Bryant's late field goal propels Bucs past Saints

Football Betting Lines

11/30/2008 - Tampa, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Matt Bryant had three field goals, including the go-ahead kick with 1:55 remaining, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers held on to edge the New Orleans Saints, 23-20, in a key NFC South bout.

Jeff Garcia completed just 9-of-23 passes for 119 yards and a score on a rainy afternoon but had no interceptions and ran for 42 yards for the Bucs (9-3), who have won four in a row. Tampa Bay kept pace with Carolina for first place in the division, as the Panthers beat Green Bay, 35-31, on a late touchdown.

The Bucs and Panthers now hold a three-game lead over New Orleans, with Atlanta in between at 7-4. The Falcons play at San Diego later Sunday.

Warrick Dunn ran for 74 yards, while Carnell Williams had a rushing touchdown for Tampa Bay. Antonio Bryant caught three passes for 63 yards and a score.

"The win is more rewarding than anything," Antonio Bryant said. "I am just out there playmaking, trying to make the plays. That is the types of games we are finding ourselves in."

Drew Brees threw for 296 yards and two scores on 25-of-47 passing for the Saints (6-6) but was intercepted three times. Marques Colston caught six passes for 106 yards in the loss.

"There's no doubt we played a good defense," Colston said. "But it's not the first or the last we're going to play. We just need to play better in crunch time."

The Saints, who were coming off a 51-29 win over Green Bay last week, scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to draw even at 20-20.

But with 2:24 left in the game, Brees' pass was picked off by Jermaine Phillips at the Saints' 30-yard line. He returned the ball 13 yards, and the Bucs ran three plays before reaching the two-minute warning. Bryant's 37-yard kick curved left through the uprights to give Tampa Bay a three-point lead with 1:55 on the clock.

New Orleans still had plenty of time to score, but on the second play of the Saints' ensuing drive, a scrambling Brees was picked off by Phillip Buchanon, and the Bucs ran down the clock to seal the win.

The first half ended with New Orleans holding a 10-6 advantage, but the Bucs scored two times in the early stages of the third quarter to take the lead.

A 34-yard kickoff return by Clifton Smith set Tampa Bay up at the New Orleans 46 for the opening drive of the third.

A series of runs and short passes had the Bucs at the Saints 31 on 3rd-and-6, and Garcia's pass to B.J. Askew caromed off the fullback into the air. But Antonio Bryant was there to make the 12-yard catch. Garcia picked up 11 more yards on a run before Williams dashed eight yards up the right sideline into the corner of the end zone for a 13-10 Tampa lead.

It was Williams' first touchdown since September 23 of last season, as the following week he tore his patellar tendon. He only returned from recovery and rehab last week against Detroit.

After the Saints punted from their own 17, Tampa took over at the New Orleans 43 and needed just two plays to tack on another score. Dunn ran for four yards before Garcia aired out a pass for Antonio Bryant, who ran a stop-and-go route to get past the Saints secondary and was open to make the catch, which gave the Bucs a 10-point advantage with 8:36 remaining in the quarter.

New Orleans got deep into Tampa territory on its next drive, but Brees' end zone try for Jeremy Shockey was picked off by Cato June. Tampa Bay continued to hold the 20-10 lead going into the fourth quarter, but the Saints got back into the game in short order.

New Orleans' drive of 11 plays and 82 yards, which bridged the final two quarters, ended with a pass to Pierre Thomas. Brees threw to the right flat for Thomas, who sprinted 20 yards upfield into the end zone to bring the Saints within three points with 12:09 remaining.

The teams had a series of three-and-outs before New Orleans got the ball back with 7:16 left in the game. The Saints had great field position after punter Josh Bidwell's kick went just 18 yards and fell out of bounds at the Bucs 48.

Brees connected with Shockey on the first play for 21 yards, and after the drive stalled, Garrett Hartley punched a 43-yard kick through the uprights to tie the game at 20-20 with 5:34 on the clock.

Hartley's 47-yard field goal opened the scoring with a little more than five minutes left in the first quarter, but Matt Bryant tied the game with a 38- yarder only 10 seconds into the second stanza.

Bryant had a 23-yard kick with 2:34 left in the first half for a 6-3 Tampa lead, but New Orleans came back with a quick score to grab the lead.

Brees completed passes of 14 yards, to Shockey, and 37 yards to Colston, the latter of which advanced the ball to the Tampa 21. Reggie Bush ran for eight yards on second down before Brees found Lance Moore in the center of the end zone from 13 yards out with just 33 seconds left, giving the Saints a 10-6 lead at halftime.

Game Notes

The Saints won the first matchup of the season between the clubs, 24-20, in Week 1...Bush returned to the Saints lineup after missing the four previous games. He hadn't played since an October 19 loss to Carolina, in which he hurt his knee. Bush finished with five receptions for 32 yards...Thomas was the Saints' leading rusher with 34 yards on 11 carries.

