 of 40 for 243 yards and a TD pass to fellow rookie Bub Means. Alvin Kamara scored his seventh TD this season on a 4-yard run and Rashid Shaheed returned a punt 54 yards for a touchdown.
Already missing first-string QB Derek Carr because of an oblique injury last week at Kansas City, the Saints quickly fell behind when Mayfield capped the game’s opening possession with his first scoring pass — 4-yarder to Godwin.
Rattler’s first series ended when receiver Chris Olave was stripped by Tykee Smith moments after making a catch and absorbing an unflagged helmet-to-helmet hit from McCollum. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. scooped up the loose ball and returned it 58 yards to make it 14-0.
Chase McLaughlin’s 26-yard field goal made it 17-0 late in the first quarter before the Saints scored their first points on Blake Grupe’s 42-yard field goal in the second quarter. New Orleans would up scoring 20 straight points in a span of 5:06 on Shaheed’s punt return, another field goal and Means’ 10-yard catch.
Paulson Adebo’s interception in Bucs territory set up Grupe’s second field goal. An interception by Saints safety Johnathan Abram set up Rattler’s TD pass.
“To be able to handle the things we did this week and not make an excuse of it.. This group is resilient.”
Baker Mayfield after the @Buccaneers 50 point division win ???? pic.twitter.com/zqviJRV23q
— NFL on FOX Podcast (@NFLonFOXPod) October 13, 2024
After Tucker and Kamara exchanged scores, Tampa Bay was threatening to regain the lead again when Mayfield was intercepted for a third time in the quarter. His batted pass was hauled in by defensive end Cameron Jordan, helping preserve a 27-24 Saints lead at halftime.
Bears 35, Jaguars 16
LONDON — Caleb Williams threw four touchdown passes — two each to receiver Keenan Allen and tight end Cole Kmet — and Chicago held a tea party celebration in the end zone in a rout of Jacksonville at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London.
Along with the rookie quarterback’s big day, Kmet chipped in by handling emergency long-snapping duties as the Bears (4-2) won their third straight game for the first time in nearly four years.
Allen led a tea party celebration after his 9-yard touchdown reception in the third quarter and his second score gave Chicago a 28-10 early in the fourth. D’Andre Swift added a 1-yard plunge for the Bears.
The Jags (1-5) started fast but Gabe Davis dropped a pass in the end zone — after he was whistled for a false start — and Jacksonville settled for a field goal on its opening drive.
Colts 20, Titans 17
NASHVILLE — Joe Flacco threw for 189 yards and two touchdowns, leading Indianapolis to a win over Tennessee.
The veteran now is 1-1 in his second straight start for the Colts (3-3) who got a much-needed split of back-to-back road games inside the AFC South with second-year quarterback Anthony Richardson scratched again with an injured right hip.
Richardson, the fourth overall pick out of Florida in 2023, has yet to play against Will Levis who was the 33rd selection overall in the same draft by Tennessee. The battered Colts with nine on injured reserve also had 2021 NFL rushing champ Jonathan Taylor out for a second straight game.
The Titans (1-4) now have lost three straight to their division rival. They will have to wait until November to try and win their first home game this season for first-year coach Brian Callahan.
Packers 34, Cardinals 13
MILWAUKEE — Romeo Doubs returned from a one-game suspension and caught two of Jordan Love’s four touchdown passes in Green Bay’s victory over mistake-prone Arizona.
Doubs scored his first two touchdowns of the season — a 10-yard score to open the second quarter and a 20-yard reception in the third quarter. Doubs, who caught three passes for 49 yards, missed the Packers’ 24-19 win over the Los Angeles Rams for conduct detrimental to the team after missing two practices.
Love also threw touchdown passes of 5 yards to Jayden Reed and 44 yards to Christian Watson while going 22 of 32 — completing throws to nine players — for 258 yards with one interception. His four touchdown passes matched a career high.
The Packers (4-2) capitalized on the Cardinals’ uncharacteristic lack of discipline. The Cardinals had been averaging a league-low 3.8 penalties per game, but they were penalized 13 times for 100 yards Sunday. They also committed three turnovers.
Texans 41, Patriots 21
C.J. Stroud threw three touchdown passes and Houston spoiled the first start of rookie New England quarterback Drake Maye, breezing past the Patriots.
