It came down to the wire, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the New Orleans Saints in a thriller, 27-19, to win the NFC South. 

Coming into this contest, the Bucs knew they had a win-and-in position, as the Atlanta Falcons needed to defeat the Carolina Panthers and hope for a Tampa Bay loss to sneak into the playoffs as the division winner. 

But Tampa Bay is heading to the playoffs as the No. 3 seed in the NFC, and they will host the Washington Commanders in the wild-card round next weekend.

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It might have been a jubilation at Raymond James Stadium at the final whistle, but there were a lot of nervous Bucs fans when halftime came around and the Spencer Rattler-led Saints owned a 16-6 lead. 

The Saints were playing in their first game since the senseless act of violence took place in New Orleans’ French Quarter in the wee hours of New Year’s Day, a terror attack that killed 14 and left many more injured. 

A moment of silence was held for all those in the New Orleans community before kickoff, where a true show of patriotism was captured on the Fox Sports broadcast. 

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And it was all New Orleans to start this game, as they scored on each of their first four drives – three field goals and a touchdown pass by Rattler to Dante Pettis. 

Meanwhile, Baker Mayfield and the Bucs were trying to find something, and they got exactly what they needed to begin the second half. Mayfield orchestrated a 10-play, 72-yard drive that ended in a Peyton Durham touchdown to finally get the Bucs a touchdown on the day. The 16-13 deficit was more than manageable. 

However, the Saints’ defense wasn’t helping matters, as they were pesky and forced a Mayfield interception despite the Bucs’ defense getting a three-and-out after their touchdown. 

After adding another field goal, the Saints owned a 19-13 lead heading into the fourth quarter where the Bucs entered desperation mode. Luckily for them, Mayfield wasn’t fazed. 

Early in the fourth quarter, Mayfield stepped up in a collapsing pocket and delivered an absolute strike to Jalen McMillan, who kept two feet in the front right of the end zone for a 32-yard touchdown to give the Bucs a 20-19 lead after the extra point. 

Then, the icing on the cake was a broken play that resulted in a Bucky Irving 11-yard rush for the touchdown. 

The Bucs ultimately turned the Saints over on downs on their final drive, and with just seconds left to play, Tampa Bay and its fan base were celebrating the division title and the victory. 

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

Evans, who was stuck at eight catches for 80 yards, caught a pass for nine yards from Mayfield and he launched the ball in the air after getting tackled, knowing he just made NFL history and $3 million. 

Looking at the stat sheet, Mayfield finished 21-of-32 for 221 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, with Evans catching nine passes for 89 yards. Irving finished with 89 rushing yards on 19 carries. 

For the Saints, Rattler was 26-for-42 for 240 yards with his one touchdown pass, while tight end Juwan Johnson led the way with six catches for 80 yards. 

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There are playoff implications in Tampa Bay on Sunday afternoon, as the Buccaneers look to win the NFC South to make it into the postseason. 

Before the game kicked off, though, a moment of silence was held for the Bucs’ opponent, the New Orleans Saints, as they play in their first game since the deadly terror attack in the early hours of New Year’s Day on Bourbon Street.

Fox Sports captured the somber moment during its telecast, doing so without any interruptions or cutting away.

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"Earlier this week, our nation experienced a horrific act of violence with heartbreaking tragedy in New Orleans. Our hearts are with the New Orleans community, including the brave first responders," the Bucs’ public address announcer said over the Raymond James Stadium speakers. "At this time, please stand and join us in a moment of silent reflection in the memory of the victims, their families and loved ones."

The Saints’ sideline saw the entire team holding hands and bowing their heads, which the Buccaneers and everyone in the stands did as well. 

The uninterrupted moment continued with the national anthem, as Fox Sports showed scenes of both sidelines, the crowd and the all-around patriotism that was seen in Tampa Bay. 

