Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield admitted their defense and special teams bailed him and the offense out last weekend in their 23-3 win over the New Orleans Saints.

On what was a poignant day in the NFL following the shock passing of Nick Mangold, which moved his former head coach Rex Ryan to tears on ESPN, the Buccaneers came through to beat the Saints despite a less-than-stellar day on offense for Mayfield and his teammates.

The 30-year-old completed 15 of 24 passes for just 152 yards, while on the ground, running backs Sean Tucker, Rachaad White and Josh Williams averaged 3.5. 2.7 and 2.8 yards respectively.

While Tucker did score a touchdown, the Buccaneers were sluggish on offense throughout the contest at the Superdome. Kicker Chase McLaughlin converted three field goals, while on defense, Anthony Nelson managed to intercept Spencer Rattler in stunning fashion, raising his hands in the air to catch the ball before bulldozing the Saints quarterback as he walked into the endzone for a pick-six.

With Tampa Bay now sitting at 6-2, the Buccaneers currently hold a two-game lead over the Carolina Panthers in the NFC South, who sit at 4-4. They also hold the third seed in the NFC, sitting behind the Philadelphia Eagles and Green Bay Packers.

Speaking after the game, Mayfield admitted he and his offensive teammates failed to produce the performance they would have liked to against the Saints.

However, he also hailed the Buccaneers defense and special teams for helping Tampa Bay get the win against their NFC South rivals. “We’ll always take the wins,” said Mayfield.

“Don’t get me wrong about that, but offensively, that wasn’t nearly good enough or close to what we want it to look like.

“Defense and special teams played absolutely outstanding, and it was really fun to watch on their part.”

He added of Tampa’s defense, who forced four turnovers during the game: “It would be nice if we matched their energy and their play, but watching that, that’s unbelievable.

“That’s lights-out defense. The only reason they got points was because of the turnover right before the half, and they’re damn-near in field goal range. They played a shutout ballgame in my eyes. Everybody flying around and making plays, and Nelly obviously had a hell of a game.”