# Saints vs Buccaneers prediction: pundits split 1–1

Week 15, 2026: New Orleans Saints at Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Dec 20, 2026 · not played yet · 3 calls on record · updated Aug 14, 9:47 AM ET

Who do pundits pick in Saints vs Buccaneers? Of 2 pundits with a call on record, the room is split, 1 each. Every call is graded once the game is final.

Page: https://missedtakes.co/nfl/games/2026-week-15-saints-at-buccaneers

Picks:

- [Moe Moton](https://missedtakes.co/pundits/moe-moton) took the Saints; said Aug 12, 2026; not settled yet — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/14926452-0f42-48ba-a967-7474e2d59f08
- [Ross Jackson](https://missedtakes.co/pundits/ross-jackson) took the Buccaneers; said May 15, 2026; on Locked On Saints (podcast); not settled yet — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/479e95ee-26de-4174-8e2c-1d918dc1fc5b
- [Ross Jackson](https://missedtakes.co/pundits/ross-jackson) took the Saints; said May 15, 2026; on Locked On Saints (podcast); not settled yet — https://missedtakes.co/opinions/479e95ee-26de-4174-8e2c-1d918dc1fc5b

## How they come in

The Saints are 3-5; the Buccaneers are 3-6. It is a division game. On win totals, 15 pundits put the Saints at 8.4 wins on average, and 10 pundits put the Buccaneers at 8.5 wins on average.

Venue: Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay, Florida

- New Orleans Saints: 3-5 (185 scored, 216 allowed)
  - Last games: W 23-22 vs Browns; L 10-16 vs Steelers; W 34-27 at Giants
  - Unit ranks this season: offense 23rd, defense 24th of 32
  - Last season: 6-11
  - Win-total calls: 15 pundits, average 8.4, 2 to 11 wins
  - The side most pundits took won 5 of 8 Saints games
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 3-6 (202 scored, 178 allowed)
  - Last games: L 24-27 at Bears; W 16-0 vs Falcons; W 43-13 at Panthers
  - Unit ranks this season: offense 22nd, defense 6th of 32
  - Last season: 8-9
  - Win-total calls: 11 pundits, average 8.5, 2 to 17 wins
  - The side most pundits took won 4 of 8 Buccaneers games

## Players to watch

Each club's starting quarterback, leading rusher, receiver and tight end, and its sack and tackle leaders, with their 2026 regular season so far, with the latest call on each from a pundit ranked on the leaderboard whose record beats the naive pick, made since the 2026 schedule came out ("No." is that rank). Leaderboard: https://missedtakes.co/nfl/leaderboard

- [Tyler Shough](https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/tyler-shough) (Starting QB, QB): 1,986 passing yards · 14 TD, 6 INT · 66.2% completions · 162 rushing yards · 8 games; 13th in the NFL in passing yards
  - No. 8 Pat Fitzmaurice, Sep 3, 2026: Tyler Shough to be 1st on the depth chart (not settled yet)
  - No. 12 Derek Brown, Sep 26, 2026: I've got him at QB. I kind of go back and forth somewhere in the QB 10 to 12 range (rest of season) (not settled yet)
- [Alvin Kamara](https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/alvin-kamara) (RB1, RB): 157 rushing yards on 47 carries · 3 TD · 25 catches for 150 · 7 games; 65th in the NFL in rushing yards
  - No. 20 Jake Ciely, Jul 20, 2026: Alvin Kamara to outplay his draft cost (round thirteen) (not settled yet)
  - No. 21 Ross Jackson, Aug 28, 2026: Alvin Kamara to make the roster (scored 100 out of 100)
- [Chris Olave](https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/chris-olave) (WR1, WR): 56 catches for 734 yards · 2 TD · 8 games; 6th in the NFL in receiving yards
  - No. 12 Derek Brown, Sep 1, 2026: Chris Olave to outplay his draft cost (wide receiver 12 price tag) (not settled yet)
  - No. 21 Ross Jackson, Aug 28, 2026: Chris Olave to make the roster (scored 100 out of 100)
- [Juwan Johnson](https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/juwan-johnson) (TE1, TE): 28 catches for 289 yards · 4 TD · 8 games; 73rd in the NFL in receiving yards
  - No. 21 Ross Jackson, Aug 28, 2026: Juwan Johnson to make the roster (scored 100 out of 100)
  - No. 30 Andrew Erickson, Aug 29, 2026: Juwan Johnson to outplay his draft cost (Late-round only) (not settled yet)
- [Chase Young](https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/chase-young) (Sack leader, DE): 8 sacks · 9 solo tackles · 8 games; 2nd in the NFL in sacks
  - No. 21 Ross Jackson, Aug 28, 2026: Chase Young to make the roster (scored 100 out of 100)
- [Jonas Sanker](https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/jonas-sanker) (Tackle leader, S): 31 solo tackles · 8 games; 45th in the NFL in solo tackles
  - No. 21 Ross Jackson, Aug 28, 2026: Jonas Sanker to make the roster (scored 100 out of 100)
  - No. 24 Rich Hribar, Sep 8, 2026: Jonas Sanker to be 1st on the depth chart (not settled yet)
- [Baker Mayfield](https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/baker-mayfield) (Starting QB, QB): 922 passing yards · 3 TD, 4 INT · 60.6% completions · 6 games; 32nd in the NFL in passing yards
  - No. 23 Jordan Dajani, Sep 28, 2026: Mayfield would seemingly be good to go, based on Bowles' current timeline, for their game on Oct. 25 against the Carolina Panthers. (not settled yet)
  - No. 24 Rich Hribar, Aug 5, 2026: Baker Mayfield to outplay his draft cost (a QB2) (not settled yet)
- [Bucky Irving](https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/bucky-irving) (RB1, RB): 825 rushing yards on 167 carries · 8 TD · 22 catches for 106 · 9 games; 4th in the NFL in rushing yards
  - No. 8 Pat Fitzmaurice, Aug 6, 2026: Bucky Irving to be 1st on the depth chart (not settled yet)
  - No. 12 Derek Brown, Aug 11, 2026: Bucky Irving to fall short of his draft cost (RB22, Overall RK57 | ECR vs. ADP: -13) (not settled yet)
- [Emeka Egbuka](https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/emeka-egbuka) (WR1, WR): 31 catches for 278 yards · 2 TD · 7 games; 81st in the NFL in receiving yards
  - No. 8 Pat Fitzmaurice, Aug 25, 2026: Emeka Egbuka to be 1st on the depth chart (not settled yet)
  - No. 12 Derek Brown, Sep 2, 2026: Emeka Egbuka to be 1st on the depth chart (not settled yet)
- [Cade Otton](https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/cade-otton) (TE1, TE): 23 catches for 211 yards · 0 TD · 8 games; 118th in the NFL in receiving yards
- [David Walker](https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/david-walker) (Sack leader, LB): 4 sacks · 15 solo tackles · 8 games; 30th in the NFL in sacks
- [Josiah Trotter](https://missedtakes.co/nfl/players/josiah-trotter) (Tackle leader, LB): 1 sack · 36 solo tackles · 1 interception · 8 games; 14th in the NFL in solo tackles

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The room is counted in pundits, each one's latest call standing. Accuracy is out of 100; the naive pick is the home team.
The week: https://missedtakes.co/nfl/games/2026-week-15
Method: https://missedtakes.co/methodology