Joe Mixon rushed for 102 yards and caught a TD pass from Stroud. Stefon Diggs had six catches for 77 yards and a score for the AFC South-leading Texans (5-1), and Tank Dell had seven receptions for 57 yards and a TD.
Dameon Pierce ripped off a 54-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter and finished with 76 yards on eight carries. Will Anderson Jr. recorded three sacks for Houston, which has won three straight.
The Patriots (1-5) got a boost from Maye, the No. 3 overall pick in the NFL draft. Taking over for veteran Jacoby Brissett, he finished 20 of 33 for 243 yards and three touchdowns. He also ran for 38 yards but was intercepted twice and sacked four times, one resulting in a lost fumble.
Chargers 23, Broncos 16
DENVER — Justin Herbert directed a clock-chewing, methodical Los Angeles Chargers offense that capitalized on the departure of star cornerback Patrick Surtain II to beat the Denver Broncos 23-16 on Sunday.
Chargers coach Jim Harbaugh missed the start of the game while being evaluated by medical personnel, but returned to the sideline in the first quarter and coached the remainder of the game. He told a CBS sideline reporter he was dealing with a heart arrythmia.
The Chargers (3-2) looked for much of the afternoon as though they’d hand the Broncos (3-3) their first home shutout in their 65-year history. But after two turnovers and five punts, Bo Nix directed the Broncos on a 95-yard scoring drive capped by his 2-yard pass to fellow Oregon alum Troy Franklin early in the fourth quarter.
Then, Courtland Sutton made a diving 15-yard TD grab with 5:22 remaining, but a failed 2-point try left the double-digit deficit in place. The Broncos reached the Chargers 32 on their next possession and Wil Lutz’s 40-yard field goal on first down made it 23-16 with 59 seconds left.
Their onside kick, however, failed and the Chargers salted away their first win over Denver in two years and their first against Sean Payton in seven tries.
The game featured the NFL’s only two defenses ranked in the top-10 in points, yards, yards rushing and yards passing allowed. And with Chargers star Joey Bosa missing his second straight game because of a nagging hip issue, the matchup figured to tilt in favor of the Broncos, who hadn’t lost since Week 2.
Surtain’s concussion on Denver’s first defensive snap changed that calculation entirely as the Broncos saw their three-game winning streak snapped after falling behind 23-0 entering the fourth quarter.
Surtain got hurt while breaking up Herbert’s pass to Ladd McConkey. He’ll likely miss the next game, too, because it’s Thursday night at New Orleans.
Without Surtain, the Broncos couldn’t stop the Chargers, who had two field goals and two touchdowns before a kneel-down to end the first half. They dominated time of possessoin in the first half with 21 minutes, 13 seconds to Denver’s 8:47.
The Broncos’ only snap in Chargers territory in the first half ended in a lost fumble by running back Javonte Williams.
Rookie running back Kimami Vidal’s first NFL touch was a 38-yard catch-and-run touchdown that made it 10-0. J.K. Dobbins also scored on a 4-yard touchdown run with a minute remaining in the second quarter. Cameron Dicker kicked field goals from 20 and 33 yards.
The last field goal capped a 20-play, 76-yard masterpiece that lasted 10:29 seconds and came one play after Herbert scooped up his fumble forced by Jonathon Cooper on a strip-sack.
Surtain’s absence Sunday showed his value to the Broncos as much his exploits had a week earlier when his two-interception performance against Las Vegas earned him AFC defensive player of the week honors.
Surtain’s injury came one play after Chargers safety Elijah Molden picked off Nix’s first pass and returned it 25 yards to the Denver 31. That set up a field goal while Harbaugh was being examined by the Chargers’ medical staff.
Defensive coordinator Jesse Minter took over until Harbaugh returned to the sideline midway through the first quarter while the Chargers were driving for a touchdown.
Dobbins ran for 96 yards on 25 carries for Los Angeles.
Falcons 38, Panthers 20
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Bijan Robinson ran for 95 yards and two touchdowns, Tyler Allgeier added 105 yards rushing and a score and the Atlanta Falcons defeated the Carolina Panthers 38-20 on Sunday for their third win over an NFC South foe in three weeks.
Kirk Cousins completed 19 of 30 passes for 225 yards and threw a 3-yard touchdown pass to Drake London.
Carolina’s Andy Dalton finished 26 of 38 for 221 yards with two touchdowns passes and two fourth-quarter interceptions for the Panthers (1-5), who have lost three straight.
