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TAMPA - Repeatedly, the Bucs made it clear the team's offensive woes for the first three quarters of Sunday's 17-14 loss to the Saints were not to be blamed on quarterback Brad Johnson.
True, he didn't have his best game. But who did?
The truth is, for three quarters Tampa Bay's offense was in a daze and a doze.
The offensive line didn't block well and committed untimely penalties. The running backs didn't make many plays and had a crucial fumble. The receivers got few yards after the catch.
"We all struggled," said receiver Keyshawn Johnson, who had 10 catches for 124 yards. "It's not (Brad's) fault. He made a throw or two he probably wished he didn't make because he was trying to help us win.
"Whenever you're down 14-0, somebody is going to press. I dropped a ball, a routine 6-yard catch, but I'm pressing, trying to get the ball and get upfield real quick. That's what happens when you press; you do things that uncharacteristically you never did before. I think that's probably what happened with Brad."
Normally accurate and unlikely to make a costly error, Brad Johnson was 14-of-27 for 135 yards and two interceptions, one of which was returned 73 yards for a touchdown, through three quarters.
In the fourth, he and the offense came alive. He piloted the Bucs to touchdown drives of 97 and 71 yards to tie the score at 14.
All told, he was 27-of-46 for 321 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions.
"I felt very comfortable out there," Johnson said. "We fumbled the ball in the red zone and things like that happened. Really, the only play that I'd like to have back was the interception when I was trying to throw the ball away. I got hit and didn't get the ball out of bounds. It's an unfortunate play."
Coach Jon Gruden said his quarterback was under pressure in part because of a revamped offensive line that started Kenyatta Walker at left tackle and Cornell Green at right tackle for the first time.
"Geez, come on guys, we jumped offside in a couple key situations. We talked about using the hard count all week and in the heat of the battle we jump twice," Gruden said. "We had two nice drives in the first half and ended up with nothing. It was uncharacteristic of (Brad Johnson), but he's getting hit and knocked around. He brings our team to a 97-yard and a 71-yard drive for touchdowns. I credit him."
Veteran tight end Ken Dilger said the entire offense was sluggish from the beginning.
"It felt like we had no life," Dilger said. "In the huddle, on the sideline, as a unit, there was no life. I can't put my finger on it; I don't know if it was the conditions out there, the wind. Last week we had some giddy-up in our step; for most of (Sunday), we were flat. The whole first half seemed like we were zombies out there, just going through the motions, and against a good defense like the Saints' you can't do that."
Added defensive tackle Warren Sapp: "We went through almost the whole first half of the game sleepwalking on offense."
But Johnson and the rest of the Bucs woke up late in the fourth. Down two touchdowns and facing a 97-yard march, Johnson went 6-for-8 for 88 yards, including a 26-yard touchdown to Michael Pittman.
The offense clawed back into the game thanks to some veteran savvy.
On fourth and 10 at the Saints 30, Johnson's intended hard count caused the Saints to jump offside, but the 12-year veteran stayed in his progression, and receiver Keenan McCardell stayed in his route and caught the tying 30-yard touchdown.
"Most quarterbacks when the (defense) jumps offside would have thrown the ball out of bounds or thrown it into the dirt," Keyshawn Johnson said. "It showed that he stayed poised on the play."