Punter Has Hand in Saints’ Victory

Tom Tupa quickly ran out of options.

The Tampa Bay punter, unable to get off a kick from his own end zone, tried a desperation pass that sailed into the wrong hands and gave the New Orleans Saints a 26-20 overtime victory Sunday.

Tupa, trying to avoid being tackled for a safety, tossed a weak left-handed pass with the Saints’ Fred McAfee draped on his back. All rookie linebacker James Allen had to do was raise his hands and make the game-winning interception.

“I just thought, ‘Oh, my God,’ ” Allen said. “All I could do was just shuffle and catch the ball.”

Allen’s touchdown with 2:50 remaining in the overtime provided a bizarre ending to a frustrating day for Tampa Bay, which scored 10 points in the last three minutes of regulation to extend the game.

“I couldn’t punt it, so I was trying to make a play out of nothing,” Tupa said. “Unfortunately, the guy got his hand on me and started wrapping me up. He wrapped up my right arm. That’s why I had to throw it lefty.”

Aaron Brooks threw for 260 yards, including touchdown passes of 32 yards to Boo Williams and 41 yards to Donte’ Stallworth. Deuce McAllister rushed for 109 yards in 31 carries in his first start since the Saints traded Ricky Williams to the Miami Dolphins.

The Buccaneers trimmed a 10-point deficit to 20-17 on Brad Johnson’s 11-yard scoring pass to Joe Jurevicius with 2:41 remaining in the fourth quarter. They drove from their own 26 to the New Orleans 23 to send it to overtime on Martin Gramatica’s 40-yard field goal on the last play of regulation.

Johnson completed 28 of 52 passes for 278 yards, including a four-yard touchdown to Keenan McCardell in the third quarter.

The loss spoiled Jon Gruden’s debut as Tampa Bay coach. The Buccaneers used four first-and second-round draft picks plus $8 million to pry him from the Oakland Raiders. “I’m disappointed, but I’m not going to be one to let this fester for very long,” Gruden said. “We’re going to come back from this.”