NEW ORLEANS — It doesn’t seem to matter when Tom Brady and the Bucs play the Saints in the regular season. It doesn’t matter who is playing quarterback for the reigning NFC South champs. It doesn’t matter the holiday. The Superdome became a house of voodoo for the Bucs again Sunday.
Brady (28-of-40, 375 yards) lost a fumble and threw two interceptions, including one that P.J. Williams returned for a touchdown with 1:36 remaining in a 36-27 loss to the Saints.
Despite losing quarterback Jameis Winston to a left knee injury in the first half, the Saints built a 23-7 lead behind third-string quarterback Trevor Siemian, lost it, then used a 23-yard field goal by Brian Johnson to go ahead 29-27 with 1:44 remaining.
That’s when Williams stepped in front of a pass intended for Chris Godwin and returned it for the game-clinching score.
Although the Bucs won the NFC division playoff on the way to the Super Bowl last season, the Saints have their number in the regular season, winning their sixth in a row over Tampa Bay on Sunday.
The Bucs took their only lead when Cyril Grayson, a track star at LSU from nearby Metairie, caught his first pass of the season — a 50-yard touchdown from Brady with 5:44 left in the game. The two-point conversion run failed but the Bucs led 27-26.
That was too much time for the Saints. A pass interference penalty on Ross Cockrell during a third down throwaway from Siemian set up Johnson’s kick.
It was another game of self-inflicted mistakes and over-aggressive penalties.
Linebacker Devin White had three personal fouls alone — two roughing the quarterback penalties and a late hit out of bounds that led to a 35-yard field goal by Johnson to put the Saints up 26-21 with 8:34 to go in the fourth quarter.
As he did a year ago in the season opener, Brady staked the Bucs to a 7-0 lead with his first of four touchdown passes.
But he doesn’t play well against the Saints in the regular season. A year ago, five of his 12 interceptions came in two regular-season losses to New Orleans.
The Bucs knocked out Winston when he injured his left knee injury on horse collar tackle by linebacker Devin White with 12:24 in the first half.
At that point, Winston had played well, trying the score at 7 with his 16-yard touchdown pass to Tre’Quan Smith. He also had scrambled four times for 40 yards. White drew a penalty on the play.