NEW ORLEANS SAINTS DONATE $1 MILLION TO RELIEF FOLLOWING TERROR ATTACK NEAR STADIUM

The Saints were obviously heavily affected by the terror attack, but the team announced, in a joint statement with the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans, that one of the victims was a member of their video production team with ASM New Orleans. 

Matthew Tenedorio, who the Saints said was a "young, talented" member of the video production team, was killed in the senseless act of violence by Shamsud-Din Jabbar. 

The Saints pledged to donate $1 million to relief efforts for the victims of the terror attack in the French Quarter, where 14 people were killed and dozens more were injured. The act of terror came less than two miles away from the Caesars Superdome, which is where the Saints hold their home games. 

"Our community has experienced an unimaginable tragedy and our collective hearts are broken as we mourn for the victims and survivors on the New Year's Day terror attack in New Orleans," Saints owner Gayle Benson said in a statement. "As a league, our cities and teams compete at the highest levels of competition and share spirited rivalries. Our staffs and players work tirelessly towards achieving our goals and we share in victories and defeats. 

"However, through football we are also united and we stand arm-in-arm against all forms of hatred. We will vanquish terror and fear with an unwavering resolve and purpose rooted in love, compassion and kindness. Our focus has always been on providing aid quickly and effectively, and we are grateful for the collaboration with both the Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF) and United Way to ensure that these funds reach those who need them most."

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The New Orleans Saints have pledged to donate $1 million to relief efforts for the victims of the terror attack in the French Quarter on New Year's Day.

Fourteen people were killed, and dozens were left injured, after a man drove along Bourbon Street in a white pickup truck, donned with an ISIS flag, at dangerous speeds.

The French Quarter is less than two miles away from Caesars Superdome, where the Saints play their home games.

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"Our community has experienced an unimaginable tragedy and our collective hearts are broken as we mourn for the victims and survivors on the New Year's Day terror attack in New Orleans," Saints owner Gayle Benson said in a statement. "As a league, our cities and teams compete at the highest levels of competition and share spirited rivalries. Our staffs and players work tirelessly towards achieving our goals and we share in victories and defeats. 

"However, through football we are also united and we stand arm-in-arm against all forms of hatred. We will vanquish terror and fear with an unwavering resolve and purpose rooted in love, compassion and kindness. Our focus has always been on providing aid quickly and effectively, and we are grateful for the collaboration with both the Greater New Orleans Foundation (GNOF) and United Way to ensure that these funds reach those who need them most."

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Because of the attack, the Sugar Bowl, which was played at the Saints' stadium, was postponed a day. The stadium was filled with heightened security, but that did not stop fans from packing the house anyway.

After the national anthem, chants of "USA!" rang out from the crowd - a moment of silence for the victims preceded the anthem.

The Saints played their final home game of the season back on Dec. 29. They will wrap up their season in Tampa Bay against the Buccaneers.

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New Orleans Saints star defensive end Cam Jordan was coming out of practice when the TV was turned on, and he heard the "U-S-A" chants at the Sugar Bowl.

The chants came from the crowd after the game was delayed a day due to the terror attack that took place on Bourbon Street in the early morning of New Year’s Day. There are at least 14 total victims killed with several more injured.

Jordan, 35, talked about what those chants meant to him when he joined "Fox and Friends" on Friday. 

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"New Orleans is a resilient city. For us to have the Sugar Bowl be delayed for a day, Mayor Cantrell went to Bourbon Street to set up a prayer before the game, then come out at the beginning of the Sugar Bowl as we were just coming off of practice, turn on the TV and hear the USA chants – you know exactly what this is about," Jordan said. 

"This is about us supporting each other, this is about America supporting each other, this is about understanding this is a tragedy, and we shall overcome. If anything, we understand that us as a city of New Orleans is backed by the rest of the country."

Jordan has spent his entire 14-year career with the Saints and has been a leader not only on the field, but off it as well. 

