In stunning fashion in front of a sea of red, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers outlasted the New Orleans Saints. Tom Brady led a masterful drive with 2:29 on the clock, culminating in a Rachaad White touchdown as time expired. Tampa Bay strengthened their grip on the NFC South with a successful comeback bid in Week 13, coming out victorious, 17-16.
The Buccaneers started off with a quick passing game to try and mitigate the Saints' pass rush with screens, exploiting the underneath area of the field and working the perimeter with quick out routes. Tampa Bay led a 15-play drive on the opening possession but had to settle for a Ryan Succop 21-yard field goal, making it a 3-0 ballgame.
In the second quarter, the tide turned in favor of the Saints. With plenty of time in the pocket, Andy Dalton connected with Taysom Hill on a 30-yard touchdown pass/catch, giving New Orleans a 7-3 advantage. Late in the frame, Demario Davis dropped in coverage and intercepted Brady, shifting the momentum inside Raymond James Stadium. The Bucs caught a break before the half mark as Jarvis Landry could not haul in a deep pass from Dalton on third down, forcing a field goal. Tampa Bay trailed by a score heading into the second half.
To open the third quarter, the Bucs' defense forced a quick three-and-out. However, on the ensuing offensive possession, Cameron Jordan punched the ball out of Rachaad White's hands and recovered. Tampa Bay's defense was able to keep the Saints out of the end zone, culminating in a Wil Lutz 21-yard field goal.
The Buccaneers reached the end zone in the fourth quarter. In a pass-heavy drive featuring a 13-yard pass to Chris Godwin, 13 yards to Mike Evans and eight to Julio Jones, Brady hit Cade Otton for a one-yard touchdown, trimming the deficit 16-10 with three minutes to go in regulation. On the subsequent drive, Carl Nassib flew around the edge and sacked Dalton for a loss of ten, halting the Saints' opportunity to answer. Brady led a methodical 11-play, 63-yard drive with 2:29 on the clock, resulting in a six-yard touchdown pass to Rachaad White, which sealed the Tampa Bay victory over their division nemesis. The Bucs boasted a season sweep of the Saints with late-game theatrics.