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Pacific-10 Conference odds

Teams that should be in: Stanford

Oregon and USC get their tickets punched after taking care of business this weekend. Yes, the Trojans' computer numbers aren't great, but there's no way the third-place team in this league is getting nixed. Grudgingly, I added Arizona after consultation with our Bracketologist. I don't know that Arizona will lose its last three (including a Pac-10 quarterfinal game), and even if the Cats do, I still can't see how they'd be left out, given the overall profile. That said, it bears watching, as three more L's would leave them at 18-12 (9-9) and on a 6-11 skid entering the Dance. It would be nice to see the Wildcats get at least one W in the Bay Area next week, as Cincinnati (albeit without Armein Kirkland and with a worse profile) was axed after a similar slide last season. I just couldn't rationalize having some of the other teams as locks and not having Arizona in that category -- there just aren't enough good teams behind the Cats to threaten their spot, it seems. Stanford has its fate in its own hands with the Arizona schools coming to the Farm to close out the regular season next weekend.

Should be in:

Stanford [17-10 (9-7), RPI: 40, SOS: 21] No shame in not getting a win in L.A., but that makes the home game against Arizona State a must-win ahead of what could be an intriguing meeting with Arizona should the Cats lose at Cal. Getting to 11 Pac-10 wins would make Selection Sunday much more comfortable, but 10's probably more than enough this season. The Cardinal have nonconference wins over Texas Tech and at Virginia to lean on, although they also lost badly to Air Force and Santa Clara at home.

Southeastern Conference odds
Work left to do: Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Mississippi State

It looks more and more possible that no one from the SEC West will make the NCAAs. How weird is that? Tennessee and Vandy move into the locks category after more good work this weekend. Kentucky stays there, although it would be smart for the Cats to handle Georgia at home Wednesday ahead of a trip to the Swamp. Could a disaster scenario (two more L's and a first-round SEC tourney exit) somehow dislodge the Cats despite their incredible computer numbers? Still unlikely, but not worth chancing it.

Work left to do:

Alabama [19-9 (6-8), RPI: 43, SOS: 47] The tough L at Tennessee was understandable, and even created some hope. Unfortunately, that hope was dashed by a home loss to Auburn, which leaves the Tide in some real trouble. There's still no signature win on the profile (no, Kentucky doesn't count), and the computer profile is weakening rapidly. The Tide conceivably could beat Ole Miss and win at Miss. State to get to 8-8 and clinch at least a share of the West crown, but that's probably not enough right now. The Tide will need to do some work in the SEC tourney.

Georgia [16-10 (8-6), RPI: 52, SOS: 23] This is the team with the best chance to make it from this section right now. The Bulldogs rebounded from a terrible performance at Ole Miss to beat down Miss. State. Now they are at Kentucky (king of the RPI 51-100 win) and home to Tennessee. That would be worth a lot of computer points to get both (which is doable), as both teams are in the top 11 in RPI. Finishing at least 9-7 is an absolute must, and I would feel much better about the Dawgs' chances if they got both to get to 10 SEC wins. They also beat Gonzaga, but lost to ACC bubblers Georgia Tech and Clemson.

Mississippi [18-10 (7-7), RPI: 63, SOS: 79] Like everyone else in this division, Ole Miss gacked up a chance to stake a claim, losing by double figures at South Carolina. Even 9-7 likely is not nearly enough with a nonconference profile devoid of anything notable.

Mississippi State [16-11 (7-7), RPI: 66, SOS: 37] With a chance to get in the mix, these Bulldogs were leashed by their Georgia counterparts. Could they get to 9-7? I guess -- although winning at Arkansas, then beating Alabama is no lock -- but would that mean all that much for a team with this overall profile? Probably not. There's nothing of note (on the good side) in the nonconference profile.

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Police report: Terrell Owens hospitalized after attempt

Terrell Owens will address the media at a 3:15 p.m. ET news conference outside the Cowboys' practice facility after an internal police report indicated he tried to kill himself by overdosing on prescription pain medication, even putting two more pills into his mouth after a friend intervened.

The Dallas police report said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"

Owens left the hospital late Wednesday morning, giving reporters a "thumbs up" but making no comment as he was driven away in an SUV.

Michael Irvin said that Owens denied he attempted suicide and said he was rushed to the hospital as a result of an adverse reaction to medication. And a source close to Owens told Michael A. Smith that Owens wasn't attempting suicide.

NFL Network analyst Deion Sanders said he spoke with Owens shortly before his release from the hospital and that Owens was in good spirits.

"The fact that it has been reported a suicide attempt, he's laughed at that notion. It was a case that medication that was taken wasn't accepted well in his system with the other vitamins he's on," Sanders said.

The series of events began a little before 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Owens' publicist, Kim Etheredge, said she was at Owens' home when he took pain medicine for his broken right hand. Concerned by how he began acting, Etheredge said in various interviews Wednesday with Dallas-area media that she called 911. Owens was taken to a hospital, with Etheredge saying it was an allergic reaction to the medicine.

