Saints vs. Buccaneers live score, updates, highlights from NFL divisional playoff game

The Saints vs. Buccaneers NFC divisional round game Sunday night continues a run of great quarterback matchups in the 2020 NFL playoffs.

It brings Drew Brees and Tom Brady together for the right to face Aaron Rodgers in the NFC championship game, a euphoric setup for fans eager to watch the trio of future Hall of Famers try to win another Super Bowl ring before retirement.

Brady’s Buccaneers lost twice to Brees’ Saints during the regular season. The second of those matchups wasn’t close — New Orleans stomped Tampa Bay 38-3 and intercepted Brady three times. That kind of blowout doesn’t usually happen at Brady’s expense and will provide a colorful backdrop to their playoff rematch.

Even at their advanced ages, Brady and Brees have been effective. Brady, 43, threw 40 touchdown passes to 12 interceptions. Brees, 42, threw 24 touchdown passes to six interceptions in 12 games.

The Packers, who beat the Rams on Saturday, will host the winner of the Brady-Brees duel next weekend.

Sporting News is tracking live scoring updates and highlights from Saints vs. Buccaneers on Sunday night. Follow below for complete results from the 2021 NFL playoff game.

MORE: Watch Saints vs. Buccaneers live with fuboTV (7-day free trial)

Saints vs. Buccaneers score

Saints vs. Buccaneers live updates, highlights

9:19 p.m.: And now Brady drops in a beautiful pass for 29 yards to Scotty Miller, another player behind several people on the passing game pecking order.

9:16 p.m.: Tyler Johnson, relatively low on Tampa Bay’s receiver depth chart, makes a phenomenal catch turning out toward the sideline.

End of third quarter: Saints 20, Buccaneers 20

9:08 p.m.: The arm strength isn’t there for Brees right now, especially when backpedaling under pressure. His third-down throw to Kamara in the flat falls incomplete without ever having a chance to be caught. He’s 17-of-29 passing for 121 yards, a touchdown and an interception. The Saints will punt in the final seconds of the third quarter.

8:58 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, Buccaneers. Leonard Fournette bobbles a throw from Brady but is able to hold on as he falls into the end zone. 20-20.

8:53 p.m.: Fumble! Antoine Winfield strips Saints tight end Jared Cook. The Buccaneers recover.

8:51 p.m.: Brees makes a risky throw to Smith on third-and-10 that’s batted by Murphy-Bunting, but Murphy-Bunting is called for pass interference. First down for the Saints.

8:48 p.m.: Tampa Bay punts.

8:40 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, Saints. Smith makes a leaping catch for his second TD of the night. That wasn’t an easy grab. 20-13, New Orleans.

8:34 p.m.: Kamara breaks off his best run of the game. 17-yard gain.

8:33 p.m.: Brees takes a turn sneaking up the middle for a first down. Brady did it in the first half.

8:30 p.m.: The Saints receive the second-half kickoff.

8:28 p.m.: Brady finished the first half with just 93 passing yards. Brees had an even smaller output, producing only 63 passing yards.

Halftime: Saints 13, Buccaneers 13

8:15 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, Buccaneers. The teams enter halftime in a tie game after that 37-yard kick. 13-13.

8:12 p.m.: Chris Godwin nearly makes an acrobatic touchdown catch. The ball slips out of his grasp as he tumbles in the end zone.

8:10 p.m.: Brady completes to Antonio Brown for about 10 yards, moving his offense into field goal range.

8:08 p.m.: Tampa Bay is past midfield with 54 seconds left. Bruce Arians takes his first timeout.

8:02 p.m.: Two-minute warning.

8 p.m.: The Saints’ line jumps and is flagged for a false start. Payton brings out his punt unit.

7:49 p.m.: Kamara is popped short of the marker on a third-down screen pass. That brings up fourth-and-2 near midfield.

7:54 p.m.: Indeed, the Buccaneers punt. New Orleans takes possession with 6:30 left in the half.

7:51 p.m.: Marcus Williams is ruled to have intercepted Brady, but that will almost certainly be reversed upon further review because he failed to keep both feet in play while securing the ball. It will still prompt a Tampa Bay punt.

7:49 p.m.: Winston, of course, was drafted by the Buccaneers and played five years there before they let him leave last offseason. Big personal moment for him.

7:45 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, Saints. Sean Payton dials up a crazy trick play, lining up backup QB Jameis Winston out wide and having him take a reverse toss before throwing long. It works. Tre’Quan Smith is wide open for Winston to hit in stride. 13-10, New Orleans.

7:35 p.m.: TOUCHDOWN, Buccaneers. Brady finds Mike Evans on first-and-goal for the score. 10-6, Tampa Bay.

7:34 p.m.: Interception. Defensive back Sean Murphy-Bunting undercuts a pass from Brees and takes his pick back to the 3.

7:31 p.m.: Kamara is running well. He has 34 yards on eight carries. It’s only a matter of time until he gets involved in the passing game too.

7:28 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, Buccaneers. The bold fourth-down decision at the start of the drive leads to three points. 6-3, New Orleans.

7:24 p.m.: Brady targets Gronkowski on third down in the red zone, but Gronkowski can’t hang on with a defender’s arms in his catch space.

End of first quarter: Saints 6, Buccaneers 0

7:21 p.m.: Brady throws for a first down one play later.

7:19 p.m.: Officials don’t give Brady a free play on a neutral zone infraction, instead blowing it dead, and the quarterback is furious.

7:15 p.m.: The Buccaneers sneak with Brady on fourth-and-1. A dicey decision but one that pays off. A punt would have brought them to three straight three-and-outs to begin the contest.

7:10 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, Saints. Lutz is perfect again. 6-0, New Orleans.

7:06 p.m.: Alvin Kamara stumbles forward for a first down conversion inside Tampa Bay’s 25-yard line.

6:57 p.m.: Now Harris has a punt return touchdown called back for an illegal block. Close to disaster for Tampa Bay.

6:56 p.m.: Brady takes a sack, forcing his team to punt. Back-to-back three-and-outs for the Buccaneers.

6:51 p.m.: FIELD GOAL, Saints. New Orleans settles for a field goal following the big special teams play. 3-0, New Orleans.

6:44 p.m.: Huge return! Deonte Harris takes a punt back 54 yards to enter Buccaneers territory.

6:43 p.m.: Tampa Bay goes three-and-out. Brady lobbed a deep ball to Rob Gronkowski on third-and-3, but the pass sailed just out of the tight end’s reach.

6:40 p.m.: The Buccaneers start with the ball.

Saints vs. Buccaneers start time

• Start time: 6:40 p.m. ET
• TV channel (national): Fox
• Live stream: Fox Sports Go | fuboTV

After Chiefs vs. Browns gets the day underway, Buccaneers vs. Saints will be the final game of the divisional round. Once it’s over, the four teams in the conference championship games will be known.

The 6:40 p.m. start time is one that only comes out in the postseason for the NFL, which normally starts games before 4:30 p.m. ET or after 8 p.m. ET during the regular season. 

NFL playoff schedule 2021

Divisional round

Saturday, Jan. 16

Sunday, Jan. 17

Conference championships

Sunday, Jan. 24

Super Bowl 55

Sunday, Feb. 7