The Panthers trailed 28-20 early in the fourth quarter and were moving the ball effectively on the ground with Chuba Hubbard picking up three first downs before Dalton took a shot downfield and was intercepted by A.J. Terrell.
All of Carolina’s momentum slipped away.
The Falcons quickly capitalized, pounding away at Carolina’s worn-down defense going 84 yards in nine plays for the clinching touchdown. Atlanta ran the ball seven times on the drive for 70 yards and four first downs before Allgeier scored on a 2-yard burst with 5:38 left.
The Falcons (4-2) jumped out to a 22-17 halftime lead behind touchdowns runs of 5 and 7 yards by Robinson and perfectly thrown TD strike from Cousins to Landon on a slant route on third down.
The Panthers made it difficult on themselves with a variety of self-inflicted errors including three false starts, a bad snap, a dropped pass, a blown blocking assignment and a miscommunication on a handoff where Dalton had to corral the ball and dive forward for a short gain. There was also an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the Falcons’ second touchdown that prompted Raheem Morris to bypass going for an extra point, resulting in a 2-point conversion run by Allgeier after the ball was spotted at the 1.
But Dalton’s two touchdown passes — a 10-yarder to Diontae Johnson and a 7-yarder to rookie Xavier Legette in the back left corner of the end zone just before halftime — and some nifty running kept the Panthers within striking distance at the break.
Lions 47, Cowboys 9
ARLINGTON, Texas — Jared Goff threw for 315 yards and three touchdowns after his completion streak ended on his first throw, and the Detroit Lions blew out Dallas 47-9 on Sunday, handing the Cowboys a fourth consecutive lopsided loss at home.
David Montgomery had two rushing TDs for the Lions (4-1), who lost pass rusher Aidan Hutchinson to a serious injury to his lower left leg in the third quarter.
Dak Prescott threw two interceptions in the worst home loss since 1988 for the Cowboys (3-3), who became the first team since at least 2000 to trail by 14 or more more points at halftime in four consecutive games on their home field. Dallas is 0-3 at home and 3-0 on the road.
Detroit led 27-6 at the break, putting the combined total of the Dallas halftime deficit at AT&T Stadium at 110-35 going back to a wild-card playoff loss to Green Bay in January.
The current skid followed a 16-game home winning streak that was second-longest in franchise history, and the 167 points allowed by Dallas are the third most in a four-game home stretch in NFL history.
Goff set an NFL single-game record by going 18 of 18 in the Lions’ victory over Seattle before their bye week. Goff’s overall streak of 19 completions — six shy of the league record — ended when he couldn’t connect with running back Jahmyr Gibbs on Detroit’s second offensive play.
On Detroit’s first play, coach Dan Campbell threw some shade at officials who penalized a potential winning 2-point conversion pass in the Lions’ 20-19 loss at the Cowboys last December.
Dan Skipper reported as eligible for a vanilla 5-yard run by Montgomery. He was the tackle officials said reported as eligible when Taylor Decker caught the 2-point pass from Goff nine months ago.
The Lions were certain Decker had declared himself eligible, but it didn’t matter. The loss cost the Lions a shot at the top seed in the NFC, and they lost the conference championship game in San Francisco.
In the third quarter, Decker was again declared eligible on first-and-goal from the 2 and Goff threw to him in the end zone, but the pass was incomplete.
Facing a Dallas defense missing its two pass rushers, including two-time All-Pro Micah Parsons, and a starting linebacker and cornerback, Goff finished 18 of 25 with a perfect passer rating of 153.8.
Sam LaPorta had a 52-yard touchdown catch on a trick play when he was wide open after Goff pitched to Montgomery, who then pitched on a reverse to Amon-Ra St. Brown, who got it back to Goff for the deep throw.
Montgomery’s first score was a twisting, grinding 16-yarder to put Detroit up for good at 7-3.
Hutchinson, who entered the game as the NFL sacks leader, was carted off after his leg appeared to snap above the ankle when it collided with the left leg of teammate Alim McNeill as Hutchinson was pulling Prescott down for one of four Detroit sacks.
There was a delay of about 10 minutes as medical personnel tended to Hutchinson while players from both teams made a large circle around the second overall pick in the 2022 draft. Hutchinson entered the game leading the NFL with 6 1/2 sacks.
Prescott was 17 of 33 without a touchdown for a 42.2 passer rating, the second-worst of his career.