But early Wednesday, several media outlets received a police report -- that had yet to be released by the authorities -- saying Owens had attempted suicide by overdosing on the painkillers, even putting two more pills into his mouth after an unidentified friend intervened.

The police document, first reported by WFAA-TV, said Owens was asked by rescue workers "if he was attempting to harm himself, at which time [he] stated, 'Yes.'"

When officially released by police, about half the document was blacked out, including the phrases "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication" and "a drug overdose," as well as the details of Owens having two pills pried from his mouth and Owens saying "Yes" when asked if he intended to harm himself.

Etheredge, who said she was the friend cited in the police document, told Dallas-area media Wednesday that the police got the story wrong.

The tape of the 911 call could help clear things up. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get its contents, but fire department officials said it would not be available before late Wednesday.

The police report said the 32-year-old Owens told his friend "that he was depressed." Details of the police report were first reported by WFAA-TV.

The friend, who is not identified in the report, "noticed that [his] prescription pain medication was empty and observed [Owens] putting two pills in his mouth," the police report said.

Using her fingers, the friend attempted to pry them out of Owens' mouth. Owens told police he had taken only five of the 40 pain pills in the bottle he'd emptied before the incident.

Etheredge told the Star-Telegram that Owens was "fine."

Etheredge said she called 911 because Owens was groggy and lethargic. After taking some supplements "it kicked in a reaction" with the painkillers, she told the Star-Telegram.

"Here's a person whose body is so clean, it really had a negative reaction to the medication and supplements he was taking," Etheridge told The Morning News. "Thank goodness someone was there to call an ambulance."

Police Lt. Rick Watson said he could only confirm that paramedics called police to say they were taking Owens to the hospital. He said no more details would come from the police because no laws were broken.

It is not a crime in Texas for a person to attempt suicide.

"This is a high-profile person. We looked into it and we determined it is not a criminal offense," Watson said. "This a medical type of situation that occurred."

Watson and fire department spokesman Joel Lavender cited privacy laws for the lack of information they could provide. Lavender said more details could come from the 911 call. The Associated Press filed a request under the Freedom of Information Act to get the contents of the call.

"Let's just look at the tape, review the tape," Lavender said. "I'll give you an honest answer once I know something."

At the police news conference, Watson released a version of the police narrative with certain sections blacked out. The full report was obtained by several news outlets and reported first by WFAA. The AP received the full version from WFAA.

According to the police report, Dallas Fire and Rescue was called regarding someone "attempting suicide by prescription pain medication." Officers arrived to find Owens being stabilized by ambulance workers, who then took him to Baylor University Medical Center.

Owens was hospitalized late Tuesday because of what his publicist said was an allergic reaction to pain medicine he was taking for a broken hand. Doctors reportedly tried to induce vomiting.

Owens, one of the league's top receivers during his 11-year NFL career, is best known for wild stunts on the field and other publicity-seeking antics off it.

When the Cowboys signed him to a $25 million, three-year deal in March, they said their background checks indicated no red flags. In fact, team consultant Calvin Hill -- who mostly deals with troubled players -- said during training camp that his department was not involved with Owens because he didn't have a history of those kinds of problems.

He missed most of training camp, and three of four preseason games, because of a hamstring injury. He was late for work during his recovery and was fined for it, but Owens laughed it off, saying he overslept. He said it had happened before, though not with Dallas, and would probably happen again.

Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger during a game a week ago Sunday. The next day, doctors screwed in a plate so the bone could heal without fear of further damage. Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said last week that the pain medicine made Owens ill.

Owens had not practiced since the injury, but because Dallas had a bye this past weekend he did not miss a game. He was expected to practice Wednesday, and Parcells had said there was a chance Owens could play Sunday against Tennessee.

Owens had been especially looking forward to the Cowboys' game after that -- Oct. 8, in Philadelphia, against the team that dumped him midway through last season only months after he helped them nearly win the Super Bowl.

Owens was seen laughing and joking on the practice field Tuesday morning. He chatted briefly with reporters in the locker room in the afternoon and seemed fine. A 2-inch scar on the top of his hand was puffy but not wrapped, and he said the swelling was doing down.

While in the locker room, he took a pill from a white paper bag and looked at another medicine bottle that was in the bag. He also called a business partner about a towel-wrap venture they're starting and joked to TV cameras that he wasn't talking until Wednesday and it was only Tuesday.

"My little boy knows better than that," he said, laughing, as he plopped onto a sofa in the middle of the locker room.

Also Tuesday, Owens was involved in launching a national campaign for the National Alliance to End Abuse, an organization aimed at helping at-risk youngsters. He appeared at a high school Tuesday morning and was scheduled to visit others but had to cancel because of changes in the team's practice schedule.

Owens has played two games for the Cowboys, catching nine passes for 99 yards and a touchdown. For updated football betting lines and Dallas Cowboy Superbowl odds visit online sportsbook MySportsbook.com

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