Game story
In Week 6 of the 2010 NFL season on 2010-10-17, the New Orleans Saints took care of business against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, pulling away with a 31–6 final that controlled the game from start to finish.
The highest-scoring period was Q4 with 13 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
J. Freeman (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) paced the passing game, with +11.31 total EPA, and -4.7% completion percentage over expected.
On the individual side, D. Brees (New Orleans Saints) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +15.58 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (+12.4% win probability) landed in the opening quarter when New Orleans Saints changed the game: (7:22) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right to 16-L.Moore for 41 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New Orleans Saints | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 31 |
| Tampa Bay Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 D. Brees · New Orleans Saints · Passing · +15.58 total EPA · 33 snaps · +0.47 EPA/play
- 2 J. Freeman · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Passing · +11.31 total EPA · 47 snaps · +0.24 EPA/play
- 3 C. Ivory · New Orleans Saints · Rushing · +9.84 total EPA · 15 snaps · +0.66 EPA/play
- 4 R. Meachem · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +6.96 total EPA · 5 snaps · +1.39 EPA/play
- 5 L. Moore · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +5.51 total EPA · 4 snaps · +1.38 EPA/play
- 6 H. Evans · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +2.63 total EPA · 1 snaps · +2.63 EPA/play
- 7 M. Spurlock · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Receiving · +2.53 total EPA · 3 snaps · +0.84 EPA/play
- 8 L. Betts · New Orleans Saints · Rushing · +2.36 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.39 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
D. Brees — NO · Passing
D. Brees posted the highest total EPA (+15.58) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on New Orleans Saints's efficiency. Across 33 counted snaps, they averaged +0.47 EPA per play.
The signature play (+5.58 EPA) came from New Orleans Saints: (14:19) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right to 17-R.Meachem for 42 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- New Orleans Saints — L. Moore (D. Brees pass)
- New Orleans Saints — R. Meachem (D. Brees pass)
- New Orleans Saints — H. Evans (D. Brees pass)
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers — M. Spurlock (J. Freeman pass)
- New Orleans Saints — L. Betts
Field goals
- New Orleans Saints — G. Hartley
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The opening quarter: New Orleans Saints won the period 7–0. New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the TB 41 (Q1 52:22) — (7:22) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right to 16-L.Moore for 41 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the TB 2 (Q1 52:13) — 5-G.Hartley extra point is GOOD, Center-57-J.Kyle..
The second quarter: New Orleans Saints won the period 10–0. New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the TB 42 (Q2 44:19) — (14:19) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right to 17-R.Meachem for 42 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the TB 2 (Q2 44:09) — 5-G.Hartley extra point is GOOD, Center-57-J.Kyle, Holder-10-C.Daniel.; New Orleans Saints connected on a field goal from the TB 10 (Q2 34:38) — (4:38) (Field Goal formation) 5-G.Hartley 27 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-57-J.Kyle, Holder-10-C.Daniel..
The third quarter: New Orleans Saints won the period 7–0. New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the TB 4 (Q3 16:30) — (1:30) 9-D.Brees pass short right to 44-H.Evans for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the TB 2 (Q3 16:23) — 5-G.Hartley extra point is GOOD, Center-57-J.Kyle, Holder-10-C.Daniel..
The fourth quarter: New Orleans Saints won the period 7–6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers found the end zone from the NO 2 (Q4 5:43) — (5:43) (Shotgun) 5-J.Freeman pass short right to 81-M.Spurlock for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the TB 1 (Q4 2:00) — (2:00) 46-L.Betts up the middle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the TB 2 (Q4 1:54) — 5-G.Hartley extra point is GOOD, Center-57-J.Kyle, Holder-10-C.Daniel..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- New Orleans Saints (Q1 52:22) — (7:22) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right to 16-L.Moore for 41 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- New Orleans Saints (Q2 44:19) — (14:19) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right to 17-R.Meachem for 42 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- New Orleans Saints (Q1 54:41) — (9:41) 9-D.Brees pass deep middle to 16-L.Moore to TB 37 for 16 yards (51-B.Ruud).
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Q1 58:22) — (13:22) (Shotgun) 5-J.Freeman pass short left to 19-M.Williams pushed ob at TB 40 for 9 yards (24-L.Torrence).
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Q3 21:00) — (6:00) 24-C.Williams left guard to TB 48 for 3 yards (41-R.Harper). FUMBLES (41-R.Harper), RECOVERED by NO-50-M.Mitchell at TB 48. 50-M.Mitchell to TB 46 for 2 yards (24-C.Williams).
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- New Orleans Saints (Q2 44:19) — (14:19) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right to 17-R.Meachem for 42 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- New Orleans Saints (Q1 52:22) — (7:22) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right to 16-L.Moore for 41 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Q3 21:00) — (6:00) 24-C.Williams left guard to TB 48 for 3 yards (41-R.Harper). FUMBLES (41-R.Harper), RECOVERED by NO-50-M.Mitchell at TB 48. 50-M.Mitchell to TB 46 for 2 yards (24-C.Williams).
