Somehow, the New Orleans Saints were able to get their biggest upset of the season. After two winnable games ending in loss, the Saints were entering week 14 with little chance of beating the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Every position group would have to step up in this game if the Saints wanted to win, and that is precisely what happened.
It wasn’t easy (only for good reasons) to choose only three people as this week’s standouts, but here is the list.
QB Tyler Shough
With a rainy day, struggles through the offensive line, and playing against a difficult defense (ranks 7th in turnover percentage according to PFSN’s Defensive Impact Metric), QB Tyler Shough overcame everything thrown at him. The rookie had two excellent rushing touchdowns and made massive throws throughout the game. On third down, his ability to make plays under pressure was impressive, keeping drives alive.
It wasn’t perfect; Shough had some bad sacks and an apparent miscommunication with WR Chris Olave that ended in an interception, but he elevated this offense to get this win.
HOLY SHOUGH!!!!#Saints | 📺: CBS pic.twitter.com/zI1xk1hVkc
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 7, 2025
After the win, Shough talked about the Saints’ mindset despite not being in playoff contention. “We believe we can beat anybody … I think each week we’re kinda bouncing back and figuring out how we can keep climbing.”
RB Devin Neal
A regular on this list, RB Devin Neal once again had a standout game, but this time, it was the best of his young career. For the first time, it really felt like Neal could be a franchise RB for the Saints. He scored the first touchdown of his career on the first drive, picked up hard-earned yards against an excellent run-defending team, and had splash plays throughout the game.
Saints strike quickly!
NOvsTB on CBS/Paramount+https://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/k3vUwIWxiP
— NFL (@NFL) December 7, 2025
Speaking to reporters after the game, Neal was asked about his first career touchdown and what happened to the ball afterwards. “I don’t know if I dropped it, I kind of just blanked out after that and just wanted to celebrate.”
DC Brandon Staley
When looking at the entire coaching staff, DC Brandon Staley has shown why he is the best on the Saints. One of the weaknesses of this roster is run defense, but in this game, the defensive line and linebackers made excellent plays in the backfield. The pass defense has also struggled throughout the season, but it also stepped up when it mattered most.
Out of everything the Saints defense did well today, the top had to be their 4th-down defense, which allowed only 2 of 7 attempts to be converted.