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NFL · Week 14 · December 13, 2015 · 12 min read

New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2015 Week 14 Recap

Saints defeat Buccaneers 24–17 in Week 14

D.Brees led Fantasy Impact as Saints prevailed in a 24–17 Week 14 finish.

New Orleans Saints 24 5–8 Winner
Final 24–17
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17 6–7
Winner
New Orleans Saints
Final score
24–17
Halftime
New Orleans Saints 17–10 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Top passer
D. Brees
FantasyHQ MVP
D.Brees
Game date
December 13, 2015

Top fantasy performers · Saints

  • D.Brees 31/47 · 301 YDS · 2 TD +20.7 Fantasy Impact
  • Willie Snead
    Willie Snead 7 REC · 122 YDS +9.1 Fantasy Impact
  • M.Colston 6 REC · 36 YDS · 2 TD +3.5 Fantasy Impact

Top fantasy performers · Buccaneers

  • Jameis Winston
    Jameis Winston 18/37 · 200 YDS · 1 TD +6.5 Fantasy Impact
  • A.Seferian-Jenkins 3 REC · 31 YDS +4.3 Fantasy Impact
  • D.Martin 11 CAR · 81 YDS · 1 TD +3.8 Fantasy Impact
View Saints vs Buccaneers box score View all 2015 NFL game recaps

Quick answer

Winner
New Orleans Saints
Final score
New Orleans Saints 24–17 Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Halftime
New Orleans Saints 17–10 Tampa Bay Buccaneers at halftime
FantasyHQ MVP
D. Brees
Top passer
D. Brees
Biggest EPA play
(14:55) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep left to 83-W.Snead pushed ob at TB 22 for 41 yards (…
Game date
2015-12-13

Game summary

The New Orleans Saints beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24–17 on 2015-12-13. D. Brees posted a game-high +20.71 total EPA in the passing.

The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 20 combined points.

Line score

Final score and points by quarter.

Q1Q2Q3Q4—T
New Orleans Saints71070024
Tampa Bay Buccaneers01007017

Scoring Map

Each pin marks where a score occurred on the field — yard line from play-by-play.

NONew Orleans Saints
TBTampa Bay Buccaneers

FantasyHQ Analytics

Scoring timeline

12 scores

Chronological scoring plays — scroll to follow the game.

  1. NONew Orleans Saints
    Q1 8:41TD
    MCM. Colston

    Points+6

    Yard line
    TB 3
    Score
    6-0

    (8:41) 9-D.Brees pass short middle to 12-M.Colston for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

  2. NONew Orleans Saints
    Q1 8:33XP
    KFK. Forbath

    Points+1

    Yard line
    TB 15
    Score
    7-0

    5-K.Forbath extra point is GOOD, Center-47-J.Drescher, Holder-6-T.Morstead.

  3. NONew Orleans Saints
    Q2 12:01TD
    MCM. Colston

    Points+6

    Yard line
    TB 1
    Score
    13-0

    (12:01) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short left to 12-M.Colston for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.

  4. NONew Orleans Saints
    Q2 11:57XP
    KFK. Forbath

    Points+1

    Yard line
    TB 20
    Score
    14-0

    5-K.Forbath extra point is GOOD, Center-47-J.Drescher, Holder-6-T.Morstead.

  5. TBTampa Bay Buccaneers
    Q2 8:11TD
    DMD. Martin

    Points+6

    Yard line
    NO 14
    Score
    14-6

    (8:11) 64-K.Pamphile reported in as eligible. 22-D.Martin right end for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

  6. TBTampa Bay Buccaneers
    Q2 8:04XP
    CBC. Barth

    Points+1

    Yard line
    NO 15
    Score
    14-7

    10-C.Barth extra point is GOOD, Center-48-A.DePaola, Holder-5-J.Schum.

  7. NONew Orleans Saints
    Q2 1:06FG
    KFK. Forbath

    Points+3

    Yard line
    TB 5
    Score
    17-7

    (1:06) (Field Goal formation) 5-K.Forbath 23 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-J.Drescher, Holder-6-T.Morstead.

  8. TBTampa Bay Buccaneers
    Q2 0:08FG
    CBC. Barth

    Points+3

    Yard line
    NO 21
    Score
    17-10

    (:08) (Field Goal formation) 10-C.Barth 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-A.DePaola, Holder-5-J.Schum.

