6 winners (and 3 losers) from Buccaneers blowout win over Saints

A few guys stood above the rest in the Bucs' 51-27 win in Week 6.
Winners and losers from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 51-27 win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 6.
Winners and losers from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 51-27 win over the New Orleans Saints in Week 6. / Jonathan Bachman/GettyImages
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It always feels good to beat the New Orleans Saints, but Sunday's blowout felt even better.

Tampa Bay throttled the Saints, scoring 51 points while establishing itself as the superior team. Things were far from perfect, as the Bucs blew a 17-point lead in the second quarter and played perhaps the worst seven minutes we've seen in a long time.

Still, the team's ability to overcome this when we've seen them fold in similar situations was phenomenal. The fact that it happened against the Saints makes it even sweeter.

Winners and losers from Buccaneers 51-27 win over Saints

Winner: Sean Tucker, RB

It was a breakout game for Sean Tucker, full stop.

He captured plenty of attention last offseason when he came to Bucs camp as an undrafted free agent and ended up making the final roster as the team's RB3. We got to see that promise delivered upon on Sunday, as Tucker finished the game with two touchdowns and almost 200 total yards.

Tucker saw an elevated role due to Rachaad White being out and made the absolute most of it. He had a catch-and-run touchdown in the second quarter that helped shake the Bucs loose from a hellish free fall, and capped the blowout off with a touchdown run.

His big game didn't create a controversy in the running back room, rather it sent a warning shot to the rest of the league that Tampa Bay's explosive offense has a stable of horses ready to run.

Winner: Bucky Irving, RB

Not to be outdone by Tucker, the absence of White allowed Bucky Irving to step into the starting role for the first time in his pro career. He didn't disappoint, finishing the afternoon with over 100 total yards and a touchdown.

Irving's biggest play came in the second half and kickstarted what would end up being a total blowout the rest of the way. It's also perhaps the most electric run we've seen out of a Buccaneers running back since Leonard Fournette's touchdown in the NFC Championship Game.

That belongs in a museum.

For now, it will have to serve as yet another reminder of how much of a steal the Bucs got by getting Irving on the third day of the draft. He's already logged over 300 yards on the ground and is averaging a whopping 5.8 yards per carry.

His performance on Sunday was just a taste of things to come.

Loser: Jake Camarda, P

It's been a stunningly frustrating season for Jake Camarda. He was punting so poorly the first three weeks of the season that he was benched ahead of Week 4's game against the Eagles and not activated again until this Sunday.

He didn't do himself any favors in his return to action. Camarda's first punt of the day came inside of the Bucs endzone and failed to have the booming quality we've seen him possess in recent years. To make matters worse, it came amidst the Bucs' midgame collapse as Rashid Shaheed returned it for a touchdown.

That's not all on Camarda, but the kick only traveling 47 yards when the Bucs needed his power to flip the field is a problem. His average is the lowest it's ever been with his yards per punt hovering around 45.6.

What makes things so frustrating is how good we know Camarda can be, and how important his leg has been to the Bucs in the past. He hasn't been that guy so far this year, and something needs to change.