The Saints will enter Week 8 with a 1-6 record against an in-form Buccaneers. Be it offense or defense, new head coach Kellen Moore has failed to live up to the expectations in his first year. But the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ QB Baker Mayfield, who is coming off a 9-24 defeat against the Detroit Lions, is not taking his ‘division rivals’ lightly.

“(It) hasn’t exactly been clean play from their part when we play them,” Mayfield said earlier this week. “It’s a physical game.”

Mayfield also made his feelings clear on Moore, saying, “Not much else to say besides the fact that I don’t like him.” Responding to Mayfield’s comment, the Saints’ head coach had full respect for his opponent’s quarterback, who is having a great season this year.

“Division games are always fun…they’re a little bit different than all the rest of the games…this is a phenomenal rivalry,” he first said on Wednesday. “Baker has been playing as good a quarterback play in this league, and so it’ll be a fun battle.”

Overall, the Saints have dominated the Bucs, winning 40 out of 67 games. But in the last 3 seasons, the Bucs have emerged as the stronger team. They have won 5 out of 6 games since 2022. But this year, the fundamental difference has been the quarterbacks.

In 2025, his sophomore year, Spencer Rattler played 7 games (all starters) and completed 159 of 235 passes (67.7% completion rate) for 1,450 yards with 8 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. The veteran Baker Mayfield has also played 7 games (all starters) and completed 157 of 245 passes (64.1% completion rate), threw for 1,767 yards with 13 touchdowns and only 2 interceptions.

However, in the past, both teams have had physical games.

Saints’ accused of injuring Baker Mayfield’s receiver

While fans started accusing Mayfield of being a crybaby, and alleging that the Bucs have also played dirty. The Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud gave them a history lesson.

“They tore three ligaments in Chris Godwin’s knee,” he tweeted.

It was about the infamous 2021 injury that WR Chris Godwin suffered in Week 15. On December 19, 2021, Godwin tore his ACL and sprained his MCL during the Bucs’ 9–0 shutout loss to the Saints, which ended his season early. Cornerback P.J. Williams hit him low on a 3rd down after which he almost somersaulted. Godwin was forced to undergo surgery and returned the next year.

While Baker Mayfield might not remember this as he arrived in Tampa two years later, the die-hard fans still remember that. And his ankle hasn’t been the same. Unfortunately, this year, the receiver will not be playing the week 8 matchup.

In week 7 of 2024, he injured his left ankle against the Ravens, which was later confirmed as an ankle dislocation. He underwent surgery and returned in the week 4 game this year against the Eagles. But he didn’t play in the week 7 game. The head coach, Todd Bowles, confirmed that Godwin will not play against the Saints as well.

Although the fibula injury is not related to his previous injuries, it’s a major cause of worry for the Bucs. They are trying to give him time, as next week is a bye week. So, they will get almost 15 days to either find an alternative or get him healthy.

The trade deadline is also approaching in the next 10 days, on November 4. Now, it remains to Baker Mayfield and Todd Bowles to see if they need a new player in the receiving corps and wait for their 8-year veteran to return. For now, they are

busy preparing for their old-school rivals.