• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Robinson TD in OT carries Saints past Bucs

Oct 5, 2014 - 11:36 PM New Orleans, LA (SportsNetwork.com) - Khiry Robinson's 18-yard touchdown run on the first possession of overtime capped the Saints' comeback as New Orleans scored 17 unanswered points to down the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 37-31, in an NFC South battle.

New Orleans (2-3) was on the verge of another debilitating loss after getting embarrassed last Sunday night in Dallas by 21 points, but Drew Brees and the offense made enough big plays down the stretch to extend New Orleans' home winning streak to 10 games.

Pierre Thomas totaled 112 yards from scrimmage and scored both on the ground and through the air, while Brees overcame a three-interception performance with 371 yards and two touchdowns on 35-of-57 attempts.

Mike Glennon, trying to lead Tampa Bay (1-4) to a second straight victory, threw for 249 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in the setback, the club's sixth straight loss against its division rival.

"We had them where we wanted them," Glennon said. "But against Drew Brees and that offense the game is never over."

Despite losing star tight end Jimmy Graham (shoulder) and center Jonathan Goodwin (knee) in the first half, the Saints had enough weapons to rally from a 31-20 deficit in the fourth quarter.

A 10-play, 78-yard drive ended with Thomas taking one in from 27 yards out, and while the two-point conversion failed, New Orleans earned two points on defense when Junior Galette sacked Glennon in the end zone on the ensuing possession.

Shayne Graham's 44-yard field goal tied things with 2:30 remaining, and both teams failed to move the ball effectively on their final possessions in regulation.

New Orleans won the coin toss, and a Bucs penalty on third down kept the drive alive. Ben Watson's 11-yard grab on 3rd-and-9 moved the ball to the Tampa Bay 31-yard line, and Robinson carried the ball four straight times, sealing the win by breaking a tackle on the game-winning run at the 9:24 mark.

"As tired as we were, I think we wore the defense down," Brees said. "Our guys controlled the line of scrimmage...and Khiry was the hammer."

The Bucs' defense bent but did not break in the first quarter, holding the Saints to a pair of short field goals by Shayne Graham.

New Orleans solved its red zone troubles early in the second as Thomas took a pass in the flat and followed his blockers en route to a 15-yard touchdown.

Glennon bounced back from throwing an interception on the ensuing drive and led the Bucs to 10 points before the break.

Patrick Murray connected on a 55-yard field goal after the two-minute warning, and Johnthan Banks made a diving interception at the New Orleans 40-yard line four plays into the Saints' next drive.

On 3rd-and-7 from the 20, Glennon lofted a pass intended for Louis Murphy in the end zone, and the receiver did an acrobatic job of getting his feet inbounds along the sideline.

A roughing the passer penalty extended Tampa Bay's first drive of the second half, which ended with Bobby Rainey going in for a 9-yard touchdown.

Three plays later, Brees was pressured into an off-balanced throw that fell into the arms of Danny Lansanah, who returned the interception 33 yards for a touchdown and a 24-13 Buccaneers lead.

Travaris Cadet and Robert Herron traded touchdown catches of five and nine, yards, respectively.

Game Notes

Tampa Bay's Vincent Jackson had a game-high 144 yards on eight catches ... Robinson gained 89 yards on 21 carries ... The Saints gained 34 first downs to Tampa Bay's 20 and gained nearly 200 more yards (511-314).