New Orleans Saints vs Tampa Bay Buccaneers Match Player Stats On Sep 15, 2013

SportsDirect Inc. staff
Sep 15, 2013

Saints 16, Buccaneers 14: Garrett Hartley booted a 27-yard field goal as time expired to lift visiting New Orleans past Tampa Bay.

Drew Brees completed 26-of-46 passes for 322 yards and a touchdown and connected on three straight passes for 54 yards to put the Saints in position for Hartley’s game-winning kick. Jimmy Graham caught 10 passes for 179 yards and a score as New Orleans (2-0) handed the Buccaneers their second last-second defeat in as many weeks.

Doug Martin rushed 29 times for 144 yards but Josh Freeman struggled to 9-of-22 for 125 yards for Tampa Bay (0-2). The Buccaneers had a chance to put some more distance on the lead but Rian Lindell missed a 47-yard field-goal attempt with 1:06 left.

Tampa Bay grabbed a 7-3 lead following the first of Brees’ two interceptions, when Freeman found Kevin Ogletree for a 5-yard touchdown with 5:15 left in the first quarter. Brees made up for that miscue on the ensuing possession with a 56-yard touchdown pass to Graham.

The Saints were stopped on fourth-and-goal near the end of the first half, and settled for a field goal after forcing a turnover in Buccaneers territory midway through the third. New Orleans’ struggles closing out drives cropped up again in the fourth, when Mason Foster picked off Brees at the Tampa Bay 15-yard line and ran it all the way back for an 85-yard touchdown and a 14-13 lead.

GAME NOTEBOOK: The game was delayed by 69 minutes in the first quarter due to lightning. ... Buccaneers DT Derek Landri (knee) was injured in the first half and ruled out for the rest of the game. Saints DB Patrick Robinson was carted off the field in the first half with a leg injury and did not return. … Tampa Bay G Carl Nicks, who left the Saints in the offseason, sat out the game with a foot injury. … The Buccaneers committed 10 penalties for 118 yards, the second straight week they have racked up over 100 yards in penalties.