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Saints Use Big Plays To Beat Bucs

Tribune photo by CLIFF McBRIDE

Phillip Buchanon celebrates after his 26-yard interception return for a touchdown in the first half.

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By AARON KNOX | TBO.com

Published: September 7, 2008

Reggie Bush turned a routine screen pass into a 42-yard touchdown catch and Devery Henderson scored on an 84-yard touchdown reception as the host Saints defeated the Bucs 24-20 today at the Superdome.

The Buccaneers defense, stout for most of the first three quarters of the season opener, showed some cracks after All-Pro linebacker Derrick Brooks was forced to leave with a hamstring injury and surrendered the two long scoring plays in the last 15 1/2 minutes.

Bush made a fingertip catch on a short pass from Drew Brees, outran Bucs linebacker Matt McCoy -- in for the injured Derrick Brooks -- then juked safety Jermaine Phillips into overrunning the play. Bush finally held off safety Phillip Buchanon as he ran down the right sideline and dove into the end zone with 7:38 left in the game.

Making the score even more gratifying for Bush was the fact Phillips had been in his face one play earlier.

"The play before he was talking trash and the next play he was on my highlight tape," Bush said.

Henderson's long touchdown catch gave the Saints (1-0) a 17-13 lead with 13 seconds left in the third quarter.

Brees finished 23-of-32 passing for 343 yards, with three touchdowns and an interception. Bush caught a game-high eight passes for 112 yards.

"Credit to New Orleans, but we missed some routine plays we normally make," Buccaneers coach Jon Gruden said. "It was bad coaching and bad execution."

Ike Hilliard caught a two-yard touchdown pass from Jeff Garcia to give the Bucs (0-1) a 20-17 lead in the fourth quarter.

Hilliard's touchdown catch capped a crisp, 11-play, 73-yard drive for the Bucs that easily was their best of the game. It included a 13-yard catch by Joey Galloway and and 18-yard gain on a short screen pass by running back Earnest Graham.

Hilliard caught three passes on the drive, which came after the Saints used one big play to take a 17-13 lead. Hilliard and Galloway each had six cathces in the game.

One play after Matt Bryant's second field goal, from 33 yards out, gave the Bucs a 13-10 lead, Brees found Henderson ouside the left hash marks. Henderson broke wide open when veteran cornerback Ronde Barber slipped and fell while trying to provide coverage.

Henderson raced untouched into the end zone with 13 seconds left in the third quarter, giving the Saints their first lead since the midway point of the first quarter. The Bucs were offsides on the play, giving Brees a free shot at the deep pass.

"When they jumped offside it was a no-brainer" to throw deep, Brees said.

Garcia finished 24-of-41 passing for 221 yards, one touchdown and one interception. The interception came on a fourth-and-six play from the Saints 23-yard line with less than 30 seconds reamining.

"I lost track of where the linebacker was," Garcia said. "If I had to do it all over again I probably would have gone outside and given Antonio (Bryant) a shot."

Bryant's kick with 33 seconds left in the third quarter came after Graham rambled 46 yards to put the Bucs in scoring position with two minutes left in the period.

Graham had 91 yards on just 10 carries and caught three passes fro 27 more.

Martin Gramatica's 34-yard field goal brought the host Saints into a 10-10 tie earlier in the third quarter.

The Saints had a first down at the Bucs 12-yard line, but Greg White sacked Brees for a six-yard loss and Elbert Mack made a nice open-field tackle of Bush on third down.

Brooks strained a hamstring in the third quarter and did not return.

Bryant's 37-yard field goal gave the Bucs a 10-7 halftime lead. Bryant was just 7-of-12 on field goals in the preseason, but his first kick of the regular season split the uprights.

Bryant came on to make the go-ahead kick with two second left before the intermission after Garcia sparked the slumbering Buccaneers offense in the last minute and a half of the second quarter.

Garcia hit on 4-of-5 passes for 54 yards on the drive, moving the Bucs 61 yards in seven plays in a drive that took just 1:25. His only incompletion was a spiked ball to stop the clock. Garcia had just 48 yards passing before that final possession of the first half.

Buchanon returned an interception 26 yards for a touchdown, pulling Tampa Bay into a 7-7 tie midway through the first quarter.

Buchanon was the beneficiary of tremendous pressure provided by linebacker Barrett Ruud, who hit Brees as he was throwing the ball on a second-and-15 play from the New Orleans 15-yard line. The ball floated in the air and Buchanon easily caught it, then weaved his way into the end zone with 8:13 left in the first quarter.

David Patten beat Bucs rookie cornerback Aquib Talib to catch a 33-yard touchdown pass on New Orlean's first possession, giving the Saints a quick 7-0 lead.

Brees was 4-of-4 passing for 67 yards on the game's first drive, moving the Saints 76 yards in just six plays.

Patten got two steps behind Talib to score the game's first touchdown with 11:27 left in the first quarter.

Tampa Bay's defense stiffened after that initial drive, though, and Brees was just 9-of-16 for 65 yards the rest of the first half.

The New Orleans defense did its part, holding the Bucs to 84 net yards until Garcia rallied them late in the second quarter. At that point, Garcia was 7-of-11 for just 48 yards. He was sacked once and pressured frequently by Saints defensive end Charles Grant.

Tampa Bay was 0-for-5 on third-down conversion chances in the first half.

Garcia's first pass to Galloway, who did not play a down in the preseason, was well behind the receiver as he cut left across the field in the first quarter. They missed at least three other connections on timing routes before the game was over.

Garcia played just three possessions in one game during the preseason.

Cato June returned an apparent Bush fumble for a touchdown with 5:56 left in the first half, but officials ruled Bush never had control of a short pass from Brees before Bush was leveled by veteran cornerback Ronde Barber and the ball popped loose.

Saints running back Deuce McAllister was activated and in uniform for the game, but he did not play.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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