The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have won 17-16 against the New Orleans Saints on the 13th day of the NFL. Tom Brady and the Bucs offense scored 14 points in the closing minutes.

Munich – Thanks to a burst of energy from quarterback Tom Brady in the closing minutes, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers pulled out a 17-16 win over the New Orleans Saints on Game 13.

The Bucs trailed for a long time with 3:16 to go before Brady and the offence scored two touchdowns shortly before the end. With seven seconds left on the clock, Brady found running back Rachaad White with a pass that rushed into the end zone. Kicker Ryan Succop converted the extra point for the win.

“That’s exactly how we planned it,” Brady jokingly said of the comeback at the postgame press conference.

Buccaneers’ running game disappoints

For a long time, both defenses dominated in the divisional duel. The Buccaneers’ running game never really got rolling. Running backs Leonard Fournette and Rachaad White converted a total of 19 carries into 77 yards. In the passing game, Brady completed 36 of his 54 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns. Shortly before the half-time break, the veteran made an interception.

The Saints’ running game also remained pale. 25 running attempts yielded only 66 yards of space. Quarterback Andy Dalton collected 20 completions on 28 pass attempts for 229 yards and a touchdown. The Saints faltered in the red zone. The three drives that found their way into the area did not yield a single touchdown.

Buccaneers remain in first place in the NFC South

With the win, the Bucs solidify their spot atop the NFC South with a 6-6 record. Next week, head coach Todd Bowles’ team takes on the San Francisco 49ers.

Another divisional duel awaits the New Orleans Saints – this time with the Atlanta Falcons.