Clear edgeTB
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
78.7PFM Team Score#16 NFL
Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints: PFM Team Comparison
PFM rates the Tampa Bay Buccaneers higher than the New Orleans Saints overall, with a clear advantage. The main reasons are the stronger defense and the less limited big-play ability.
Current PFM Team Scores
NO
New Orleans Saints
74.5PFM Team Score#25 NFL
PFM JUDGMENT
Why PFM Rates the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Higher
The Buccaneers can lean on their defense more than the Saints can. That creates a better floor when the offense stalls or field position turns against the team. The New Orleans Saints are closest in coaching direction, where the teams remain essentially even.
Tampa Bay also brings the less limited big-play ability. Tampa Bay adds the deeper roster. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers still deserves the higher PFM rating.
TEAM DNA COMPARISON
Tampa Bay vs. New Orleans Across the Core Pillars
The farther a team reaches, the stronger the rating. Each category also calls out which team has the edge and the exact gap. Hover on desktop or tap on mobile to isolate one team.
TBTampa Bay Buccaneers
NONew Orleans Saints
NEW ORLEANS’ BEST PUSHBACK
Coaching Direction Is New Orleans’ Only Close Fight
Kellen Moore gives New Orleans one place to push back. The Saints are only 0.6 points behind Tampa Bay in Coaching Direction, but that is where New Orleans' case ends. Tampa Bay still has Baker Mayfield at quarterback and the deeper roster, two advantages the Saints cannot match in this comparison.
COMPLETE COMPARISON
Where Each Team Has the Edge
PFM Team Score
TB78.7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 78.7NO74.5
New Orleans Saints 74.5Overall NFL Rank
TB#16
Tampa Bay Buccaneers #16NO#25
New Orleans Saints #25QB Stability
TB78.2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 78.2NO77.5
New Orleans Saints 77.5Roster Strength
TB78.7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 78.7NO73.7
New Orleans Saints 73.7Coaching Direction
TB76.6
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 76.6NO76.0
New Orleans Saints 76.0Recent Performance
TB78.4
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 78.4NO74.0
New Orleans Saints 74.0Offense
TB80.1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 80.1NO74.5
New Orleans Saints 74.5Defense
TB84.0
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 84.0NO73.4
New Orleans Saints 73.4Franchise Direction
TB75.2
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 75.2NO69.4
New Orleans Saints 69.4Explosiveness
TB74.7
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 74.7NO66.3
New Orleans Saints 66.3Conference Rank
TB#8
Tampa Bay Buccaneers #8NO#13
New Orleans Saints #13Division Rank
TB#1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers #1NO#3
New Orleans Saints #3Outlook
TBIn the Playoff MixNOPlayoff Long Shot
Stronger outlook: Tampa Bay BuccaneersSCHEDULE CONTEXT
Which Team Has the Tougher Road?
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Remaining schedule rank: #25
Toughest stretch: Detroit Lions, Carolina Panthers, Los Angeles Chargers
Strongest opponents: Detroit Lions, Los Angeles Rams, Baltimore Ravens
Next five difficulty: 77.4
View Tampa Bay Buccaneers Road AheadNew Orleans Saints
Remaining schedule rank: #22
Toughest stretch: Chicago Bears, Cincinnati Bengals, Green Bay Packers
Strongest opponents: Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, Cincinnati Bengals
Next five difficulty: 79.9
View New Orleans Saints Road AheadNew Orleans has the tougher Road Ahead at No. 22. The strongest opponents include Chicago Bears, Green Bay Packers, and Cincinnati Bengals. Tampa Bay also has the more favorable road, which adds to the stronger defense and the less limited big-play ability.
Explore Both Team Dashboards
Ratings and Schedule Freshness
PFM ratings updated November 10, 2026. Schedule data updated November 9, 2026.
How to Read This Comparison
PFM Team Score determines the overall order. The Team DNA comparison puts five core pillars on the same 0–100 scale, while the full rows show every current category.
PFM compares overall team strength rather than predicting one matchup. Road Ahead adds schedule context without changing PFM Team Score.
PFM ratings updated
How PFM grades NFL teams