After coming back down to reality a little bit with a 25-11 loss to the Eagles in Week 3, the Bucs have a huge NFC South showdown at New Orleans in Week 4.

The Saints may have entered the 2023 season as the favorite to win the division and keep the Bucs from three-peating, but both teams are 2-1 thus far and Sunday’s game at the Superdome has at least a share of the top spot in the NFC South on the line.

Bucs ILB Lavonte David – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Atlanta (2-1) is also tied with Tampa Bay and New Orleans right now atop the division, so their London matchup with Jacksonville on Sunday will determine whether the winner of the Bucs-Saints game will be alone in first place heading into Week 5.

Todd Bowles’ team turned the tables a bit in 2022, sweeping Dennis Allen’s Saints team to snap a seven-game regular season losing streak in the series. It was the Bucs’ first sweep in the matchup since 2007, and they’ll now look to build on it in the first of two matchups this season (the other comes at Raymond James Stadium in Week 17.

There’s plenty on the line this week as far as divisional stakes and personal grudges go (hello, Mike Evans and Marshon Lattimore… and hi to Carlton Davis and Michael Thomas… and shoutout to Cameron Jordan, too). But there are also some Bucs players chasing individual milestones and records, and they can keep their chases going this week.

Last week, Mike Evans became the 59th player in NFL history (and first Buc) to reach 700 career receptions. He also tied Irving Fryar, Tommy McDonald, Mark Clayton and Andre Rison (84) for 21st-most receiving touchdowns in league history while tying Warren Sapp (140) for 11th-most games played in franchise history.

Now, let’s see where things stand heading into Week 4.

Mike Evans

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: USA Today

If Evans finds the end zone against the Saints, it’ll mark the fourth time in his career that he has caught a touchdown in four consecutive games. He previously did it as a rookie in 2014 (10/24/14-11/22 vs. Browns, Falcons, Washington and Bears) before doing it in back-to-back years in 2020 (9/13-10/8 vs. Saints, Panthers, Broncos, Chargers and Bears) and 2021 (11/2-11/23 vs. Bears, Saints, Commanders and Giants).

That 2020 streak of five straight games with a touchdown currently stands as the longest of his career.

A receiving touchdown would also tie Evans with Lance Alworth, Paul Warfield and Hines Ward (85) for 18th-most in NFL history. Two receiving scores would tie him with Jimmy Graham (86) for 17th-most, while three would pull him even with Andre Reed (87) for 16th.

Evans needs 130 receiving yards in this game to break his own franchise record for receiving yards through Week 4 (426 in 2018). And with his touchdown last week, he needs 75 more points to pass Martin Gramatica (592) for the most in Bucs history.

Finally, Sunday will be Evans’ 141st with Tampa Bay, moving him ahead of Warren Sapp (140) for 11th-most in franchise history and leaving him seven away from tying Shelton Quarles (148) for 10th.

Chris Godwin

Godwin hasn’t scored since Week 15 of last year, but his next receiving touchdown will be a big one. He needs one more to tie Cameron Brate (33) for third-most in franchise history, while two would tie him with Jimmie Giles (34) for second-most.

One touchdown of any kind on Sunday would tie Godwin with Giles (34) for fourth-most touchdowns from scrimmage in team history.

Bucs DL Will Gholston Photo by: USA Today

Will Gholston

Sunday will be Gholston’s 157th game with the Bucs, which means he’ll be just one behind Mike Alstott (158) for eighth-most in franchise history.

Shaq Barrett

Barrett is 14 sacks away from passing Gerald McCoy (54.5) for fourth-most in team history. Meanwhile, he needs one more forced fumble to tie Hardy Nickerson (13) for sixth-most of any Buc.

Lavonte David

David is set for his 170th career game, putting him 13 away from tying Paul Gruber (183) for fourth-most in team history. It’ll also be his 170th start, which will leave him 13 behind Gruber (183), who has the third-most in franchise history.

With a sack against the Eagles in Week 3, David now has 30 in his career. He needs 3.5 more to pass Jason Pierre-Paul and Brad Culpepper (33) for eighth-most in Bucs history.

Bucs CB Carlton Davis III and Saints WR Chris Olave – Photo by: USA Today

Carlton Davis III

Davis is 20 passes defensed away from passing Derrick Brooks (84) for third-most in team history.

Jamel Dean

Dean needs just one more pass defensed to tie John Lynch for eighth-most in franchise history. But with Dean not able to play that won’t happen this week.

Bucs

With a win on Sunday, the Bucs would have a three-game winning streak over the Saints. That would be their longest streak in the history of this NFC South series. A victory would also mean a 3-1 start, which would be the 11th in the team’s history. The last 3-1 start for the Bucs came just two years ago when they started 6-1 on their way a franchise-record 13 wins.