The Tampa Bay Buccaneers dropped a last-second, 16-14 decision to the New Orleans Saints at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, a contest that included one of the longest defensive scores in team history and another 100-yard outing by second-year RB Doug Martin. Here are some of the more notable statistics and milestones from Sunday's game:
- LB Mason Foster's 85-yard interception return for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of Sunday's game was the third-longest in franchise history. Surprisingly, the top three spots all belong to linebackers, with Foster's return trailing only a 98-yarder by Shelton Quarles against Green Bay on October 7, 2001 and a 97-yarder by Derrick Brooks at Baltimore on September 15, 2002.
- The Buccaneers' lost Sunday's game by two points despite getting a touchdown from the defense on Foster's 85-yard return. Surprisingly, the Buccaneers are just 2-6 over the past three years in games in which they scored a touchdown on defense. Such an occurrence used to be a harbinger of a Buccaneer win: Over the previous 15 seasons (1996-2010), the Buccaneers were 29-7 in games in which they scored a TD on defense.
- All three of Tampa Bay's starting linebackers have already recorded at least one sack and at least one interception through the first two games of the season. That's the first time three Buc LBs have combined to accomplish that through just two games in the history of the organization. In fact, there have only been three other complete seasons in which three different Buc linebackers have recorded at least one sack and one interception: 2010, 2002 and 1985 (when four LBs did it). Through just two games, Lavonte David has 2.5 sacks, Mason Foster has 2.0 sacks and Dekoda Watson has 1.0. All three have picked off a single pass.
- The Buccaneers recorded 4.0 sacks in today's game, giving them back-to-back weeks of 4 sacks for the first time since 2011 (9/25/11 - 4.0 vs. Atlanta; 10/3/11 - 4.0 vs. Indianapolis). The Bucs' 4.0 sacks are the most they have had against the Saints since QB Drew Brees joined New Orleans in 2006. The nine sacks the Bucs have recorded so far is their most through the first two games of a season since 2000.
- Heading into Monday night's game between Pittsburgh and Cincinnati, the Buccaneers as a team are tied for first in the NFL in sacks recorded by their defense, with nine. Here are the top six teams in that category so far.
Rank
Team
Sacks
1t.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
9.0
1t.
Kansas City Chiefs
9.0
1t.
Miami Dolphins
9.0
1t.
Oakland Raiders
9.0
5t.
Baltimore Ravens
8.0
5t.
Buffalo Bills
8.0
- Individually, Lavonte David is tied for eighth in the NFL in sacks through the first two weeks:
Rank
Player, Team
Sacks
1.
Mario Williams, BUF
4.5
2.
Robert Quinn, STL
4.0
3t.
Dontari Poe, KC
3.5
3t.
Aldon Smith, SF
3.5
5t.
Justin Houston, KC
3.0
5t.
Ryan Kerrigan, KC
3.0
5t.
Robert Mathis, IND
3.0
8t.
Lavonte David, TB
2.5
8t.
Desmond Bryant, CLE
2.5
8t.
Shaun Phillips, DEN
2.5
8t.
Cameron Wake, MIA
2.5
- The Buccaneers aren't the only team that has seen its early games go down to the wire. Already through two weeks this season (with Monday Night's game still to be played), there have been 14 fourth-quarter comebacks for victory. That is tied for the most through Week 2 of any season in NFL history, matching the two-week total from 1997.
- Since the 1970 AFL-NFL merger, the Buccaneers are the first team to open a season with consecutive games in which they lost on a field goal in the final 10 seconds of regulation.
- The Buccaneers are also the first team since the 2008 San Diego Chargers to start a season 0-2 despite having a point differential of just -3 (31 points scored to 34 allowed). The '08 Chargers lost their opener to Carolina, 26-24, and their second game to Denver, 39-38.
- WR Vincent Jackson finished Sunday's game with 77 receiving yards, giving him 231 yards on the season, the most ever by a Buccaneer in the first two weeks of a season. The previous high was 185 yards, set by Keyshawn Johnson in 2003.
- RB Doug Martin recorded the sixth 100-yard rushing game of his career on Sunday in just his 18th regular-season NFL game overall. Martin has now recorded a 100-yard game against each of the Buccaneers' three division opponents, Atlanta, Carolina and New Orleans. The Buccaneers are 4-2 in games in which Martin cracks the century mark.
