Buccaneers cash in on INT before Saints strike back behind Jameis Winston trick play

Pro Bowl cornerback Marshon Lattimore finally gave up a catch to wide receiver Mike Evans this year, and it came on a touchdown, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers grabbing a lead at the beginning of the second quarter of Sunday’s NFC divisional playoff game at the New Orleans Saints. On the play, Tom Brady faked a handoff to Leonard Fournette up the middle before hitting Evans, who caught the pass with Lattimore draped on his body. It was his 14th touchdown catch of the 2020 season, including the regular season.

Brady: “Mike, be that dude right here.”

Mike: pic.twitter.com/LZpcAVM18r

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) January 18, 2021

On second-and-9, cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting picked off Drew Brees on a short pass intended for Michael Thomas, returning it 36 yards to the New Orleans 3-yard line, setting up Evans’ score. It was Murphy-Bunting’s second interception in two weeks, also notching a pick off Taylor Heinicke in the Bucs’ wild-card win over Washington.

INT for SMB 🚨

📺: https://t.co/Poss8NJHUV pic.twitter.com/oiHWapynq7

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) January 18, 2021

But Saints backup Jameis Winston crashed the battle between the two future Hall of Fame quarterbacks with a 56-yard touchdown pass against his former team on a beautifully executed trick play in the second quarter.

The TD pass to wide open receiver Tre’Quan Smith gave the Saints a 13-10 lead over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with 8:08 remaining in the first half.

Kamara.
to Sanders.
to JAMEIS.
to Tre’QUAN‼️#ForNOLA | 📺: Fox pic.twitter.com/vcVgJFLpRw

— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) January 18, 2021

The play actually started with Saints running back Alvin Kamara lined up at QB in a Wildcat formation and Winston lined up at receiver. Kamara took the direct snap and handed it to receiver Emmanuel Sanders, who pitched it back to Winston.

Winston faced zero pressure in the pocket as he easily connected on the deep ball to Smith without a defender in sight.

If the play looked familiar, that’s because it was the same play the Chicago Bears ran against the Saints last weekend. The difference, of course, being that Bears WR Javon Wims dropped the pass from Mitchell Trubisky in the end zone.

It was the first TD pass of the season for Winston, who signed with the Saints in free agency this year after spending his first five seasons in Tampa Bay.