The moment Garrett Hartley’s foot drove through the ball, the Louisiana Superdome crowd erupted and Saints owner Tom Benson raised his arms in triumph.

The presumption was that these Saints, in this magical season, were going to pull out another win in the clutch.

Not so fast.

Hartley’s 37-yarder hooked to the left, and those who’d allowed themselves to celebrate prematurely were sent home soon after in stunned silence.

Carnell Williams rushed for 129 yards and a score, and Connor Barth kicked a 47-yard field goal in overtime, lifting Tampa Bay to a 20-17 upset on Sunday that, for the time being, prevented New Orleans from securing home field throughout the NFC playoffs.

Even in what will go down as the best regular season in Saints history, a franchise long known more for its stumbles than success found a way to make history with a loss. According to STATS LLC, the result marked the first time a 13-win team lost to a team that came in with only two victories.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

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The future of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was unveiled Sunday when rookie quarterback Josh Freeman got his first NFL start against the Green Bay Packers.

And while it is too early to know exactly what the Bucs have invested long-term, the early returns have provided instant dividends.

Freeman generated his first fourth-quarter comeback victory and helped Tampa Bay win its first game of the season Sunday against the Green Bay Packers.

Now it is too soon to start molding his bust and making reservations to Canton, or calling him the greatest thing since John Elway.

Still, there was something about the kid’s play that has to make Buc fans hopeful.


Click here to read the full article – By Rick Brown of theledger.com

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QB Josh Freeman returned home Monday as the likely starter for the Bucs when they begin the second half of their season after this week’s bye.

But regarding his first game action in nearly two months, he said he felt comfortable during his regular-season debut against the Patriots.

“It’s hard to use the word rusty because I play football every week,” Freeman said. “It’s just that I haven’t been playing on Sundays. I’ve been getting work in practice; I’ve been getting a lot of scout-team reps. I’ve been working with (coordinator Greg) Olson, and he’s brought me along tremendously in the offense. I felt really comfortable out there calling the plays, knowing where the ball needed to go, stuff like that.


Click here to read the full article – By Stephen F. Holder and Rick Stroud of St. Petersburg Times

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As if the Bucs don’t have their hands full preparing for the return of Eagles Pro Bowl QB Donovan McNabb, they also must plan for Michael Vick. Maybe on the same play.

Vick, who missed two seasons then was suspended for 2009’s first two games for his role in a dogfighting ring, went 0-for-2 passing and rushed once for 7 yards in his return Sept. 27 against Kansas City.

The Bucs are very familiar with the 29-year-old quarterback, having faced him for six seasons when he played for the Falcons.

“Michael Vick hurts you more in preparation than he does on Sunday,” Bucs coach Raheem Morris said, “because by Sunday, you are mentally exhausted about what you’re going to do and how you’re going to do it. Then you go out there Sunday and, as a coach, just hold your breath and hope he doesn’t do anything dynamic to absolutely break your will.”

McNabb and Vick aren’t the only ones who step behind center for the Eagles. WR DeSean Jackson and RBs Brian Westbrook and LeSean McCoy also have taken snaps in the wildcat formation.

Pundits predicted the McNabb-Vick pairing would cause strife. But McNabb, who has missed the past two games with a broken rib, insisted he’s looking forward to getting on the field with Vick.

“You have a guy who was one of the top quarterbacks when he was playing. Now he’s back and getting his feet back under him,” McNabb said. “And when you add a guy like that with a Brian Westbrook, with a (TE) Brent Celek, DeSean Jackson, LeSean McCoy, you just add more and more weapons on the offensive side.


Click here to read the full article – By Rick Stroud of TampaBay.com

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At a time when the Bucs offense seems incapable of consistency, RB Cadillac Williams is emerging as perhaps the unit’s most reliable weapon.


It’s arguable that no one else has shown up week to week for the offense — quarterbacks have been unreliable, receivers have not been open consistently and fellow RBs Earnest Graham and Derrick Ward have missed games with injuries.

Williams had 99 total yards Sunday against the Redskins, averaging 4.95 yards per touch on 16 carries and four receptions.

But he was more focused on why the offense couldn’t convert enough to win a game in which the defense had its best performance. Whether Williams intended it or not, his comments seemed to call for others to step up.


Click here to read the full article – By Stephen F. Holder of St. Peterburg Times

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Missed tackles, big plays, penalties, six new starters, a new scheme. All of it has added up to a dismal performance by the Buccaneer defense. Statistically, only the Houston Texans have played worse defensively in the first two weeks of the NFL season.

“It bothers me, it bothers everybody,” said linebacker Barrett Ruud on Monday. “Nobody wants to have a bad defense and in the first two games, we were bad.”

The Bucs gave up 67 points and 900 yards in season-opening losses to Dallas and Buffalo, and the Bills ran on them for 218 yards Sunday. That doesn’t bode well with the New York Giants coming to town this week.

“I think it’s just a matter of trial and error, going out there and doing it,” said coach Raheem Morris. “Back in ‘95 and ‘96 when Warren Sapp and (Derrick) Brooks and those guys all came here, their first eight games they just played hard and played fast and they just got better and better every week. Maybe we’re going through that growing pain right now.”

Click here to read the full article – By Dick Scanlon of The Ledger.com

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Playing for a coach who demands angry workers, Cadillac Williams looked downright furious Thursday night.

Tampa Bay’s fifth-year running back capped yet another grueling rehab from a major knee injury, repeatedly energizing the home crowd as the Buccaneers lost 10-6 to the Dolphins in a dreary preseason matchup.

After Morris cautiously held Williams out of the first two exhibition games, the former NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year gained 46 yards on seven first-half carries – almost eight months to the day he suffered a torn patellar tendon in his left knee during the 2008 season finale against Oakland.

Click here to read the full article – By IRA KAUFMAN of Tampa Bay Online

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Here’s a friendly bit of advice. If you happen to be hanging out with anyone from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the next few weeks, don’t ask them how “rebuilding” is going unless you think you’d enjoy needing assistance to reattach your head.

They get legitimately hostile at One Buc Place if you dare utter the word. Training camp opens Saturday, and with it comes the usual fresh hopes for the season. If the Bucs admit they’re rebuilding, they seem to believe that implies it’s OK to lose a bunch of games now because the plan is to be good in another year or two. It implies low expectations and built-in excuses. That’s probably not the best marketing campaign for a team suddenly struggling to sell tickets. So the Bucs have been running misdirection plays.

Click here to read the full article – By JOE HENDERSON of Tampa Bay Online

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