TAMPA, Fla. — The unsung hero of Sunday’s 16-11 Tampa Bay win was punter Bryan Anger, who twice had punts downed inside the 5-yard line in the final seven minutes as the Buccaneers were clinging to a slim lead over the New Orleans Saints.
With 6:54 left, the Bucs opted to punt from the Saints’ 45. As Anger’s punt came down toward the end zone, rookie Ryan Smith put his toes down on the 1-yard line, fell into the end zone, caught the punt and tossed it behind him, where fellow rookie Alan Cross downed it at the 1, putting the Saints 99 yards from the touchdown they needed.
“Not only the punts, but the coverage,” coach Dirk Koetter said. “That was a fantastic play. … Those two red-zone punts at the end, those two flip-flops that he nailed, those were huge.”
On the next possession, the Bucs offense again opted to punt from the Saints’ 35-yard line rather than risk a long field goal, and Anger’s punt was caught cleanly by gunner Josh Robinson at the 3-yard line. The Saints’ final drive would end at their own 45 as the Bucs got a game-clinching interception.
Smith, in only his second game as a gunner, stepped up in a game in which he lost the team’s primary kickoff returner job, finding a different way to make a name for himself on special teams.
“I just saw the ball and was like ‘keep it in bounds,’” Smith said. “I thought Josh had it first, and I just made a play.”
Robinson, who leads the team with nine special-teams tackles, said the credit goes to Anger for placing the punts in position to be downed so deep in opposing territory.
“It shows how good Bryan is,” Robinson said. “He’s been doing it all year and that’s why we’ve been advocating for him to go to the Pro Bowl. He puts us in great situations. (Smith’s) was a beautiful play. He was in perfect position and made a great play.”
The Bucs made up for special-teams gaffes earlier in the game.
Josh Huff had a kickoff bounce off his helmet and out of bounds at the 1-yard line, setting up a safety, and the ensuing free kick by Anger went out of bounds, setting the Saints up at the 50 and giving them a short field for a field goal before halftime.