  9. NONew Orleans Saints
    Q3 0:58TD
    THT. Hightower

    Points+6

    Yard line
    TB 3
    Score
    23-10

    (:58) 34-T.Hightower left guard for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

  10. NONew Orleans Saints
    Q3 0:53XP
    KFK. Forbath

    Points+1

    Yard line
    TB 15
    Score
    24-10

    5-K.Forbath extra point is GOOD, Center-47-J.Drescher, Holder-6-T.Morstead. PENALTY on TB-92-W.Gholston, Unnecessary Roughness, 15 yards, enforced between downs.

  11. TBTampa Bay Buccaneers
    Q4 9:02TD
    Adam Humphries

    Points+6

    Yard line
    NO 6
    Score
    24-16

    (9:02) 3-J.Winston pass short right to 11-A.Humphries for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN.

  12. TBTampa Bay Buccaneers
    Q4 8:56XP
    CBC. Barth

    Points+1

    Yard line
    NO 15
    Score
    24-17

    10-C.Barth extra point is GOOD, Center-48-A.DePaola, Holder-5-J.Schum.

Stars of the game

Top performers by total expected points added (EPA).

  1. 1D. Brees · New Orleans Saints · Passing · +20.71 total EPA · 47 snaps · +0.44 EPA/play
  2. 2Willie SneadWillie Snead · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +9.13 total EPA · 8 snaps · +1.14 EPA/play
  3. 3Jameis WinstonJameis Winston · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Passing · +6.55 total EPA · 37 snaps · +0.18 EPA/play
  4. 4A. Seferian-Jenkins · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Receiving · +4.35 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.72 EPA/play
  5. 5D. Martin · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Rushing · +3.81 total EPA · 11 snaps · +0.35 EPA/play
  6. 6M. Colston · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +3.53 total EPA · 8 snaps · +0.44 EPA/play
  7. 7Blake WatsonBlake Watson · New Orleans Saints · Receiving · +2.78 total EPA · 11 snaps · +0.25 EPA/play
  8. 8Christian SimsChristian Sims · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Receiving · +2.29 total EPA · 8 snaps · +0.29 EPA/play

FantasyHQ Game MVP

Highest total EPA with the player's top snap and the game's biggest single play when different.

FantasyHQ Game MVP

D. Brees — NO · Passing

D. Brees posted the highest total EPA (+20.71) in the game, the strongest overall impact for New Orleans Saints. Across 47 counted snaps, they averaged +0.44 EPA per play.

D. Brees's top snap (+4.59 EPA): (14:55) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep left to 83-W.Snead pushed ob at TB 22 for 41 yards (30-B.McDougald).

Quarterback report card

D. Brees led all passers in efficiency for New Orleans Saints, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.

  • D. Brees (New Orleans Saints) · 47 dropbacks · 66.0% completion · +12.3% CPOE · +0.44 EPA/play · +20.71 total EPA
  • Jameis WinstonJameis Winston (Tampa Bay Buccaneers) · 37 dropbacks · 48.6% completion · -4.1% CPOE · +0.18 EPA/play · +6.55 total EPA

Team stats comparison

Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency.

StatNew Orleans SaintsTampa Bay Buccaneers
Offensive EPA/play+0.122+0.033
Offensive success rate38.0%47.8%
Pass EPA/play+0.441+0.177
Rush EPA/play-0.127-0.115
Defensive EPA/play-0.033-0.122
Defensive success rate52.2%62.0%

Drive & efficiency notes

Despite the final score, New Orleans Saints generated the better offensive EPA per play (+0.12 vs +0.03), suggesting they moved the ball more efficiently.

Season benchmark context (offensive EPA per play):

  • New Orleans Saints: +0.12 EPA/play (82nd percentile vs. 2015 team-game averages)
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers: +0.03 EPA/play (65th percentile vs. 2015 team-game averages)
  • New Orleans Saints: 10 drives, +12.24 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 9 drives, +2.29 total EPA, 3 scoring drives
Who scored touchdowns and field goals

Every touchdown and field goal from official play-by-play.

Touchdowns

  • New Orleans Saints — M. Colston (D. Brees pass) (Q1 8:41)
  • New Orleans Saints — M. Colston (D. Brees pass) (Q2 12:01)
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers — D. Martin (Q2 8:11)
  • New Orleans Saints — T. Hightower (Q3 0:58)
  • Adam HumphriesTampa Bay Buccaneers — Adam Humphries (Jameis Winston pass) (Q4 9:02)

Field goals

  • New Orleans Saints — K. Forbath (Q2 1:06)
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers — C. Barth (Q2 0:08)
Quarter by quarter

Quarter-by-quarter recap from live scoring plays.