SAINTS' CAM JORDAN DONATES $25K TO NEW ORLEANS TERROR ATTACK VICTIMS RELIEF FUND

Jordan said he donated $25,000 to the New Year’s Day Tragedy Fund in a post on social media. 

"I mean honestly, I’m blessed enough to be in a position to where I can go ahead and give back. I mean when I think about the tragedy that happened on New Year's Eve, New Year's Day on Bourbon Street, when you know people are just out there trying to celebrate, have a good time, that stays at home. That’s our city," Jordan said.

"For as long as I’ve been here, I feel like I am a part of this city, and I’ve made it known that I love this place from the highs and the lows. So, when it comes to something like this, I just want to give back, make sure it was done the right way. I wanted to make sure that these victims would be helped, and the Greater New Orleans fund has clearly opened up a fund to do so."

Jordan is an eight-time Pro Bowler and a one-time All-Pro and has been an Iron Man, missing just two games over the course of his illustrious career.

This season, Jordan has four sacks with 33 total tackles with the Saints. 

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As the New Orleans community continues to grieve those lost in the terrorist attack in the early hours of New Year’s Day, the Saints and Pelicans announced one of those killed was an employee of theirs. 

"We remain heartbroken by the tragic events that claimed innocent lives in our city yesterday morning," the Saints’ statement began. "Among those lost was Matthew Tenedorio, a valued member of the ASM New Orleans video production team. Matthew was young, talented, and had a bright future, helping deliver quality content for both the New Orleans Saints and Pelicans.

"Our thoughts, prayers, and deepest condolences are with the Tenedorio family and everyone affected by this senseless act of terrorism. Together, as a city, state, and region, we will come back stronger from this tragedy." 

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More than a dozen people were killed, and many more were injured, when Shamsud-Din Jabbar drove a truck through a crowd on New Orleans’ historic Bourbon Street. Officials determined it was a terror attack. 

The attack prompted the postponement of the Sugar Bowl, a College Football Playoff quarterfinal matchup between Georgia and Notre Dame at the Caesars Superdome. 

The game was originally scheduled for Wednesday night but was moved to Thursday afternoon. 

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Authorities opened Bourbon Street hours before the game Thursday, which Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry is expected to attend. 

"Security is going to be tight," Landry said during an appearance on "Fox & Friends." "We have all confidence that we’re gonna put this game on. The Superdome is completely secure. Again, the FBI continues to pour resources into the state."

Many reacted to the senseless act of violence, including Notre Dame head football coach Marcus Freeman, who spoke to his team about what happened. 

"The first part of that meeting was to mourn and pray for our country," he said during an appearance on ESPN.

"In the toughest moments, the culture of any program, of a nation, are revealed. I have a lot of faith we're going to rally around the city of New Orleans and support all the victims and families that were affected today."

SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey also posted on social media platform X. 

"We remain stunned and saddened by the New Year’s Day tragedy in New Orleans," Sankey wrote.

"We are also grateful for the work of so many to adjust and adapt to make a football game possible today for @GeorgiaFootball and @NDFootball."

The winner of the Sugar Bowl will move on to face No. 6 Penn State, which defeated No. 3 Boise State New Year’s Eve. 

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New Orleans Saints star defensive end Cam Jordan donated to a victims' fund of those affected by the terror attack that took place on Bourbon Street in the wee hours of New Year’s Day.

Jordan wrote on social media that he donated $25,000 to the New Year’s Day Tragedy Fund.

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"I am joining @GNOFoundation and the @CityOfNOLA by donating $25,000 to the New Year’s Day Tragedy Fund to support victims of the attack," Jordan wrote on X. "Please consider donating to assist the families of those who lost their lives and those who were severely injured."

The Greater New Orleans Foundation set the fund up in the wake of the terror attack that took place in the city.

"The Greater New Orleans Foundation joins the City of New Orleans and fellow community partners to launch the New Orleans New Year’s Day Tragedy Fund to assist the victims and survivors of the 2025 New Year’s Day mass casualty incident," the description of the fund reads.

