Tampa Bay Bucs Vs Saints 4th Quarter

It's the 4th Quarter and the Saints continue to lead the Bucs 17 to 3 after a scoreless 3rd Quarter.  The Saints offensive machine has ground to a halt and the Bucs are moving the ball at will so this is not the sealed deal you would have hoped for after the big 1st Quarter demo.

The Bucs are driving but facing 3rd and 7.
Freeman to Winslow over the middle and he takes it 35 yards all the way down to the Saints 33.  Not the best start to a 4th quarter I've ever seen.

1st down Bucs.
False start penalty tacks on 5.  1st and 15.
Cadillac Williams bounces out left and speeds his way to the end zone for a touchdown.  That was a 99 yard drive!  That is pretty poor going by the Saints D.  We've gone totally flat after a great start to the game.  Let's see if we can throw this away.

Bucs 10 Saints 17

1st down Saints at their 21.
Reggie Bush takes the hand off and runs right for 3.  2nd and 7.
Brees drops back, buys some time and hits Marques Colston for a gain of 11.

1st down Saints.
Brees to David Thomas for 5.  2nd and 5.
Brees rolls right and hits Colston again for a gain of 4 to bring up 3rd and a much needed 1.
Lynell Hamilton takes the hand off and drives up the middle for a few and a 1st.

1st down Saints at the 47.
Brees to Hamilton on the screen but nothing there as Hamilton is taken down for a two yard loss.  2nd and 12.
Brees drops back and connects with Colston over the middle who takes it a few before coughing up the ball and... the Bucs recover.  Oh no.  This is not what the doctor ordered.  The Bucs will have the ball somewhere close to midfield and only a 7 point margin to chase.

1st down Bucs at their own 39.
Williams up the middle and picks up an easy 8.  2nd and 2.
Williams again bursts through the middle for a few more into Saints territory.

1st down Bucs.
Williams again with the carry picks up 2.  2nd and 8.
Freeman connects with Winslow for 28 yards on a great grab.

1st down Bucs at the Saints 28.
Freeman to Stevens who makes a Saint miss and then tacks on 8 more.  2nd and 1.
Freeman goes for the end zone but over throws.  3rd and 1.
Williams takes the hand off again and he is gang tackled.  It's going to be very close.  They will measure this...  They are half a yard short and will go for it on 4th down.
Williams with the hand off and... Jonathan Vilma absolutely nails him for a loss... but the Bucs sideline called a timeout just before the play so they'll get another shot at this.  Could that be one of the most painful timeouts the Saints will face this season?  We'll find out once the ad break is over.
Freeman on a play action and... Charles Grant batters it down!!  Great play by Grant and the Saints D to hold them there.  That was a much needed stand after the Bucs moved the ball at will through the 2nd half.

1st down Saints at their 19 with 5 mins left on the clock.
Mike Bell with the hand off for a couple.  2nd and 8.
Brees completes to Devery Henderson out wide right and bursts up field for a 1st.

1st down Saints at the 31.
Lynell Hamilton takes it nowhere on 1st down.  2nd and 10.
Brees to Saints legend David Thomas for a gain of 3.  Tampa timeout stops the clock.  3rd and 7.
Brees pump fake and completes to Robert Meachem at the 41 but he may be just short here,  The chains will measure and... yes he's short.  So Thomas Morstead comes in to punt and it goes to Spurlock at his 20 who dodges a tackle, and another... and another... breaks in field... crosses the field and has open space all the way for a touchdown!  Oh man, that is shocking.  I can't look.  This is aweful.

Bucs 17 Saints 17

1st down Saints at their own 25.
Brees under big pressure escapes a sack and connects with Devery Henderson who makes a heck of a catch.  That's great to see after some of his problems of recent.  That brings up the 2 minute warning.  2nd and 7.
Holding call against the Saints.  2nd and 17.
Brees to Bush who takes it 14 yards.  3rd and 3.
Brees to Marques Colston in the slot for 6.

1st down Saints at the 39.
Brees to David Thomas on the crossing pattern. 2nd and 4.
Brees to Reggie Bush who breaks 2 tackles and then leaps his way to the sidelines to stop the clock and pick up the 1st.

1st down Saints with 29 left on the clock at the Bucs 45.
Brees over the middle to Thomas and it falls incomplete.  2nd and 10.  24 secs to go.
Brees out wide left to Devery Henderson 7 but he can't get out of bounds so the Saints will have to burn a timeout.  3rd and 3.
Brees to Robert Meachem who breaks a tackle and races 19 yards.
Garrett Hartley will come in for a 37 yard field goal attempt to win it and...  It goes wide left.  F*ck me this is distressing.  I can't believe we're going to over time.