The opening quarter: New Orleans Saints won the period 7–0. New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the TB 3 (Q1 8:41) — (8:41) 9-D.Brees pass short middle to 12-M.Colston for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the TB 15 (Q1 8:33) — 5-K.Forbath extra point is GOOD, Center-47-J.Drescher, Holder-6-T.Morstead..

The second quarter: The quarter finished even at 10–10. New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the TB 1 (Q2 12:01) — (12:01) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short left to 12-M.Colston for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the TB 20 (Q2 11:57) — 5-K.Forbath extra point is GOOD, Center-47-J.Drescher, Holder-6-T.Morstead.; Tampa Bay Buccaneers found the end zone from the NO 14 (Q2 8:11) — (8:11) 64-K.Pamphile reported in as eligible. 22-D.Martin right end for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Tampa Bay Buccaneers added 1 points from the NO 15 (Q2 8:04) — 10-C.Barth extra point is GOOD, Center-48-A.DePaola, Holder-5-J.Schum.; New Orleans Saints connected on a field goal from the TB 5 (Q2 1:06) — (1:06) (Field Goal formation) 5-K.Forbath 23 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-J.Drescher, Holder-6-T.Morstead.; Tampa Bay Buccaneers connected on a field goal from the NO 21 (Q2 0:08) — (:08) (Field Goal formation) 10-C.Barth 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-A.DePaola, Holder-5-J.Schum..

The third quarter: New Orleans Saints won the period 7–0. New Orleans Saints found the end zone from the TB 3 (Q3 0:58) — (:58) 34-T.Hightower left guard for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; New Orleans Saints added 1 points from the TB 15 (Q3 0:53).

The fourth quarter: Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the period 7–0. Tampa Bay Buccaneers found the end zone from the NO 6 (Q4 9:02) — (9:02) 3-J.Winston pass short right to 11-A.Humphries for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Tampa Bay Buccaneers added 1 points from the NO 15 (Q4 8:56) — 10-C.Barth extra point is GOOD, Center-48-A.DePaola, Holder-5-J.Schum..

Turning points

Plays that moved win probability the most.

  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Q3 6:07) — (6:07) (Field Goal formation) 10-C.Barth 47 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Left, Center-48-A.DePaola, Holder-5-J.Schum. [WPA -11.3% · EPA -3.04]
  • New Orleans Saints (Q1 10:13) — (10:13) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep left to 82-B.Watson pushed ob at TB 15 for 26 yards (23-C.Conte). [WPA +9.2% · EPA +2.57]
  • New Orleans Saints (Q2 14:55) — (14:55) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep left to 83-W.Snead pushed ob at TB 22 for 41 yards (30-B.McDougald). [WPA +8.8% · EPA +4.59]
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Q2 10:08) — (10:08) (Shotgun) 3-J.Winston scrambles up the middle to NO 24 for 18 yards (31-J.Byrd). [WPA +6.5% · EPA +2.39]
  • New Orleans Saints (Q3 5:13) — (5:13) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees sacked at NO 25 for -7 yards (59-K.Brown). PENALTY on TB-95-H.Jones, Illegal Use of Hands, 5 yards, enforced at NO 32 - No Play. [WPA +6.1% · EPA +1.95]
Impact plays

Highest EPA snaps that flipped field position.

  • New Orleans Saints (Q2 14:55) — (14:55) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep left to 83-W.Snead pushed ob at TB 22 for 41 yards (30-B.McDougald). [WPA +8.8% · EPA +4.59]
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Q4 10:00) — (10:00) (Shotgun) 3-J.Winston pass short left to 87-A.Seferian-Jenkins to NO 43 for 9 yards (39-B.Browner) [32-K.Vaccaro]. PENALTY on NO-32-K.Vaccaro, Roughing the Passer, 15 yards, enforced at NO 43. [WPA +4.6% · EPA +4.00]
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers (Q3 6:07) — (6:07) (Field Goal formation) 10-C.Barth 47 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Left, Center-48-A.DePaola, Holder-5-J.Schum. [WPA -11.3% · EPA -3.04]
  • New Orleans Saints (Q1 10:13) — (10:13) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep left to 82-B.Watson pushed ob at TB 15 for 26 yards (23-C.Conte). [WPA +9.2% · EPA +2.57]
Every scoring play

Chronological scoring with play-by-play context.