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"At around 3:15 a.m. on New Year’s Day, a man driving a white pickup truck plowed into crowds on Bourbon Street as revelers were gathered in the aftermath of New Year's Eve celebrations. The FBI is now investigating the mass-casualty incident as a terroristic act."

At least 15 people were killed, and several others were injured in the attack.

The attack forced the postponement of the Sugar Bowl, which is now set to take place at the Caesars Superdome at 4 p.m. ET.

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It's been a forgettable season for the Las Vegas Raiders except when it comes to rookie tight end Brock Bowers, who shattered two league records against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. 

Bowers, the team's first-round pick out of Georgia back in April, went into this contest with Mike Ditka's all-time rookie receiving yards record for tight ends in view, and he smashed it. 

Ditka, the Chicago Bears legend, held the rookie tight end receiving yards record for 63 years until Bowers caught a 13-yard pass from quarterback Aidan O’Connell to move ahead of him in the record books. 

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Bowers came into the game with 1,067 yards receiving, just 10 behind Ditka’s longtime record. Ditka, though, played in a time when there were only 14 games in a season, needing just 56 passes to tally that many yards. 

But Ditka’s record wasn’t the only one Bowers was eyeing before his inaugural season came to an end. 

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Puka Nacua, who emerged as a star with the Los Angeles Rams last season, broke the rookie receptions record in 2023 with 105 in his breakout campaign. Well, Bowers was just four receptions shy of it entering this game as well. 

Bowers led the Raiders with seven catches for 77 yards, breaking Nacua’s record in the process on what became a quite eventful day for the Raiders, who won back-to-back games. 

Las Vegas took down New Orleans, 25-10, as O’Connell threw for 242 yards and two touchdowns on 20-of-35 through the air. 

His touchdown recipients were Jakobi Meyers and Tre Tucker, while Ameer Abdullah rushed for 115 yards on 20 carries to lead the way on the ground. 

The win for the Raiders continues to have NFL Draft implications, as they’re now 4-12 on the season with just one week left to play. 

Meanwhile, the Saints moved to 5-11 after another Spencer Rattler-led game didn’t result in a victory. 

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Green Bay Packers fans could have gotten a jump start on wrapping Christmas gifts for their loved ones as their team dominated the New Orleans Saints on Monday night, 34-0.

The Saints’ defense had no answer for Packers running back Josh Jacobs and as they inched closer to the red zone on each drive, they still came away with no points. The struggles coupled together turned into a demoralizing late-season loss for a season that was already finished.

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The Packers looked good early and often on their way to clinching a playoff spot.

Jacobs’ rushing attack helped get Green Bay on the board on its first drive. It ended with a Jordan Love 2-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Dontayvion Wicks. Then, Jacobs was rewarded with a touchdown of his own on the team’s second drive of the game.

Before anyone knew it, Green Bay was up 21-0 and the halftime whistle sounded. Aside from a two second-half field goals, it was all the Packers needed to win the game and improve to 11-4.

Love was 16-of-28 with 182 passing yards and a touchdown pass.

Jacobs, Emanuel Wilson and Chris Brooks each had a rushing touchdown. Jacobs led everyone with 68 rushing yards. Jayden Reed had three catches for 76 yards. Wicks had three catches for 13 yards.

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Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler finished 15-of-30 with 153 passing yards and an interception. He led the team with 28 rushing yards. He was sacked three times. New Orleans only ran the ball 20 times.

Jordan Mims had five catches, leading the team, but only had 16 yards. No other player had more than two catches. Foster Moreau had 33 receiving yards to lead the team.

It’s been a really competitive NFC North. The Packers have one of the best records in football but find themselves in third place in the division because the Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings are both 13-2. Both teams have also wrapped up playoff spots.

Green Bay has one more win than the Washington Commanders, which give them the No. 6 seed in the playoffs if the regular season ended Monday night. The Packers clinched a playoff spot.

