The Saints are defeated by the Bucs in the NFC South title game, thanks to Baker Mayfield's leadership in the fourth quarter.

In a nail-biting finish, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers emerged victorious over the New Orleans Saints, 27-19, securing the NFC South title.

The Bucs were confident they would make the playoffs as the Falcons had to beat the Panthers and hope for a Tampa Bay loss to win the division.

The NFC's No. 4 seed, Tampa Bay, will await their playoff opponent in the wild-card round, with the loser of the Detroit Lions-Minnesota Vikings game on Sunday night determining the final seeding in the conference.

At Raymond James Stadium, there was a sense of excitement at the final whistle, but a lot of nervousness among Bucs fans during halftime when the Saints led 16-6 with Spencer Rattler at the helm.

The Saints played their first game since the New Year's Day terror attack in New Orleans' French Quarter, which resulted in 14 deaths and multiple injuries.

A moment of silence was observed before kickoff in New Orleans, with patriotism on full display during the Fox Sports broadcast.

To begin the game, New Orleans scored on every one of their first four drives, including three field goals and a touchdown pass from Rattler to Dante Pettis.

The Bucs found what they needed to start the second half, thanks to Baker Mayfield's 10-play, 72-yard drive that resulted in a Peyton Durham touchdown. The 16-13 deficit was manageable.

Despite the Bucs' defense getting a three-and-out after their touchdown, the Saints' defense intercepted Mayfield.

The Saints led the Bucs 19-13 in the fourth quarter, with Mayfield remaining unfazed.

In the fourth quarter, Mayfield delivered a 32-yard touchdown to the Bucs by stepping up in a collapsing pocket and striking Jalen McMillan, who kept two feet in the front right of the end zone.

The touchdown was the result of a broken play that led to a 11-yard rush by Bucky Irving.

In the end, the Saints were defeated by the Bucs on downs during their final drive, leaving Tampa Bay and its fans ecstatic about winning the division title and the game.

The Bucs' final snap of the game was what made their win even more special, as veteran receiver Mike Evans needed just five catches and 85 yards to reach a $3 million incentive and become the first player in NFL history to have reached 1,000 receiving yards in his first 11 seasons.

Evans, who had eight catches for 80 yards, caught a pass for nine yards from Mayfield and was tackled, knowing he just made NFL history and $3 million.

Mayfield completed 21 out of 32 passes for 221 yards, including two touchdowns and one interception. Evans caught nine passes for 89 yards. Irving ran for 89 yards on 19 carries.

Rattler went 26-for-42 for 240 yards with one touchdown pass, while Juwan Johnson had six catches for 80 yards for the Saints.

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