Baker Mayfield leads Bucs to 4th quarter comeback against Saints to win NFC South title

It got to the wire, but it is Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the New Orleans Saints in a thriller, 27-19, to win the NFC South.

Coming into this contest, the Bucs knew they were in a position to win, as the Atlanta Falcons needed to beat Carolina Panthers and hope to defeat Tampa Bay to sneak into the playoffs as division winners.

But Tampa Bay heads into the playoffs as the No. 4 seed in the NFC and will be waiting to see who they host in the wild-card round with the loser of Sunday night’s Detroit Lions-Minnesota Vikings game that wraps up the conference seeding.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS REPORTS ON FOXNEWS.COM

There may have been jubilation at Raymond James Stadium after the final whistle, but there were plenty of nervous Bucs fans when halftime came and the Spencer Rattler-led Saints led 16-6.

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

Before the start of the game, a moment of silence was held for all those in the New Orleans community, where a true display of patriotism was captured on the Fox Sports broadcast.

BUCS’ JORDAN WHITEHEAD INVOLVED IN CAR ACCIDENT WHILE DRIVING TO TRAINING FACILITY

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

Meanwhile, Baker Mayfield and the Bucs were trying to find something, and they got exactly what they needed to start the second half. Mayfield orchestrated a 10-play, 72-yard drive that ended with a Peyton Durham touchdown to give the Bucs their final touchdown of the day. The 16-13 deficit was more than bearable.

The Saints’ defense didn’t help matters, however, as they were bored and forced Mayfield’s interception despite the Bucs’ defense being given a three-and-out after their touchdown.

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

Early in the fourth quarter, Mayfield stepped up in a collapsing pocket and delivered an absolute blast 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 Bucky Irving’s 11-yard touchdown run.

The Bucs eventually turned the Saints over on downs on their final drive, and with just seconds left in the game, 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 moment of the game, as veteran receiver Mike Evans needed five catches and 85 yards to earn a $3 million incentive while also becoming the first player in history to of the NFL to reach 1,000 receiving yards in his first 11 seasons.

Evans, who had eight catches for 80 yards, caught a nine-yard pass from Mayfield and launched the ball into the air after being tackled, knowing he had just made NFL history and $3 million.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

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

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

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports broadcast on Xand subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.