Tom Brady and Bucs find a way ...

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense cannot play well for 60 minutes. If it was going to happen, it would have happened by now. But the Buccaneers just needed to play well for approximately five minutes Monday night to take a commanding lead in the NFC South contest. And the best quarterback in NFL history was on hand to ensure it. Tampa Bay, which trailed by 13 late in the fourth quarter and appeared to have no chance of scoring, scored with three minutes remaining. The defense then forced a fast punt, giving the ball back to Tom Brady, who led the game-winning drive.

Brady may not be the great athlete he once was, but he is still capable of some magical moments. With three seconds remaining, Brady connected running back Rachaad White for a 6-yard score, and the extra point gave Tampa Bay a thrilling 17-16 victory. The Buccaneers improved to 6-6 and are poised to win a difficult division. The Buccaneers hadn't won while down by 8 points or more in the fourth quarter since 2012, according to ESPN's broadcast. They had no chance of winning on Monday night. But when Brady needed to make a clutch play, he delivered as he has so many times before.

Bucs struggle to move the ball

The Buccaneers got off to a good start. They had a 16-play, 72-yard drive that ended in a field goal, but it was a good start. Then Tampa Bay's scoring halted. The rest of the half saw three punts, an interception, and a kneel to conclude the first half. New Orleans' offensive wasn't much better, although the Saints did throw a 30-yard touchdown pass to Taysom Hill. They scored late in the half and lead 10-3 at the break. The offense wasn't terrific, but the defense kept the Saints in the game.

The Saints haven't done much well this season, but coach Dennis Allen has been outstanding versus Tampa Bay during Brady's tenure. The Saints defeated the Buccaneers 9-0 last season. Brady had gone 1-4 versus the Saints in the regular season since joining the Buccaneers (though the Bucs did get a playoff win over New Orleans on their way to a Super Bowl title). For approximately 55 minutes, it appeared that Allen had Brady's number again and that the Saints, who were 4-8 heading into the game, would reclaim first place in the NFC South with a big win. Brady, on the other hand, found a way.

Bucs, Tom Brady pull out a great win

After the Saints grabbed a 16-3 lead in the fourth quarter, it didn't seem like there was much chance for the Buccaneers to rally. In the second half, the defence appeared to be exhausted and was unable to clear the field as the offence struggled to maintain drives. The Saints went on two extended drives. Although both drives resulted in field goals, Tampa Bay wasn't exactly scoring frequently. even at all. The Buccaneers faced a fourth-and-10 situation in their own territory with roughly seven minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. Brady pushed the coaches to support it. Tampa Bay briefly removed the offence from the field before bringing in the punt team.

For the two-minute drill, Brady woke up. A first down to the Saints' 20-yard line was obtained by Scotty Miller. With around 30 seconds left, Julio Jones made a spectacular catch down to the 5-yard line. Donovan Smith, the left tackle, was assessed a holding penalty, which put the Buccaneers in a difficult situation. Chris Godwin would have caught what would have been a touchdown. It wasn't important. Brady recently completed a touchdown pass.