Monday night’s matchup between the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers started out looking like a huge victory for head coach Dennis Allen and the Saints. But things took a turn when Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady got the ball in his hands with 5:21 left in the game. Brady, who had thrown for only 163 passing yards and no passing touchdowns through the first 54 minutes and 39 seconds of action, then totaled 118 yards and two touchdowns through the air to give the Bucs a 17-16 lead and win.
It is hard to see this game for its entirety in hindsight, especially after such a brutal collapse. But even with an eye toward the holistic view of the game, it is still hard to be positive about much of it. Here is our report card for all three phases of the game and coaching in Monday’s loss.