The Saints have suffered through a coaching change and a plethora of injuries to most of their key players. If they had been a little luckier, they could have been in the NFC South division race with the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

For now, the Falcons still hold the key to the playoff berth.

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NFL officials took heat on Sunday for an unwarranted clock stoppage during a game between the Washington Commanders and New Orleans Saints.

On 4th-and-3 with 17 seconds left, Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler threw a pass to Foster Moreau for the conversion. The pass got New Orleans to Washington’s 1-yard line. As Rattler and the team rushed to the line of scrimmage, a sideline judge inexplicably called for the clock to be stopped.

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The clock stopped for at least three seconds as the Saints got to the line. Rattler spiked the ball to officially stop the clock. There were three seconds left on the clock after Rattler spiked the ball.

On the next play, Rattler threw a touchdown pass to Moreau. The Saints attempted a 2-point conversion to try to win the game but failed. Washington won the game, 20-19.

NFL fans noticed the clock fumble. Washington (-8) was considered the favorite going in, according to FOX Sports.

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Referee Shawn Hochuli was asked about the errant clock stoppage.

"The covering official mistakenly stopped the clock in that situation," Hochuli told a pool reporter. "The clock should not have stopped."

Hochuli added that the situation was not reviewable. He was then asked whether he and the other officials in the crew were "aware of the mistake."

"That’s all I have for you," he said. "The covering official mistakenly stopped the clock at nine seconds, and it is not reviewable."

Washington moved to 9-5 with the win and New Orleans dropped to 5-9.

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The New Orleans Saints have yet to make the playoffs in the post-Drew Brees era, and that stretch will likely continue into a fourth year this season.

After a recent loss to the Carolina Panthers, the Saints fell to 2-7 and fired Dennis Allen as their head coach.

Brees knows what it takes to win. He is a Super Bowl champion and was 172-114 in his record-breaking Hall of Fame career. 

And unfortunately, that's why axing Allen was a move that "needed to be made."

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"You never want to let a coach go midseason, but at the end of the day, the business is about winning. And if you’re not winning, there’s disappointment and changes made," Brees told Fox News Digital in a recent interview. 

However, Brees has confidence in the veteran leadership on both sides of the ball, saying the franchise is still a "very functional organization."

"An organization that knows what it means to put the best product on the field, have a great culture, be able to overcome adversity. Unfortunately, they were on a trend where they had a lot of losses in a row, it wasn’t working, a change needed to be made. Those things happen, but if you ask the leadership on the team, they’re all trending in the right direction right now if they can stay healthy."

Health has been a huge issue. Chris Olave and Rashid Shaheed have both been out, and now Derek Carr is slated to miss the rest of the season. As Brees says, "You take the starting two receivers off the team, you’re going to struggle."

And for the Saints, Brees says they are close to getting back to the glory days.

"When you look at the entirety of a season, it’s going to come down to one or two games where you look back on and say, ‘We missed the playoffs because of those two. If we got the job done, we could have potentially made the playoffs and totally changed the complexion of the entire season.’ And within those two games, it’s one play here, one play there," he said.

In retirement, Brees has become an owner, investor and ambassador for Sports Illustrated Tickets, with his goal to make it the best secondary marketplace in the ticketing industry.

Launched in 2021 as the exclusive licensed operator of Sports Illustrated's live events vertical, Sports Illustrated Tickets struck a deal with the New York Red Bulls to have the SI name on its stadium, and Brees, who was on six Sports Illustrated covers, wants to make it easier for fans to get to sporting events by nixing hidden fees.

"It’s one of the most iconic brands in all of sports. I think it’s something that resonates with all of us, especially for my generation and beyond. …" Brees said. "I think what we saw is a great need and opportunity in the ticketing marketplace, both in the primary and secondary ticketing marketplace. … So we felt like there was an opportunity to step in and create a clean and transparent ticketing process that would allow people to see exactly the price they’re going to pay, no hidden fees, never trying to trick anybody. We want to be that ticketing solution across every live sporting event, every live concert at every venue in the country behind an iconic brand like Sports Illustrated."

