Rookie QB Tyler Shough's 2 TD runs lead Saints to a 24-20 upset of Buccaneers

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tyler Shough has faced the two top teams in the NFC South and beat them both on the road.

The New Orleans Saints are more competitive than their record indicates.

Shough ran for two touchdowns and the Saints upset the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-20 on Sunday to tighten the division race. The rookie quarterback is 2-3 as a starter, with the other victory coming at Carolina.

“We can beat anybody. When we’re stalling out, we’re beating ourselves,” Shough said. “Knowing how close we have been in some of those losses, how you can flip it on its head and we produce those big plays, we’d get those wins.”

The lowly Saints (3-10), who were 8 1/2-point underdogs, frustrated Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers (7-6) in a sloppy game mostly played through a driving storm.

The four-time defending division champion Bucs lost for the fourth time in five games and fell into a first-place tie with Carolina. The Bucs and Panthers face off twice in the final three games.

“It doesn't matter whether the team was 12-0 or 0-12, it's the NFL. You have to show up and make plays or the other team is gonna beat you,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said.

After Chris Godwin Jr. couldn’t hold onto Mayfield’s pass on fourth-and-2 from the Saints 47, New Orleans drove for the go-ahead score.

Shough spun away from Logan Hall and Vita Vea in the backfield and scrambled 13 yards for a touchdown and a 24-17 lead near the midpoint of the fourth quarter.

The Buccaneers had a chance to tie it but Emeka Egbuka dropped Mayfield’s pass in the end zone, and they settled for a 37-yard field goal by Chase McLaughlin that cut the deficit to 24-20 with under five minutes remaining.

The Bucs had another chance in the final two minutes but Mayfield ran out of his early-season magic.

First, Deion Jones dropped a potential interception that would’ve set Tampa Bay up near its own 40. Instead, the Bucs got the ball after a punt at their 20 with 1:48 remaining and no timeouts.

Mayfield threw two incomplete passes, ran for 6 yards and threw a 3-yard pass to Cade Otton on fourth-and-4.

“I don’t disagree that it feels disjointed,” Godwin said of Tampa Bay's offense. “I can’t put my finger on exactly why. I feel like if we could, it would probably be easier to fix it. You can’t just look at this and go, ‘Oh, it’s whatever.’ It’s not whatever, we have to correct it. If we want to make a run at this thing, we’ve got to get it together and get it together fast.”

Shough finished with 144 yards passing and 55 rushing with one pick.

“Our guys have a lot of adversity this year and they’ve grown through this journey,” Saints coach Kellen Moore said.

Mayfield had 122 yards passing on a 14-of-30 afternoon with one interception.

Shough’s 34-yard TD run on the opening drive of the second half was his career score on the ground. It gave New Orleans a 14-10 lead.

Helped by a 29-yard pass-interference penalty on Jonas Sanker that wiped out an incomplete pass to Tez Johnson on third-and-10, the Buccaneers reclaimed the lead a few plays later.

Rachaad White ran 11, 7 and 5 yards. Then Sean Tucker ran for 13 yards and scored from the 1 to make it 17-14.

The Saints answered with a 30-yard field goal by Charlie Smyth that tied it at 17-all. Shough completed a pass on fourth-and-1 to the Buccaneers 5, but a penalty for illegal man downfield forced the Saints to settle for a field goal.

A 54-yard kickoff return by Mason Tipton to open the game set the Saints up at the Buccaneers 45. Devin Neal capped a quick drive with a 3-yard TD run for a 7-0 lead.

The Saints had just one touchdown in the first quarter this season before that score.

The Bucs went for a fourth-and-1 at the Saints 45 late in the first quarter but Carl Granderson stopped Bucky Irving for a 7-yard loss on a deep pitch.

Sean Tucker was stuffed on a fourth-and-1 at the Saints 49 late in the second quarter.

On the ensuing possession, New Orleans went for fourth-and-1 at the Buccaneers 42 and Neal was dropped for a 3-yard loss by Haason Reddick.

