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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a lot more on their minds besides an NFC South showdown against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday afternoon.

The Bucs (3-2) arrived in New Orleans on Tuesday to avoid the danger from Hurricane Milton and to prepare for the game. They began practicing at Tulane University on Wednesday.

“Overall everything went smoothly,” head coach Todd Bowles said of the evacuation. “We got the team out. We got their families out. We got their pets out and everything else. Family is the most important thing right now. You can replace material things.”

Bowles said most of the players have their families with them in New Orleans.

“That’s a big relief for them and they’re able to focus on football,” Bowles added. “We understand that the things we do in football are a small mechanism in life and how this hurricane is going to affect people, but we’re focused and we’re trying to get ready for a game.”

The Bucs have had extra time to rest and prepare for this contest because their last game, a 36-30 overtime loss at Atlanta, occurred Oct. 3. Tampa Bay had a season-high 160 rushing yards in the game.

“We’ve got to keep that same mindset of establishing the line of scrimmage,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said.

The Bucs had a 24-17 halftime lead but got outscored 19-6 the rest of the way against the Falcons.

“We executed well in the first half,” Mayfield said. “I think we should have had 28 (points) instead of 24. In the second half, we were very close to making some of the plays, but we didn’t and a game like that can shift just like it did.”

The Saints (2-3), on the other hand, have a short week to prepare after losing at Kansas City 26-13 on Monday, which was their third consecutive loss.

Rookie Spencer Rattler, a fifth-round draft choice in April, will start at quarterback for New Orleans in place of Derek Carr, who suffered an oblique injury in the fourth quarter against the Chiefs.

Second-year backup Jake Haener replaced Carr against Kansas City and completed 2 of 7 for 17 yards, but head coach Dennis Allen opted to start Rattler this week and said Carr is “week to week.”

“We talked a lot internally and decided that Spencer gives us the best opportunity to win this particular game,” Allen said. “He has a lot of athletic ability, he can throw the football, he’s accurate and he can create some plays with his feet.”

Allen said Bowles likes to use “exotic blitzes” and he expects that his rookie quarterback will see his “fair share” of them in his regular-season debut.

Carr was one of eight New Orleans starters that missed practice Wednesday. The others were running back Alvin Kamara (hip/hand), tight end Taysom Hill (rib), wide receiver Rashid Shaheed (hip), guard Cesar Ruiz (knee), guard Lucas Patrick (chest), linebacker Pete Werner (hamstring) and safety Will Harris (hamstring).

Tampa Bay had better news on injured starters. Defensive lineman Calijah Kancey (calf), who hasn’t played this season, and offensive tackle Luke Goedeke (concussion), who hasn’t played since Week 1, were both full participants. Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (foot), who hasn’t played since Week 1, was limited.

Three other starters — running back Rachaad White (foot), wide receiver Jalen McMillan (hamstring) and safety Jordan Whitehead (groin) — were limited. Starting center Graham Barton (hamstring) did not practice.

The Bucs are tied with the Falcons for the NFC South lead, one game ahead of the Saints. Atlanta is 1-0 against both of its nearest contenders.

–Field Level Media