Game recap: Tom Brady leads stunning Buccaneers comeback over Saints

This week’s Monday Night Football ended with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers completing a stunning comeback victory over their NFC South rivals New Orleans Saints in a 17-16 win at Raymond Jones Stadium.

Early in the game the Saints took the lead and were leading Tampa Bay 16-3 after Andy Dalton threw to Taysom Hill for 30 yards to give a cushion of a lead in the first half. The Buccaneers never looked to be in a rhythm let alone the game as it looked like their struggles would continue into this game and they would suffer their second-consecutive loss.

The Saints on the other hand were in control with Andy Dalton having a good game as he finished 20 of 28 for 225 yards and a touchdown.

But you can never rule Tom Brady and his crew. With 5:31 left in the fourth quarter the Bucs had the ball and marched on a march 91 yards on 10 plays to score their first touchdown of the night and pull within six.

Building on the offensive momentum, the defence channelled that momentum and forced the Saints to give the ball on a three-and-out to give Brady the ball back with 2:29 left on the clock. As he has done throughout his career, the 45-year-old cut and diced his way down the field for 63 yards on 11 plays, eventually connecting with rookie Rachaad White for the game-winning extra point.

Here is a breakdown of the game and key takeaways on an entertaining night of football.

Brady greatness on fully display

We have witnessed Tom Brady greatness on many occasions and tonight we saw a glimpse of that greatness once again.

This season hasn’t been the best for the Tampa Bay side as they have struggled in many games against oppositions they should have beaten and the offence looking out of sync. For 55 minutes on Monday night, Tampa Bay had just 196 yards of total offence, two punts and were held to just three points for the first three quarters. Then the fourth quarter arrived.

Brady proceeded to put on a show by flipping the switch and guiding back-to-back touchdown drives while the Tampa Bay defence continued to smother New Orleans. Brady went 14 of 19 for 118 yards on those final two drives, displaying his all-time brilliance.

Those were the most completions, attempts, and yards in the final six minutes of the fourth quarter in his history (including playoffs), transforming a terrible, miserable night in Tampa into an euphoric affair in the way that only Brady can. The 45-year-old has already done this once, leading a frenetic comeback in a 16-13 win over the Rams in Week 9.

The Buccaneers needed 17 points to win this time and Brady once again delivered. The quarterback now has a record 44 fourth-quarter comeback wins in his career with this crucial win.

Andy Dalton deserves credit despite loss

Andy Dalton for many is not who you expect to have a good performance against a Tom Brady team, but he did. Finishing the night with 20 of 28 for 225 yards and a touchdown, despite the loss. If something positive was to be taken away from this game it’s that Andy Dalton was sharp, hitting his targets and pushing the offence down the field.

Maybe his numbers would have been better if his receivers did their part, rookie Chris Olave dropped a well-placed pass from Dalton on third down simply because he took his eyes off the ball, leading to a possession-wasting punt.

Following a Demario Davis interception, Jarvis Landry failed to reel in another well-placed, third-down throw from Dalton, forcing New Orleans to settle for a field goal. A penalty for 12 men in the huddle pushed New Orleans back from Tampa Bay’s goal line, leading to a third-down completion to Hill that came up short of the end zone, leading to — you guessed it — another field goal on a possession gained by a forced fumble.

Finally, the well-placed pass that Dalton put on a platter for Hill, but it was batted out of his hands on third down that would have surely helped the Saints seal the game. None of this was Dalton’s fault; he played well enough to win. It’s a shame the Saint’s could not win the game because it has cost them dearly.

Costly loss for Saints’ playoff push

The NFC South is a disaster. The Buccaneers maintain their division lead at 6-6, which would place them third in the NFC West, second in the NFC North, and dead last in the NFC East. This meant that, despite their 4-8 record, the Saints still had a chance to make the playoffs. Until Monday night.

Two three-and-outs and a pair of soft defensive series converted what appeared to be an uplifting, must-win victory into a crushing setback that might drive the Saints into oblivion with five weeks remaining. If we get to January and the Saints have only hobbled through the finish line, we’ll know where to look for a turning point in their 2022 season.

The Saints have a one percent chance of making the playoffs as it stands. Sure, the team will continue to compete and fight and young players will get opportunities to showcase themselves, but there’s effectively no chance they will go beyond the January 8 matchup with the Carolina Panthers in New Orleans. It’s a frustrating way to end the playoff hopes for Saints’ supporters, especially considering the quality roster.

There is little doubt that this team’s ability exceeds their record, but inconsistencies, blunders, and sloppy play have contributed to this. The Saints will have a bye week following their final four games.

There’s little doubt that they’ll try everything they can to win as many competitions as possible during those games. However, for the majority of people, the offseason began on Monday night.

Dennis Allen gamble not paying off

Perhaps the biggest takeaway from this game is that Head Coach Dennis Allen elected to punt instead of taking time off the clock and keeping the ball out of Tom Brady’s hand. Before the punt, New Orleans were deep in Tampa Bay territory but did not capitalise on key downs, and that was not the only offensive issue.

Allen decided to put Hill (who is an unpolished pass-catcher) on a route that would have suited a natural receiver like Jarvis Landry or Chris Olave, which led to Hill dropping a great third-down pass from Dalton beyond the sticks. If that ball was caught it would most definitely give Tampa Bay less of a chance at a comeback and their NFC South rivals the win. 

Scott’s decision to put Hill in that situation raised an eyebrow for sure as they had more suited players for a pass play. The Saints defence as well had its issues which allowed the comeback to occur. The defence, which allowed 118 passing yards and 14 scores in the final 5:21 of the game, stood out.

The team’s bread and butter is expected to be on that side of the ball, so when it falls short, all eyes will be on Allen. They didn’t get much help from an offence that settled for three field goals and went 0-3 in the red zone, but this squad has previously closed out leads with Allen as the defensive play-caller. In this game, failing to do so is cruel.

As cruel as the NFL is, if you take risks and they do not pay off you will get questions aimed at you and that is exactly what Allen is going through. Questions have been swirling around the Saints’ head coach and what his future holds with the organisation.

He appears to be getting a second year to assist the roster rebuild and make some fresh decisions based on what he has learned. But, without a doubt, if the New Orleans brass was searching for a reason to pivot during the offseason, this game could be one.

Looking ahead

With the victory this win moves the Bucs to 6-6 and gives them the needed breathing space over the NFC South rivals as they take control of the division, they will travel to the Bay Area and play against the San Francisco 49ers (8-4) who look to start third string QB Brock Purdy as Jimmy Garoppolo suffered an injury in their last match.

For the New Orleans Saints, this loss puts them to 4-9 and they will have a bye week before playing another division matchup as they go back home to host the Atlanta Falcons.