Tampa Bay Buccaneers Colts rally to 0-4 drops Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Colts rally to 0-4 drops Buccaneers
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Colts rally to 0-4 drops Buccaneers
TAMPA - In making his first appearance on Monday night in nearly three years, Tampa Bay Buccaneers proved they were ready for prime time.
If barely.
A 35-yard touchdown with 3:15 LeGarrette Blount to go allowed the Bucs to overcome the still winless - and still Peyton Manning-less Colts Indianapolis - 24-17.
Report: Buccaneers 24, Colts 17
VIDEO: Buccaneers and Colts highlights
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"It's always exciting to win," said Tampa Bay coach Raheem Morris. "You know, the national stadium, help my people and my organization. It is good for us to return to a national stage and get a big win in time to go out and play the way we have to play."
Even if some of his "youngry" stars of time to adjust.
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"I had a bit of nervousness out there," said wide receiver Mike Williams, who finished with five catches for 66 yards, although he did drop a few passes.
"But after that first series, I do what I do, and it was fun. I loved it."
Morris stressed the importance of winning the NFC South if the team wants to appear in the games even more important after the Bucs failed to qualify for the playoffs last season with a 10-6 record - a playoff frustrated them. But on Monday, Tampa Bay (3-1) took a tie for first place in the division of the New Orleans Saints.
"I think it was a lot of heads and showed the team since last year was not a joke," said Blount.
Blount caused most of the traumas of the Colts, beating his way to 127 yards - his first time at the century mark in 2011 - and break the fundamental score.
"When we get to shoot big boy is huge," said quarterback Josh Freeman Tampa, who passed for 287 yards and a touchdown while running for another, from your broker.
Third-year quarterback Curtis Painter, making his first NFL start for the Colts (0-4), was sporadically effective in completing 13 of 30 passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns to Pierre Garcon
But it was constantly depressed and degraded four sacks and numerous hits as the Colts finished with playing in front of Jeff Linkenbach left after Anthony rookies Ben Ijalana Castonzo and wounded.
And despite being competitive for the second consecutive week, the Colts are proud little comfort in merely coming close.
"We are here in this business for the victory," said defensive end Dwight Freeney.
Indianapolis outgained Tampa Bay 466-318 and held the ball for 39 minutes but never led to the discovery of Blount.
"It really was not enough, at all times," said Freeman, "but that's something from us. You want to go in every week and play free soccer game, but rarely how it goes."
The Bucs beat dropped passes and dropped interceptions and failed to capitalize on several opportunities, especially in the first half when the Colts line showed better compliance.
On the last play of the first quarter, Freeman turned the bag before reaching the band Arrelious Benn Benn before weaving his way to the end zone for a 62-yard touchdown. But he stepped out of bounds before re-entering the field and catch the ball, which is illegal, and refuses to score.
Two possessions later, a painter associated with Garcon, who split the area of the Bucs from a 87-yard score by the band itself to a 10-0 lead. Like a game of Benn, the capture and execution Garcon was reviewed but upheld by the arbitrators.
Freeman immediately brought his team back, ending an eight-play, 81 yards with a drop of 1 yard.
But Tampa has been plagued with other setbacks in the first half, including nine of their sentences 14 years, Connor Barth field goal attempt that rang off the upright after a fumble painter and a field goal ended the gun by many men on the field since the team was forced to undertake the intent of slowing clearance waiting times and on fourth down.
"It's demoralizing, more disappointing," said Morris, of the sequence. "We talked about football situation, that is something more important to us and for us to make that mistake at the time, I did not like."
Barth returned to tie the game in the third quarter.
After the teams traded punts, Garcon had a bubble screen 59 yards to the end zone with 7:10 left in the period. Freeman immediately responded by marching 80 yards for the Bucs - with the help of a roughing call in Indianapolis - in 13 plays, the last a 13-yard pass to Preston Parker.
Colts kicker Adam Vinatieri's missed the entire left to himself in the fourth quarter on a 43-yard attempt that would have given a 20-17 lead at Indianapolis.
Quasi may be rare for Vinatieri, but they are still fresh in the minds of Freeman, despite three consecutive wins of his team.
"I mean, the first week, we felt like we miss one," Freeman said of the defeat in the first day to the Detroit Lions remain unbeaten.
"If we have (been) out and play better football, fastest door, you might be sitting at 4-0 right now."
NOTES: Manning watched the game from the coaches booth Indianapolis almost eight years since the day he led the Colts from a 35-14 deficit to a 38-35 victory in a Monday night in this same stadium itself. ... The former Buccaneers and Colts Tony Dungy was also present. ... Defensive tackle Eric Foster Indianapolis suffered a horrible ankle injury, leaving the players on both sides visibly shaken, and kept in a local hospital overnight.
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