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About the Author: Scott Reynolds

Avatar Of Scott Reynolds
Scott Reynolds is in his 28th year of covering the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as the vice president, publisher and senior Bucs beat writer for PewterReport.com. Author of the popular SR's Fab 5 column on Fridays, Reynolds oversees web development and forges marketing partnerships for PewterReport.com in addition to his editorial duties. A graduate of Kansas State University in 1995, Reynolds spent six years giving back to the community as the defensive coordinator/defensive line coach for his sons' Pop Warner team, the South Pasco Predators. Reynolds can be reached at: [email protected]

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It was more tricks than treats for the Bucs in their 36-27 loss to the Saints in New Orleans on Halloween. Bucs quarterback Tom Brady threw four touchdowns, but also had a pair of interceptions, including a pick-six within the last two minutes of the game that killed any chance of a Tampa Bay comeback. Still, if it wasn’t for Brady the Bucs wouldn’t have been in this game. The Saints won despite quarterback Jameis Winton suffering a significant knee injury and improved to 5-2 while Tampa Bay fell to 6-2 on the season.

Here were the most impressive Buccaneers in the loss at New Orleans:

WR Chris Godwin

Godwin got Tampa Bay on the scoreboard first with a 12-yard touchdown catch in the first quarter. That gave the Bucs a 7-0 lead. His 25-yard catch-and-run earlier on the scoring drive set up his touchdown. His three catches for 57 yards led Tampa Bay at halftime. Godwin had a huge 44-yard catch in the third quarter to set up another Bucs touchdown. He ran for 35 yards after breaking a tackle attempt by C.J. Gardner-Johnson and advanced the ball down to the New Orleans 13. Godwin finished the game with eight catches for 140 yards and a touchdown.

QB Tom Brady

Brady helped get the Bucs off on the right foot in the Superdome with a 12-yard touchdown pass to Godwin. He also threw a 7-yard touchdown pass to running back Giovani Bernard in the third quarter to aid the Bucs’ cause. But part of the reason why the Bucs trailed 23-7 at halftime was because of a Brady fumble and an interception. Brady threw another touchdown pass in the third quarter, a 41-yard bomb to Mike Evans to cut the Saints’ lead to 23-21.

Bucs Qb Tom Brady And Rb Leonard Fournette

Bucs QB Tom Brady and RB Leonard Fournette – Photo by: USA Today

Brady threw another bomb – a 50-yarder to Cyril Grayson, Jr., who caught his first NFL touchdown pass. That gave the Bucs a short-lived, 27-26 lead in the fourth quarter. Brady’s worst throw the game came late in the fourth quarter when he didn’t see safety P.J. Williams, who stepped in front of Godwin and raced 40 yards to the end zone for a pick-six. That gave the Saints a 36-27 lead and put the game out of reach.

WR Mike Evans

Evans has struggled against cornerback Marshon Lattimore in years past. In fact, he’s only had one 100-yard receiving game against New Orleans in his eight years in the league. While Evans didn’t have 100 yards on Sunday, he did catch two passes for 48 yards, including a 41-yard touchdown in the third quarter. He blew by Lattimore on that play for the score, which was extra sweet for Evans.

RB Giovani Bernard

Bernard had the Bucs’ longest run of the game, a 24-yarder in the first half, and came up with a huge, 7-yard touchdown catch on third-and-four in the third quarter. Bernard’s score cut into the Saints’ lead, 23-14.

WR Cyril Grayson, Jr.

Grayson, who was elevated from the practice squad on Saturday, caught his first NFL touchdown pass on a 50-yard bomb from Brady in the fourth quarter. The former LSU product, who was wide open on the play, gave Tampa Bay a 27-26 lead with less than five minutes left. Grayson has struggled to catch the ball in the past but came up with a clutch catch when it mattered the most.

WR Tyler Johnson

Johnson saw his role increase for a second straight week with Antonio Brown out due to injury. He made the most of his opportunity once again, catching a career-high five passes for 65 yards. Johnson dropped a very catchable ball in the final minute of the game with the Bucs trailing 36-27, but it wouldn’t have mattered anyways. He caught every other pass thrown his way in the game.

DT Ndamukong Suh

Suh got a rare sack against right tackle Ryan Ramcyzk in the third quarter on first down. That set up second-and-16 and wound up in a needed three-and-out following Tampa Bay’s third quarter touchdown. Suh has been quiet since his other sack in Week 2. His second sack of the year was timely. Suh’s sack was Tampa Bay’s lone sack of the game. He finished with four tackles.

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