NEW ORLEANS – As a team, they could escape Hurricane Milton. But the Bucs couldn't escape the fear of what was happening to their community, their homes and the lives they had built in Tampa Bay.

Milton forced 350 members of the organization, including their families and pets, to evacuate to New Orleans on Tuesday.

They played a game Sunday in the Superdome, a concrete fortress so damaged by Hurricane Katrina that the Saints were forced out for the 2005 season.

The Bucs came out determined Sunday, building a 17-0 lead before allowing the Saints 27 points in the second quarter.

But they got through it, and like the Tampa Bay area they represent, they regrouped and played with pride and purpose until they earned a 51-27 victory that they hoped would be a welcome distraction for depicting hurricane-ravaged Tampa Bay.

“That makes it extra special for these guys,” coach Todd Bowles said. “The biggest thing was that a lot of them played with heavy hearts and just saw what was happening in Tampa Bay. Our hearts are meant for Tampa Bay. It's a tough city. It is a strong city to which we return.

“But in our small part we wanted to get one for the city and we want to try to help in any way we can when we get back. To get through a week like this and come out victorious made the boys feel special.”

Do you want something special? The Bucs had a franchise-record 594 total yards, the most of any team this season. It was only the second time the team scored 50 points in a game, just shy of the club-best 55 it scored against the Rams in Los Angeles in 2019.

They rushed for 277 yards, the most of any team this season, and were led by second-year running back Sean Tucker. Before Sunday, the former Syracuse star had just 17 career rushing attempts. On Sunday, he rushed for 136 yards on 14 carries and a score while adding a 36-yard touchdown reception.

Antoine Winfield Jr., in his first game back from an ankle injury since the season opener, recovered a fumble 58 yards for a touchdown.

But the Saints scored all their points in a disastrous second quarter for the Bucs in which they allowed a 54-yard punt return for a touchdown by Rashid Shaheed and Baker Mayfield threw three interceptions.

It was reminiscent of the overtime loss to Atlanta ten days earlier, when they failed to shut out the Falcons in the second half.

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“We had to learn from our mistakes, especially in division games,” receiver Chris Godwin said. “These are always difficult games. You should never take your foot off the gas. We made this mistake last week. So we learned from our mistakes.”

Godwin had a tremendous game, finishing the game with 11 catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns. But it was his 55-yard catch-and-run for a score in the third quarter that gave the Bucs a lead they wouldn't relinquish. He caught a short pass and, with his heart pounding, fended off three tackles on the way to the end zone.

“It was a checkdown,” Godwin said. “We had a shot called downfield and they covered it up. … In the end the timing was perfect and (three) tackles were broken. I didn’t see anyone in front of me and I said, ‘I’m not going to get caught.’ That was the only thing that was going through my mind.”

Meanwhile, the Bucs defense made an adjustment against Saints quarterback Spencer Rattler. The rookie, making his first NFL start, played well in the first half, passing for 140 yards and a touchdown while also rushing for 21 yards.

Instead of letting her fullbacks drop into coverage, Bowles had them set the edge to keep Rattler in the pocket. The defense racked up four or five sacks in the second half and intercepted him twice.

The win improved the Bucs to 4-2 overall, but the week of torment and repression also gave them momentum.

Tim Jarocki, the Bucs' senior director of team operations, led an effort that began more than a week before the storm.

It was a massive evacuation that ultimately included three hotels, three charter planes, training at Tulane University and 16 buses for players, coaches and sponsors in New Orleans alone.

But there were also moments of lightheartedness, such as when Jarocki helped check the bed on Saturday evening and was almost attacked by a dog that belonged to one of the players.

“We were checking the beds last night and when we opened one of the doors one of the dogs almost lunged at us like the mailman,” Jarocki said with a laugh. “Then you see the player just grab the dog and close the door. It was an interesting part of the trip to at least get a laugh.”

The Bucs considered sending family members and their pets home Friday, but decided against it because they didn't know whether they would return to the damaged homes.

“We're already working in Tampa with block rooms for people who come back and don't know if they have power,” Jarocki said. “We're trying to figure out where we can put them for who knows how long. Because the fact is, there are a lot of things going on in Tampa that we don't know about because we haven't been to Tampa since Tuesday morning.

“Some people know they have no power. Some people go back and may not know it. I know we have at least one player whose house is under 1.2 to 1.5 meters of water, so we are looking for an apartment for him and his family, not a hotel. Will there be enough gas? Are the roads OK?”

Ultimately, they decided to all stick together. Not as a team. As a family.

“We came as a family, you leave as a family,” Jarocki said. “When we return to the good, the bad, or the indifferent, we do it together.”

The Bucs prevailed on Sunday, and that counts as a win, but it meant so much more.

“It’s a bit of a break from what they’ve been dealing with,” Bowles said. “But if we had given them a chance to smile for a few hours while everyone was going through what they were going through, then it was immediately worth it.” I tell the boys all the time and we talk about family as a team, As long as the family is safe, all other things are replaceable. We will do everything we can to take care of ourselves, our team, and help our community.”

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