The Bucs are set to wrap up the first half of the 2025 season this Sunday as they head to New Orleans to take on the division rival Saints at the Superdome. Tampa Bay is looking to avoid back-to-back losses heading into its Week 9 bye and instead hit the week off with some momentum and just the fifth 6-2 start in franchise history.

As outlined in this week’s “What to Watch for” preview, the previous four 6-2 starts in Bucs history have led to some special seasons. In 1979, they turned a 6-2 start into the franchise’s first-ever NFC Championship Game appearance. In 2002, they went from 6-2 to Super Bowl champions, and the same can be said for 2020. The 2021 season featured a 6-2 start as well, and while the team fell just short in the NFC Divisional Round, that season’s 13 wins still stands as the most in a season in team history.

Tampa Bay will be looking to bury a 1-6 New Orleans team that is firmly at the bottom of the NFC South standings. A win for Todd Bowles and Co. would mark their fourth straight over the Saints at the Superdome, plus it would get them to 2-0 in divisional play this season.

As usual, there will be other storylines to follow in this NFC South matchup, and that’s the reason we’re here right now. As we do every week here on PewterReport.com, it’s now time to take a look at what else is on the line during this week’s game. Of course, we’re talking about some of the records and milestones that some key Bucs are moving toward.

Last week, Jamel Dean set a new career high with his third interception. But on a deeply unfortunate note, Mike Evans suffered an injury that will cost him most of the rest of the season, if not all of it, as well as his 11-year streak of 1,000-yard receiving seasons. As a result, he and Jerry Rice will share the NFL record at 11 consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons.

Now, let’s see where things stand and what’s at stake heading into the final game before Tampa Bay’s bye week.

Bucs Record Watch: Week 8 at Saints

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

Baker Mayfield

The same milestones that were on the line last week for Mayfield resurface again this week. He needs one more win to pass Josh Freeman and Vinny Testaverde (24) for the sixth-most by a starting quarterback in team history, for one.

Mayfield also remains one 300-yard passing game away from passing Doug Williams (10) for the fourth-most 300-yard games in franchise history, plus he remains 8 rushing yards away from reaching the second-most in any single season in his career. He would trail only the 378 he ran for a season ago.

Additionally, Mayfield is 34 pass attempts away from passing Steve DeBerg (1,414) for the eighth-most in Bucs history.

Rachaad White

Like Mayfield, White has the same milestones in play against the Saints as he was chasing against the Lions. He is one touchdown away from passing Errict Rhett (25) for the fifth-most touchdowns from scrimmage by a running back in team history. Three more would tie him with Warrick Dunn and the late Doug Martin (28) for the third-most.

White is also two receiving touchdowns away from tying Mike Alstott (13) for the most by a running back/fullback in franchise history.

Emeka Egbuka

You might as well get used to Egbuka’s list of potential milestones being a good 70% of this weekly feature from now on, as the rookie continues to make waves and chase history. Here we go…

Egbuka is one receiving touchdown away from breaking a tie with Mike Evans (5 in 2014) and the late Mike Williams (5 in 2010) for the most by a Bucs rookie through the first eight games of their career. That receiving touchdown would also tie him with O.J. Howard (2017) for the sixth-most by a rookie in team history. Two more receiving scores would tie him with Michael Clayton (2004) for the fifth-most.

With two receiving touchdowns, Egbuka can tie Jordan Addison, Martavis Bryant, Ja’Marr Chase, Marques Colston and Calvin Ridley (7) for the most by a player in NFL history through eight career games.

Bucs WRs Emeka Egbuka and Mike Evans – Photo by: USA Today

Egbuka is five receiving yards away from passing Kevin House (531 in 1980) for the eighth-most by a rookie in franchise history. He is 31 away from passing Mike Alstott (557 in 1996) for the seventh-most and 45 away from passing Tim Wright (571 in 2013) for the sixth-most. The No. 19 overall pick in this year’s draft can then pass Horace Copeland (633 in 1993) for the fifth-most with 107 receiving yards.

With 69 receiving yards, Egbuka can pass Michael Clayton (595 in 2004) for the most by a Buccaneer through eight career games. A 73-yard day would see the former Ohio State star join Ja’Marr Chase (2021), Odell Beckham Jr. (2014) and Marques Colston (2006) as the only players in NFL history with 30+ receptions, 600+ receiving yards and 5+ receiving touchdowns through eight career games.

If Egbuka reaches 101 receiving yards on Sunday against the Saints, he’ll pass Justin Jefferson (627) for the seventh-most ever through eight career games.

