Buccaneers vs. Saints rating, takeaways: Tom Brady brings Tampa Bay again to life with fourth-quarter stunner – CBS Sports activities

Tom Brady has executed it once more. The longer term Corridor of Fame quarterback pulled Tampa Bay from the sides of defeat to beat the New Orleans Saints on Monday night time, 17-16. 

The Bucs had been trailing, 16-3, on the 5:31 mark of the fourth quarter when the Saints punted the ball again to the Tampa Bay offense. At that time, Brady and firm marched 91 yards on 10 performs to attain their first landing of the night time and pull inside six. The protection carried that momentum on the following possession and compelled a three-and-out on a Saints drive that lasted simply 31 seconds and gave Brady the ball again with 2:29 left on the clock. Because the 45-year-old has executed all through his profession, he sliced and diced his manner down the sector and finally related with rookie Rachaad White for the landing that arrange the game-winning additional level. 

This win now strikes the first-place Bucs to 6-6 on the season and offers them a little bit of respiration room within the NFC South over each New Orleans (4-9) and the Atlanta Falcons (5-8).

Brady completed with 281 yards, two touchdowns and one interception on 36 of 54 passing. Chris Godwin was his go-to goal, catching eight passes for 63 yards. Andy Dalton was 20 of 28 for 225 yards and a landing within the loss.

For a extra detailed breakdown of how this sport unfolded take a look at our takeaways beneath. 

Why the Buccaneers received

Reality be instructed, it was a quite lifeless effort by the Buccaneers offense for a majority of the sport. The offense appeared to be following the theme that we have seen from it all year long of merely looking of sync, because it was held to simply three factors for the primary three quarters. Nonetheless, the change was flipped within the fourth, and that was when Brady turned in a classic efficiency. 

Simply earlier than the quarterback led the membership on a 14-0 run to win it, nonetheless, Todd Bowles made a questionable choice to punt the ball again to the Saints on a fourth-and-10 try with the workforce down by 13 and the ball sitting on the Tampa Bay 25-yard line with simply over seven minutes to play. Whereas it seemed like Brady needed to go for it, the choice labored out in Bowles’ favor, because the protection rapidly compelled a three-and-out to offer the offense the ball again roughly 90 seconds later. 

Because the Saints had been permitting the Bucs to hold round, Brady took full benefit, main back-to-back landing drives whereas the Tampa Bay protection continued to suffocate New Orleans. These remaining two drives had been a flash of Brady’s all-time brilliance, as he was 14 of 19 for 118 yards. These had been probably the most completions, makes an attempt and yards within the remaining six minutes of the fourth quarter in his profession (together with playoffs), per the CBS Sports research team.

Why the Saints misplaced

New Orleans had loads of alternatives to place this sport away, they usually had been merely incapable of doing so. As we spotlight in additional element in our “Turning level” part beneath, Dennis Allen had a possibility to maintain the offense on the sector on a fourth-down attempt. Had the Saints transformed, it might have helped take vital day without work the clock and maintain the ball out of Brady’s fingers. As an alternative of happening that route, he determined to punt it away. There was additionally a vital incomplete throw that was within the arms of Taysom Hill that additionally might have iced the sport late. 

When you can level to these late-game miscues as important explanation why the Saints at the moment are 4-9 on the 12 months, in addition they did not do themselves many favors earlier within the sport. The protection created two turnovers in opposition to this unit, and each occasions they solely managed area targets. What makes that much more egregious is that every time the offense obtained into the purple zone following the turnover. After a uncommon interception off Tom Brady within the second quarter, the Saints moved the ball all the best way to the Bucs 19-yard line earlier than settling for a area purpose earlier than halftime. Then, within the aftermath of Cam Jordan punching the ball from from Rachaad White within the third quarter, the offense obtained to the Bucs’ 3-yard line and determined to kick the sector purpose, regardless of already being up two scores. 

That failure of execution might get misplaced within the wild remaining minutes of this sport, however had they discovered the tip zone on simply a kind of journeys, it probably would have been an excessive amount of for Brady to beat. 

Turning level

There have been back-to-back drives late within the fourth quarter that actually swung the momentum in Tampa Bay’s favor.  After forcing a three-and-out by the Bucs offense, the Saints obtained the ball again with a 13-point lead and 6:54 left on the clock. They introduced the ball throughout midfield and to the Tampa Bay 44-yard line and had been going through a fourth-and-1 scenario. As an alternative of going for it in that spot with the result in attempt to transfer the chain and kill clock, Dennis Allen elected to punt the ball away. Brady and the Bucs then drove 91 yards down the sector for his or her first landing of the night time to attract inside six. 

The Saints offense then went three-and-out, which included a second-down sack on Dalton to place New Orleans in a third-and-17 spot at their very own 18-yard line. Even with that lengthy strategy to convert, it appeared like Andy Dalton was going to place the dagger within the Bucs’ comeback efforts, as he completely positioned a throw to tight finish Taysom Hill that will have given them a primary down, however Keanu Neal popped it free to pressure the incompletion. That gave the ball again to Tampa Bay with 2:29 left on the clock, which was loads of time for Brady to maneuver down the sector and win it. 

Play of the sport

There have been a handful of performs all through this sport, and significantly in the course of the comeback, which are worthy of being thought of the highest play (the Julio Jones catch on the final drive was a particular standout). Nonetheless, let’s spotlight the landing that arrange the game-winning additional level try. From the 6-yard line, Brady delivered a strike to White, who was leaking out of the backfield and sitting proper on the 3-yard line earlier than corralling the ball and reaching his manner into the tip zone. 

White was a trusted outlet for Brady on this sport, catching six of his eight targets for 41 yards and that landing. He additionally rushed 9 occasions for 28 yards. 

What’s subsequent

From right here, the Saints will enter their bye in Week 14 after which gear up for one more NFC South battle with the Atlanta Falcons in Week 15 on Dec. 18. As for the Bucs, they will be in San Francisco subsequent week, taking up a 49ers workforce that simply misplaced quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo (foot) for the season.