Quarter by quarter

Breaking down the game against the Saints.

By LAWRENCE HOLLYFIELD
Published December 5, 2005

FIRST QUARTER:

IS THAT THE BEST THEY COULD DO? On third and 10 on the Bucs' first drive, perfect pass protection left QB Chris Simms with all day to throw. But no one was open, so he dumped it off for a loss of 2.

VERY RARE BIDWELL BOO-BOO: Josh Bidwell, who entered leading the NFC in punting, hit a 28-yarder that traveled that far only because it rolled 10 yards.

OFFENSES STILL IN THE LOCKER ROOM: The only first down by either team during the first three possessions came on a penalty.

TWO-WAY POTENTIAL? Cornerback Ronde Barber made the catch of the game on the Saints' second possession, snagging an Aaron Brooks bullet with his left hand and returning the interception 42 yards.

KICKED IN THE FRANCE: The Saints lined up five players in the center of the line and got enough push from the mass of humanity to enable Darren Howard to block Todd France's low kick.

McDOMINANT: Defensive tackle Anthony McFarland, who raced into the backfield on the Saints' first offensive play, raced in with a vengeance on its last play, flattening running back Aaron Stecker for a 4-yard loss.

HORN OF PLENTY: With the Tampa Bay defense poised to get off the field, the Saints converted a third and 10 with a 25-yard pass from Aaron Brooks to Joe Horn.

DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME - OR ON THE ROAD: The Saints used a package that forced linebacker Derrick Rodgers to cover meteor Joey Galloway. End result: a 15-yard reception.

PUNTING WITH TOUCH: Josh Bidwell put the Saints in a tough spot by putting a punt out of bounds at the 8.

SAINTS' LEADING RECEIVER: When Ronde Barber made his second interception, only Devery Henderson had caught as many of Brooks' passes (and Barber had more yards, 44-39).

ROAD MAP TO THE END ZONE: Joey Galloway scored the Bucs' touchdown on a play similar to his score against the Redskins, catching a quick in and turning upfield before he could be corralled.

NO HEAD IN IT: When Brooks was sandwiched by Greg Spires and Simeon Rice, his helmet popped off and rolled 6 yards downfield. It did not pick up a first down.

D. BROOKS NOT AT HIS BEST: Linebacker Derrick Brooks was powerless to stop Antowain Smith on a 7-yard run. Five plays later on third and 8, Brooks took a bad angle and tight end Zach Hilton cut inside him for a gain of 10 and another first down.

A. BROOKS NOT AT HIS BEST: Aaron Brooks seemed to be throwing passes up for grabs. His first pass was a jump ball nearly intercepted by cornerback Brian Kelly.

LECAVALIER WOULDN'T HAVE DONE THAT TO ST. LOUIS: Ronde Barber had a chance for a hat trick - his third interception of the game - but Dexter Jackson took advantage of Barber's slight bobble to pull in his first interception of the season.

BEST FALSE START EVER: Tackle Kenyatta Walker flinched just before a snap, and thankfully for the Bucs, the officials caught it. Jason Craft deflected Chris Simms' throw, and Darren Howard intercepted and returned it for a touchdown - all wiped out by the penalty.

NOW SERVING PANCAKES: Mike Alstott flattened a defensive back on Michael Pittman's 28-yard run.

WHO HAD HIM? Will Smith forced a punt and knocked the Bucs out of field goal range with a sack on third and 2 from the 27.

REMEMBERING IKE: Ike Hilliard, shut out for 44 minutes, caught two passes in a span of three plays that bridged the quarters.

POISE: Chris Simms, harried on third and 7, stayed calm and dumped the ball to running back Cadillac Williams for a gain of 9.

ROOM TO BREATHE: Todd France, given his second try of the game, had no elevation problems and made a 28-yard field goal.

NOT MEETING HIS STANDARD: On Tampa Bay's next drive, Joey Galloway let a potential touchdown slide through his arms. It would have been a difficult catch, but it's one a receiver of his caliber should have made.

WHO ARE THEY? THEY ARE HOOS: Ronde Barber, a teammate of Aaron Brooks' at Virginia, intercepted Brooks for the third time as the Saints were driving for a tying score.

JUST A HUNCH: With New Orleans out of the playoff race, smart money sits on the Saints going for one of those trendy, game-ending two-point conversions.

WHO ARE YOU, AND WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MICHAEL CLAYTON? The second-year receiver, sterling a season ago, did not catch a pass and has only 28 in 12 games this season.

[Last modified December 5, 2005, 07:01:51]