With the NFC South title on the line, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers started out flat against the New Orleans Saints. But that changed early in the second half after quarterback Baker Mayfield rushed for a key first down and had some choice words for Saints cornerback Will Harris that raised tensions between the division rivals.
Bouncing up from the tackle, Baker stood triumphantly over Harris and was upset that Harris came in for the hit while he was sliding. For a moment, it looked like your average trash talk after a tackle, but things quickly escalated as Saints defenders rushed in to back up Harris.
Buccaneers' players then entered the scrum to pull their quarterback away, and the division rivals had to be broken up by the refs before the situation escalated further.
With emotions high, Mayfield then led the Buccaneers down the rest of the field and hit tight end Payne Durham for a six-yard touchdown pass. This brought the Buccaneers within one score of the Saints.
However, a costly interception by Mayfield on the subsequent drive for Tampa Bay led to a Saints field goal. With one quarter remaining, the Buccaneers trailed the Saints 19-13.
High emotions aren't unexpected for a division rivalry game, especially in a Week 18 matchup that will help determine the winner of the NFC South. If the Buccaneers win, then they'll win the division, but if they lose and the Atlanta Falcons beat the Carolina Panthers, the Falcons will claim the division title.
Better playoff seeding is also on the line for the Buccaneers, as a win and a Los Angeles Rams loss could see them avoid either the Minnesota Vikings or Detroit Lions as their first game of the postseason.