The Bucs finally converted on fourth-and-1 when Mayfield ran for 4 yards on the last drive of the first half, which ended with no points.

Undrafted rookie Benjamin Chukwama made his first NFL start for the Buccaneers, filling in for All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs.

Saints: RB Alvin Kamara (knee, ankle), T Taliese Fuaga (ankle), S Justin Reid (knee) were inactive.

Buccaneers: LG Ben Bredeson left in the second quarter with a knee injury. ... DB Tykee Smith exited late in the first half with a stinger. ... Reddick left with an ankle injury. ... Wirfs (oblique), WR Mike Evans (clavicle), RG Luke Haggard (shoulder) and CB Benjamin Morrison (hamstring) were inactive.

Saints: Host Carolina next Sunday.

Buccaneers: Host Atlanta on Thursday night.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) is sacked by Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Greg Gaines and linebacker Haason Reddick, left, in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) passes under pressure from New Orleans Saints defensive tackle Bryan Bresee (90) in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Christian Izien (29) celebrates after stopping the New Orleans Saints on fourth down in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) is sacked by Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Chris Braswell (43) in the first half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) carries for a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (7) carries against the New Orleans Saints in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) appeals to down judge Andy Warner (64) for a pass interference call in the second half of an NFL football game against the New Orleans Saints, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Bucky Irving (7) carries against New Orleans Saints safety Jordan Howden (31) in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)

New Orleans Saints quarterback Tyler Shough (6) carries for a touchdown past Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Rashad Wisdom (38) in the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

LJUBLJANA, Slovenia (AP) — Slovenia’s parliament on Friday appointed right-wing populist politician Janez Jansa as the new prime minister, in a shift for the small European Union country that was previously run by a liberal government.

Lawmakers backed Jansa in a 51-36 vote in the 90-member assembly. The new prime minister will need to come back to Parliament within the next 15 days for another vote to confirm his future Cabinet.

Jansa's appointment concludes a postelection stalemate in Slovenia after a parliamentary ballot two months ago ended practically in a tie. Former liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob's Freedom Movement won by a thin margin but he was unable to muster a parliamentary majority.

Jansa and his populist Slovenian Democratic Party signed a coalition agreement this week with several right-wing groups. The new government also has the backing of a nonestablishment Truth party that first emerged as an anti-vaccination movement during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The new term in office will be the fourth for the veteran Slovenian politician. Jansa, 67, is an admirer of U.S. President Donald Trump and was a close ally of former populist Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who was defeated in a landslide election last month.

Jansa in a speech listed the economy, fight against corruption and red tape, and decentralization as key goals of the future government. He has promised to lower taxes for the rich and support private education and healthcare.

Critical of the previous government's alleged “inefficiency," Jansa said the new government will turn Slovenia into “a country of opportunity, prosperity and justice, where each responsible citizen will feel safe and accepted."

Like Orban, Jansa was staunchly anti-immigrant during the huge migration wave to Europe in 2015. Also like Orban, Jansa has faced accusations of clamping down on democratic institutions and press freedoms during a previous term in 2020-2022. This led to protests at the time, and scrutiny from the European Union.

Golob in his speech described Jansa as “the greatest threat to Slovenia’s sovereignty and democracy."

Alleging that Jansa had threatened to arrest him, Golob said Jansa's "idea of democracy is that anyone who dares speak a word against you deserves only the worst.”

Jansa, a supporter of Israel, also has been a stern critic of the Golob government's 2024 recognition of a Palestinian state.

The vote on March 22 was marred by allegations of foreign influence and corruption. The around 2 million people in the Alpine nation are deeply divided between liberals and conservatives.

Janez Jansa, center, addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa arrives for a session of the Slovenian Parliament in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)

Janez Jansa addresses the Slovenian Parliament during a session in Ljubljana, Slovenia, Friday, May 22, 2026, before appointing him as prime minister, ending a political deadlock after tight elections in March. (AP Photo/Igor Kupljenik)