Carr to Johnson: TOUCHDOWN SAINTS 🙌#Saints | 📺:FOX pic.twitter.com/MRVPDNZmB4
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 31, 2023
The New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers went face-to-face in their Week 17 matchup and the Saints had an uncharacteristic start. For the first time this season, Derek Carr and Taysom Hill led the Saints down the field for their first opening-drive touchdown of the season.
Of the Saints’ first 14 opening possessions, nine ended with punts, three ended with missed field goals, and one each ended with a successful field goal and an interception.
It was a team effort. The drive included Hill finding Juwan Johnson on a pass as well as Hill catching a pass himself. Alvin Kamara found some success on the ground as well. It was capped with Carr finding Johnson for a 4-yard touchdown pass, giving the Saints an early 7-0 lead after Blake Grupe banged the extra point attempt.
But as luck would have it, the best start of the season also came with bad news. Johnson hurt his shoulder on the touchdown catch and was announced as questionable to return, but he was able to get back in the game and helped out in a big way — he bailed the Saints out of the shadow of their own goalpost with a huge 32-yard reception.
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