The Brief

The Bucs are set to play the Saints on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.

Baker Mayfield said they “don’t like” the Saints.

The Bucs beat the Saints 23-3 in October.

TAMPA, Fla. – It’s Saints week, which also means its rivalry week for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

While New Orleans is just 2-10 on the year and the Bucs beat the Saints 23-3 earlier in the year, Tampa Bay is not taking its NFC South rivals lightly.

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“I [have] it out for the Saints every year,” Bucs safety Antoine Winfield, Jr. said.

This match up always has bad blood.

What they’re saying

“We don’t like them,” Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “They don’t like us.”

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Even when the stakes are different, the disdain remains the same.

“Going in, I know what type of game it is going to be,” Winfield said. “It’s just trying to get everyone on that same level.”

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Baker Mayfield is on that level.

“Not much else to say other than the fact I don’t like them,” Mayfield said.

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Dig deeper

It’s for that exact reason the Tampa Bay coaching staff isn’t just prepping for this game with the X’s and O’s. They want to prevent any KO’s as well.

“We try to give them examples on tape each week, whether it is the Saints or anyone else,” Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard said. “If we see them doing something after the whistle, that could elicit a personal foul or not going back with these guys. I know that’s how it goes in any kind of rivalry.”

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In this rivalry, coming out on top requires just one thing.

“Anytime we play them, it’s always who wins the turnover battle – every time,” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said. “The records are out the window. They play hard, we play hard, we both know each other pretty well. Whoever wins the turnover battle wins the game.”

Winning the game, against this team, is all they want to do.

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“They play hard, you can see it on the tape based on the other games that they’ve played since we’ve played them last, and it shows,” Mayfield said. “We know what to expect; record doesn’t indicate how physical this matchup is going to be [and] what a tough matchup it is. They know us, we know them well, so it’s one of those, who can execute better and be the more physical team.”

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What’s next

Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.

The Source

The information in this story was gathered by FOX 13’s Mark Skol, Jr. at One Buc Place through interviews with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.