Buccaneers fall to Saints on last-minute illegal touching penalty

It was only thanks to a magnificent performance by Drew Brees, particularly in the first half, that allowed the defense to get off the hook from yet another porous performance.

Dave Cariello of Canal Street Chronicles voiced his displeasure with the Saints defense, which is now historically bad.

Freeman threw for 420 yards and 3 touchdowns, but those numbers could have been even better if it weren’t for an illegal contact penalty on the final play of the game, overturning what would have been the game-tying touchdown to an incomplete pass.

While no one wants to lose in that fashion, Sander Philipse of SB Nation’s Buccaneers blog, Bucs Nation, explains why the call was correct.

What is an illegal touching penalty? According to Rule 8, Section 1, Article 8 of the NFL rule book:

In case you missed it, here is Mike Williams getting forced out of bounds:

Two blown leads. Almost 1,000 yards of offense. 63 points. And one white line made all the difference.

See for yourself:

According to Rule 8, Section 1, Article 8 of the NFL Rule Book (PDF), “[i]t is a foul for illegal touching if a forward pass (legal or illegal), thrown from behind the line of scrimmage ... (b) first touches or is caught by an eligible receiver who has gone out of bounds, either of his own volition or by being legally forced out of bounds, and has re-established himself inbounds.”

The announcers thought Williams was allowed to catch it because he had re-established himself in bounds, but as the rule shows, that is not the case. As for those arguing for illegal contact on the Saints for bumping the receiver out of bounds? Rule 12 states that rules governing illegal contact end when the quarterback leaves the pocket.

Fantasy Impact: Coming into Sunday’s game, Jackson had 20 catches for 370 yards and four touchdowns. He has quietly been one of the most effective wide receivers in fantasy football and now has scored three touchdowns in his last two games.

For more fantasy info, check out the SB Nation Fantasy War Room 4-8:30 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. Check out SB Nation’s own Fantasy Football game, Pick 6!

Take a closer look at just how crazy it was that Morgan didn’t touch the turf.

For more on the Saints, check out Canal Street Chronicles or for more news and notes from around the league, head on over to the SB Nation NFL hub.

His schedule has been favorable lately, so he isn’t likely going to keep up the hot streak going for the rest of the season.

Brees has a pristine 141.7 QB rating so far and he’s hitting open receivers all game. He came into today with an NFL-high 344 yards per game, a 90.6 passer rating and tied for second in TDs despite already having his bye.

This game has all the makings of a shootout and there’s a very good chance Brees is going to be fantasy football’s top scorer this week since he’s on pace for over 600 yards and eight TDs. His picks are up this year, but Brees is one of the best players to own.

Graham was initially listed as questionable on Friday’s injury report, but was later downgraded to out. It seems clear at this point that he is dealing with more than a minor sprain.

For more fantasy info, check out the SB Nation Fantasy War Room 4-8:30 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. Check out SB Nation’s own Fantasy Football game, Pick 6!

Fellow Bucs receiver Mike Williams also looks like a solid play Sunday as a flex or WR3.

For more fantasy info, check out the SB Nation Fantasy War Room 4-8:30 p.m. ET Monday through Thursday and 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday. Check out SB Nation’s own Fantasy Football game, Pick 6!

Vilma was told he would be eased into the lineup and can expect anywhere from 20 to 30 plays in his first game back.

Both teams have a chance to put up big numbers in the passing game, since both defenses rank toward the bottom of the league in defending the pass.

Game Date/Time: Sunday, Oct. 21, 1 p.m. ET