Tom Brady threw a tie-breaking touchdown pass to Breshad Perriman as the visiting Buccaneers defeated the New Orleans Saints 20-10 on Sunday afternoon.
Brady, who was 0-4 against the Saints in the regular season and 1-0 in the playoffs since joining the Buccaneers two years ago, completed just 18 of 34 for 190 yards, but Mike Edwards’ 67-yard interception return for a touchdown and Ryan Succop’s pair of 47-yard field goals enabled the Buccaneers (2-0) to end a seven-game losing streak against the Saints in the regular season.
Former Buc Jameis Winston, reportedly playing with four broken bones in his back, completed 25 of 40 for 236 yards for the Saints (1-1). Winston threw three interceptions in the fourth quarter.
The score was tied at 3 midway through the fourth quarter when Brady found Perriman for the 28-yard score.
On the ensuing possession Jamel Dean, who had ended New Orleans’ previous possession with an end-zone interception, picked off Winston at the Bucs’ 47 and returned to the Saints’ 29, setting up Succop’s second field goal.
Edwards’ pick-6 increased the lead to 20-3 with 4:11 remaining, and Winston’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Mike Thomas completed the scoring with 3:02 remaining.
Bucs wide receiver Mike Evans and Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore got into a shoving match after a play early in the fourth quarter and both were ejected. Momentum shifted in Tampa Bay’s favor after the incident.
Brady drove the Bucs to Succop’s first field goal midway through the third quarter for Tampa Bay’s first points against the New Orleans defense in 22 possessions. That tied the score at 3.
The Saints drove 65 yards on the ensuing possession, but Mark Ingram, starting in place of injured Alvin Kamara, fumbled and Carl Nassib recovered at the 10 as the score remained tied at the end of the third quarter.
Tampa Bay scored 17 straight points to take control in the fourth, and New Orleans turned the ball over four times in the period.
The Saints drove to Wil Lutz’s 31-yard field goal on the game’s first possession.
— Field Level Media