"I think there’s some incredible nostalgia that comes with the brand," he added. "It stands for credibility and something that people can trust. So, while Sports Illustrated started off as a publication, now there’s a lot of different avenues that it’s going. It’s being licensed to groups that are great operators."

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While the Saints have not found success post-Brees, the quarterback's former right-hand man, Sean Payton, has with the Denver Broncos. After winning just eight games with Russell Wilson in 2023 in his return to the sidelines, Payton is now 8-5 with rookie Bo Nix, and Brees loves what he sees.

"It’s been awesome. I know the way Sean Payton wants to build a program. He’s an incredible teacher, and what Sean always does a great job of week to week is just creating the key to victory, the vision to win this game. And each game might be a little different, but he creates that vision and gets everyone to buy in and recognize what it’s going to take and just kind of narrow the focus and block out the noise," Brees said.

"He takes the young quarterback who you’re going to have growing pains with – to watch Bo continue to progress and gain a level of comfort, you see a guy who’s mature beyond his years, very poised, can do everything, great athlete, highly competitive, but make him process the game. Defense has played well, you have playmakers emerge on offense, they’re going to be tough down the stretch."

Brees will be eligible for the Hall of Fame next year, and with his 80,000-plus passing yards and 13 Pro Bowls, he is all but ensured of a bust in Canton.

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New Orleans Saints punter Matthew Hayball was on the receiving end of interim head coach Darren Rizzi’s wrath on Sunday during their matchup against the New York Giants.

Hayball punted a ball to returner Ihmir Smith-Marsette in the second quarter. Smith-Marsette made a move and took the punt all the way back for what the Giants thought was a touchdown, even nearly fumbling the ball on his way to the end zone.

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As the Giants celebrated, players started to realize a flag had been thrown on the play. New York was called for holding, wiping Smith-Marsette’s punt-return touchdown off the board.

Rizzi was seen on the sideline tearing into Hayball. Saints running back Alvin Kamara had to get in between his coach and his teammate. It was a 43-yard punt, but it appeared Rizzi was upset with how it was kicked to Smith-Marsette.

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The Saints’ special teams clearly holds a special place in Rizzi’s heart. He joined the Saints as their special teams coordinator in 2019 after serving in the same role with the Miami Dolphins. He was promoted to special teams coordinator and associate head coach in 2022.

Rizzi took over as the team’s interim head coach in the middle of this season after New Orleans fired Dennis Allen.

He’s 2-1 as Saints head coach, and the Saints were leading the Giants 7-3 at the time the incident with his punter occurred.

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Steve Gleason, a former New Orleans Saints safety who is battling ALS, had an accident while exiting his van, his wife, Michel Varisco Gleason, said in a post on social media.

The 47-year-old was on the road to recovery following the incident.

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"Steve had an accident exiting his van yesterday to speak at the Gleason Life Skills Volleyball Clinic," the post on his X account read. "It was traumatic for him and for all of us who witnessed him mangled on the asphalt. Although he is hurt, it could have been much worse.

"Miraculously, he was spared greater injury because he was strapped into his wheelchair and because of the swift action of his care team, a passerby doctor, and family."

His wife joked the former NFL player was gearing up for a fight against Jake Paul.

"He is at home resting and grateful for this crazy wonderful life and the support and love from everyone."

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Gleason played seven seasons with the Saints from 2000 to 2006 and had 71 total tackles in 83 games.

He revealed in 2011 that he was battling ALS. He was awarded a Congressional Gold Medal in 2019 and the Arthur Ashe Courage Award earlier this year.

Gleason had to deal with another incident earlier this year. He needed to be moved to a hospital as Hurricane Francine impacted Louisiana.

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