  1. New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q1 8:41 · TB 3 · Score 6-0
    (8:41) 9-D.Brees pass short middle to 12-M.Colston for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
  2. New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q1 8:33 · TB 15 · Score 7-0
    5-K.Forbath extra point is GOOD, Center-47-J.Drescher, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
  3. New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q2 12:01 · TB 1 · Score 13-0
    (12:01) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass short left to 12-M.Colston for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
  4. New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q2 11:57 · TB 20 · Score 14-0
    5-K.Forbath extra point is GOOD, Center-47-J.Drescher, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
  5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers TD (+6) — Q2 8:11 · NO 14 · Score 14-6
    (8:11) 64-K.Pamphile reported in as eligible. 22-D.Martin right end for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
  6. Tampa Bay Buccaneers XP (+1) — Q2 8:04 · NO 15 · Score 14-7
    10-C.Barth extra point is GOOD, Center-48-A.DePaola, Holder-5-J.Schum.
  7. New Orleans Saints FG (+3) — Q2 1:06 · TB 5 · Score 17-7
    (1:06) (Field Goal formation) 5-K.Forbath 23 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-47-J.Drescher, Holder-6-T.Morstead.
  8. Tampa Bay Buccaneers FG (+3) — Q2 0:08 · NO 21 · Score 17-10
    (:08) (Field Goal formation) 10-C.Barth 39 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-48-A.DePaola, Holder-5-J.Schum.
  9. New Orleans Saints TD (+6) — Q3 0:58 · TB 3 · Score 23-10
    (:58) 34-T.Hightower left guard for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
  10. New Orleans Saints XP (+1) — Q3 0:53 · TB 15 · Score 24-10
    5-K.Forbath extra point is GOOD, Center-47-J.Drescher, Holder-6-T.Morstead. PENALTY on TB-92-W.Gholston, Unnecessary Roughness, 15 yards, enforced between downs.
  11. Tampa Bay Buccaneers TD (+6) — Q4 9:02 · NO 6 · Score 24-16
    (9:02) 3-J.Winston pass short right to 11-A.Humphries for 6 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
  12. Tampa Bay Buccaneers XP (+1) — Q4 8:56 · NO 15 · Score 24-17
    10-C.Barth extra point is GOOD, Center-48-A.DePaola, Holder-5-J.Schum.

Key takeaways

What to remember for fantasy research and follow-up box score digging.

  • New Orleans Saints earned the result — use the box score for snap-level context.
  • One-score margin — verify garbage-time stats before drawing fantasy conclusions.
  • D. Brees (New Orleans Saints) led total EPA — start here for highlight and prop research.
  • D. Brees (NO) finished above expected through the air (positive CPOE).

Frequently asked questions

Who won New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers on 2015-12-13?

The New Orleans Saints beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-17 in Week 14, 2015.

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 10; Q3: New Orleans Saints 7, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0; Q4: New Orleans Saints 0, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7; Final: New Orleans Saints 24, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 17.

Who scored touchdowns and field goals in New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

New Orleans Saints touchdown — M. Colston (D. Brees pass) (Q1 8:41) New Orleans Saints touchdown — M. Colston (D. Brees pass) (Q2 12:01) Tampa Bay Buccaneers touchdown — D. Martin (Q2 8:11) New Orleans Saints touchdown — T. Hightower (Q3 0:58) Tampa Bay Buccaneers touchdown — A. Humphries (J. Winston pass) (Q4 9:02) New Orleans Saints field goal — K. Forbath (Q2 1:06, 3 pts) Tampa Bay Buccaneers field goal — C. Barth (Q2 0:08, 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?

D. Brees (New Orleans Saints), 66.0% completion, +12.3% CPOE, +0.44 EPA per dropback, +20.71 total passing EPA. Jameis Winston (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), 48.6% completion, -4.1% CPOE, +0.18 EPA per dropback, +6.55 total passing EPA.

Who was FantasyHQ's player of the game in New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers?

D. Brees (New Orleans Saints) was FantasyHQ's Game MVP with +20.71 total EPA on Passing plays. across 47 snaps. Their top snap (+4.59 EPA): (14:55) (Shotgun) 9-D.Brees pass deep left to 83-W.Snead pushed ob at TB 22 for 41 yards (30-B.McDougald)..

Was New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers a close game?

Yes — the margin was 7 points. New Orleans Saints won 24-17 in a game that stayed within one score into the fourth quarter.

Season records after this game

New Orleans Saints

Entered 4-8 Now 5-8 W

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Entered 6-6 Now 6-7 L

FantasyHQ · fantasyhq.co

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