Buccaneers Vs. Saints: Bucs Grab Early 3-0 Lead, Waste Two Timeouts In The Process

Fighting for an unlikely playoff berth, the 9-6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers have taken an early 3-0 over the host New Orleans Saints.

Josh Freeman completed three of four passes for 33 yards on the game’s opening possession, and rookie running back LeGarrette Blount added 17 rushing yards on three carries. Connor Barth capped off the nine-play, 51-yard drive with a 43-yard field goal.

The Bucs need a win and a lot of help to sneak into the NFC playoff picture, and though they took an early lead on the road, it came at a big cost: Freeman, Raheem Morris and the Bucs wasted two timeouts on the first possession. That’s not particularly good strategy in a must-win game against a super opponent.

Tampa needs a win today, plus losses from the Giants and Packers, to secure a playoff berth. The Saints, meanwhile, are playing to win in an effort to capture an NFC South championship and home-field advantage throughout the NFC playoffs; they’d need a win and a Falcons loss to accomplish that goal.