Cade Otton

Otton is 61 receiving yards away from passing O.J. Howard (1,737) for the sixth-most among tight ends in Bucs history. He needs 129 more yards to pass Dave Moore (1,805) for the fifth-most.

And with one more receiving touchdown, Otton will pass Ron Hall (10) for the ninth-most by a tight end in team history while tying Calvin Magee and Alex Smith (11) for the seventh-most.

Vita Vea

Bucs DT Vita Vea and Saints QB Spencer Rattler – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Vea remains a half-sack away from officially passing Jason Pierre-Paul and Brad Culpepper (33.0) for the ninth-most in franchise history. He also needs 1.5 sacks to tie Chidi Ahanotu (34.5) for the eighth-most.

Assuming he’s able to fight through his foot injury and suit up on Sunday in New Orleans, it will be Vea’s 103rd game with the Bucs, leaving him one behind Hardy Nickerson (104) for the 39th-most in team history.

Anthony Nelson

Nelson is set to play his 100th game as a Buc on Sunday afternoon, tying him with Cedric Brown, Gerald Carter, Ron Hall, Davin Joseph, Pete Pierson and Mike Washington for the 44th-most in team history.

Lavonte David

David is two tackles for loss away from passing Aaron Donald (176) for the third-most in the NFL since TruMedia data became available back in 2008.

The legendary Bucs linebacker also needs two more takeaways to reach 35 for his career. That would see him join Hall of Famers Ray Lewis and Brian Urlacher as the only players with 40+ sacks and 35+ takeaways since at least 1982, when sacks became an official stat.

David is one interception away from the 15th of his career, which would also join him up with Hall of Famers Ray Lewis and Charles Woodson as the only players in the NFL with 15+ interceptions, 15+ forced fumbles and 15+ fumble recoveries since data is available dating back to 1994.

With four more sacks, David will pass former teammate Shaq Barrett (45.0) for the fifth-most in Bucs history. He also needs just two more passes defensed to pass another former teammate, Carlton Davis III (73), for the fourth-most in team history.

Sunday will be David’s 206th game as a Buc, leaving him 18 behind Derrick Brooks (224) for the second-most in franchise history. It’ll also be his 206th start, which leaves him 15 behind Brooks (221) for the second-most by any Tampa Bay player ever.

Jamel Dean

Bucs CB Jamel Dean – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Dean is seven passes defensed away from passing Donnie Abraham (64) for the sixth-most in team history.

Mr. “Don’t Make a Scene, It’s Just Dean” also needs one more interception to tie Dwight Smith, Jeris White and Mark Robinson (12) for the 13th-most in franchise history. He is three interceptions away from tying Lavonte David (14) for the 12th-most, too.

Zyon McCollum

McCollum needs one more pass defensed to move ahead of Jordan Whitehead and E.J. Biggers (28) for the 15th-most in Buccaneer history. With two more, he’ll tie Jermaine Phillips (30) for the 14th-most.

Antoine Winfield Jr.

Winfield has seen little movement in the milestones he’s been chasing in recent weeks, but he’ll have another chance to make some history on Sunday in New Orleans, a place where he scored his first career touchdown a season ago.

Winfield needs one sack to break a tie with Adam Archuleta, Bill Bates and Roman Harper for the 11th-most by a defensive back since sacks became an official stat in 1982.

With two more strip sacks, the do-it-all safety can tie Quintin Mikell for the most by a defensive back since at least 2000.

Bucs FS Antoine Winfield Jr. – Photo by: USA Today

Another forced fumble will tie Winfield with Jairus Byrd, Cedric Griffin, Chris Harris, Sammy Knight, Michael Lewis, Troy Polamalu and his father, Antoine Winfield Sr. (13), for the 16th-most by a defensive back since at least 2000. That forced fumble would also tie Winfield with Hardy Nickerson (13) for the seventh-most in Bucs history.

Winfield remains three passes defensed away from passing Dwight Smith (34) for the 12th-most in team history, while two more fumble recoveries would move him ahead of Lee Roy Selmon (10) for the fourth-most in franchise history and tie him with Cecil Johnson and John Cannon (11) for the third-most.

Winfield is also 10.5 sacks away from passing Ronde Barber (28.0) for the most by a defensive back in Bucs history and the second-most by a defensive back in NFL history.

Chase McLaughlin

McLaughlin booted another field goal in last week’s loss to the Lions, meaning he needs 12 more to pass Ryan Succop (84) for the sixth-most in franchise history.