The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are hoping to repeat the excitement from last week’s game, when a mallard duck appeared on the field during their 48-14 win over the Carolina Panthers. For this week’s game against the New Orleans Saints, the Bucs brought in another rally duck to boost their chances.
They teamed up with Ducks Unlimited, a wildlife conservation group, to bring another female mallard to the game, along with her handler. Two key players from Tampa Bay’s Super Bowl LV-winning team, quarterback Tom Brady and center Ryan Jensen, met the duck, along with general manager Jason Licht.
The Bucs need to win this game or hope the Atlanta Falcons lose to the Panthers to earn a spot in the playoffs for the fifth year in a row and claim their fourth straight division title.
The first rally duck appeared just before outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka blocked a punt, which inside linebacker J.J. Russell then returned for a touchdown. Fans cheered loudly, chanting “Ducky! Ducky! Ducky!” as the duck appeared on the jumbotron.
Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans later said he thought the duck was a good luck charm. “That was our good luck duck,” he said. “I’ve never seen us block a punt, and then we scored a touchdown. When the duck flew on the field, that was amazing.”
Evans is hoping the duck can bring good fortune again, as he needs 85 receiving yards to tie Jerry Rice’s all-time record for 11 consecutive seasons with 1,000 receiving yards.
