Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield. Lon Horwedel-Imagn Images

Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield hints at dirty play from Saints ahead of Week 8 matchup

By Zachary Cariola | Last updated Oct 23, 2025 10:43 AM ET

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are coming off their worst loss of the season in Week 7, a 24-9 setback to the Detroit Lions. To add insult to injury (literally), wide receiver Mike Evans, who was coming off a hamstring injury, will now be out for most of the season due to a broken collarbone.

Down his top receiver, quarterback Baker Mayfield will need to rely on rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka and get back to what he was doing while Evans was out from Weeks 3-6, acting like one of the front-runners for the MVP while ranking sixth in yards (1,767) and touchdowns (13) with only two interceptions.

Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield expects their matchup with the Saints to be "physical"

Despite being last in the NFC South at 1-6, the Saints will give Mayfield and the Buccaneers a “physical” game on Sunday, with Mayfield saying he “does not like” the Saints that much.

"It has not exactly been clean play from their part when we play them," Mayfield said of the Saints on Wednesday to Nick Shook of NFL.com. "It is a physical game; it is what it is. You expect it [from a] division rival...Yeah, not much else to say besides for the fact that I do not like them."

Buccaneers counting on Baker Mayfield and Emeka Egbuka to lead them to victory over the Saints

With Evans out “most of the season,” all eyes now turn to Egbuka to fill the No. 1 receiver's spot. In his first season with the Buccaneers (selected 19th overall in the draft), Egbuka has shown his ability to be a No. 1 option, having two games of over 100+ yards and receiving a touchdown.

The Saints' defense (19th best, 335.7 yards per game) has been the best aspect of their roster, with their offense ranking 24th in the league for total offense (279.9 yards per game). The Buccaneers' game plan must be strong against a pass defense (12th, 206.3 yards per game), which could lead them to run the ball more with Rachaad White. Having 252 yards on 64 carries, White should be a factor in the game with Bucky Irving out due to shoulder and foot injuries.

Zachary Cariola

My name is Zachary Cariola and I have been a sports fan for as long as I can remember. My areas of expertise are MLB, NBA, and NFL. You can find my other work on Southside Showdown from FanSided and at Chicitysports where I cover all Chicago sports. When not watching sports, I love spending time with my family and learning history.

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