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Q4 5:43) — (5:43) (Shotgun) 5-J.Freeman pass short right to 81-M.Spurlock for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Quarterback report card
J.Freeman led all passers in efficiency for Tampa Bay Buccaneers, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- J.Freeman (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) · 47 dropbacks · 53.2% completion · -4.7% CPOE · +0.24 EPA/play · +11.31 total EPA
- D.Brees (New Orleans Saints) · 33 dropbacks · 63.6% completion · +6.3% CPOE · +0.47 EPA/play · +15.58 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | New Orleans Saints | Tampa Bay Buccaneers |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | +0.302 | -0.055 |
| Offensive success rate | 60.0% | 45.8% |
| Pass EPA/play | +0.472 | +0.171 |
| Rush EPA/play | +0.398 | -0.646 |
| Defensive EPA/play | +0.055 | -0.302 |
| Defensive success rate | 54.2% | 40.0% |
By the numbers
Despite the final score, New Orleans Saints generated the better offensive EPA per play (+0.30 vs -0.06), suggesting they moved the ball more efficiently.
- New Orleans Saints: 9 drives, +24.14 total EPA, 5 scoring drives
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 9 drives, -4.60 total EPA, 1 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- New Orleans Saints leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- D. Brees (New Orleans Saints) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
- J. Freeman (TB) finished below expected efficiency — volume may have masked accuracy issues.
- D. Brees (NO) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q1 52:22 · TB 41 · Score 6-0
(7:22) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right to 16-L.Moore for 41 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q1 52:13 · TB 2 · Score 7-0
5-G.Hartley extra point is GOOD, Center-57-J.Kyle. - New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q2 44:19 · TB 42 · Score 13-0
(14:19) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right to 17-R.Meachem for 42 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q2 44:09 · TB 2 · Score 14-0
5-G.Hartley extra point is GOOD, Center-57-J.Kyle, Holder-10-C.Daniel. - New Orleans Saints FG (+3) — Q2 34:38 · TB 10 · Score 17-0
(4:38) (Field Goal formation) 5-G.Hartley 27 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-57-J.Kyle, Holder-10-C.Daniel. - New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q3 16:30 · TB 4 · Score 23-0
(1:30) 9-D.Brees pass short right to 44-H.Evans for 4 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q3 16:23 · TB 2 · Score 24-0
5-G.Hartley extra point is GOOD, Center-57-J.Kyle, Holder-10-C.Daniel. - Tampa Bay Buccaneers TD (+6) — Q4 5:43 · NO 2 · Score 24-6
(5:43) (Shotgun) 5-J.Freeman pass short right to 81-M.Spurlock for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q4 2:00 · TB 1 · Score 30-6
(2:00) 46-L.Betts up the middle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. - New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q4 1:54 · TB 2 · Score 31-6
5-G.Hartley extra point is GOOD, Center-57-J.Kyle, Holder-10-C.Daniel.
Frequently asked questions
Who won New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
The New Orleans Saints beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 31-6 in Week 6, 2010 on 2010-10-17.
What was the final score of New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
The final score was New Orleans Saints 31, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6 (NO 31-6 TB) in Week 6, 2010 on 2010-10-17.
What was the score by quarter in New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
Q1: New Orleans Saints 7, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0; Q2: New Orleans Saints 10, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0; Q3: New Orleans Saints 7, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0; Q4: New Orleans Saints 7, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6; Final: New Orleans Saints 31, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 6.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
New Orleans Saints touchdown — L. Moore (D. Brees pass) (Q1 52:22) New Orleans Saints touchdown — R. Meachem (D. Brees pass) (Q2 44:19) New Orleans Saints touchdown — H. Evans (D. Brees pass) (Q3 16:30) Tampa Bay Buccaneers touchdown — M. Spurlock (J. Freeman pass) (Q4 5:43) New Orleans Saints touchdown — L. Betts (Q4 2:00) New Orleans Saints field goal — G. Hartley (Q2 34:38, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
J. Freeman (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), 53.2% completion, -4.7% CPOE, +0.24 EPA per dropback, +11.31 total passing EPA. D. Brees (New Orleans Saints), 63.6% completion, +6.3% CPOE, +0.47 EPA per dropback, +15.58 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
D. Brees (New Orleans Saints) led the game in total EPA with +15.58 on passing plays. across 33 snaps. The top single-play swing was (+5.58 EPA): (14:19) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep right to 17-R.Meachem for 42 yards, TOUCHDOWN.. The biggest win-probability swing was +12.4%.
Season records after this game
New Orleans Saints
Entered 3-2 Now 4-2 W
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Entered 3-1 Now 3-2 L
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