Reggie Bush Scores on 65-Yard Return

NEW ORLEANS — With a few waves, Reggie Bush beckoned the crowd to its feet as he awaited a critical punt. Soon, he would have all of them standing.

Shut out of the end zone in his first four games as a pro, Bush took the punt 65 yards for a touchdown with under five minutes left Sunday to lift the New Orleans Saints to a 24-21 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"When you see Reggie take those high steps, you know he's bound to make something happen," Saints defensive end Charles Grant said.

The celebration was interrupted briefly while referees sorted out a flag thrown against the Buccaneers.

"Once I turned that corner I was just trying to turn on the jets," said Bush, who also finished with 23 yards in nine carries and caught 11 passes for 63 yards. "It was so wide open the slowest guy in the world probably could have scored that touchdown. The monkey's off my back now."

Peppered with questions recently about whether he was frustrated or pressing, Bush responded that he did not care about scoring as long as the surprising Saints, now 4-1 and atop the NFC South, kept winning. They may not have beaten Tampa Bay if not for him.

"He's a guy who can change games, and today he changed one," Saints Coach Sean Payton said.

The runback spoiled an impressive effort by Tampa Bay (0-4), which rallied from a 10-point deficit to take the lead in the second half.

"I tip my hat to Reggie Bush," Tampa Bay Buccaneers Coach Jon Gruden said. "He lived up to his expectations today. Shame on him."

Deuce McAllister finished with 123 yards in 15 carries, including a 24-yard touchdown run, for the Saints. He had 117 yards in the first half.

Tampa Bay rookie quarterback Bruce Gradkowski — playing in place of Chris Simms, who had surgery for a ruptured spleen — completed 20 of 31 passes for 225 yards and two touchdowns.

New Orleans Saints News:
April News
•Saints Want Bush to Emulate Westbrook

March News
•Reggie Bush Vows to Focus on Football

February News
•Bush teams with Shaq to host All-Star charity event
•Dog thinks 2 $900 Super Bowl tickets tasty treat
•Boonton man scores big with Super Bowl tickets
•Dog thinks 2 $900 Super Bowl tickets tasty treat

Super Bowl Weekend
•OK!'s Guide to the Super Bowl Parties
•"Hannah" primed to claim Super Bowl weekend
•Paris Hilton, Ludacris party alongside 50 Cent at pre-game Super Bowl concert

January News:
•Reggie Bush to Give Deposition
•New Book Points a Finger at Reggie Bush
•Reggie Bush Engaged to Kim Kardashian?

December News:
•Eagles vs. Saints Preview 12/23/07
•Bush Hoping to Play Against Eagles 12/18/07
•Cardinals 24, Saints 31
•Bush Out For the Year 12/12/07
•Falcons 14, Saints 34 12/10/07
•Falcons vs. Saints Preview 12/10/07
•Buccaneers 27, Saints 23 12/02/07
•Buccaneers vs. Saints Preview 12/02/07

November News:
•Panthers 6, Saints 31 11/25/07
•The Dissapointment of Reggie Bush 11/21/07
•Texans 23 Saints 10 11/18/07
•Jaguars Saints Preview 11/04/07

October News:
• Falcons 16 Saints 22 10/21/07
• Preview: Atlanta Falcons vs New Orleans Saints
• Saints 28,Seahawks 17 10/14/07
• Preview: Saints Vs Seahawks 10/14/07

September News:
• Titans 31, Saints 14
• Duo Clash: Reggie Bush and Vince Young Meet Again
• Preview: Tennessee Titans at New Orleans Saints
• Bucs 31 Saints 14
• New Orleans 10, Indianapolis 41
• Preview: New Orleans at Indianapolis
• Saints have Super Bowl aspirations

August News:
• Saints Make Progress, Dominating at Times - 08/27/07
• Brees Strong as New Orleans Saints Blowout Chiefs - 08/24/07
• New Orleans Saints at Kansas City Chiefs - 08/23/07
• New Orleans Saints Ready for Cincinnati Bengals
• Saints Bid Farewell to Jackson
• Saints' Starters Set to Hit the Field Against Bengals
• New Orleans Saints - NFC South Preview
• New Orleans Saints Play Exhibition on Sunday
• 2007 New Orleans Saints Odds and Predictions
• Saints Already Eyeing Sunday Night Opener

July News:
• Second-Year Coach is Reason for Saints' Success
• These Saints May Have Answers
• New Orleans Saints Enter '07 in Strange Position — as Contenders
• Will '07 Saints be Super?
• 2007 NFL Preview: New Orleans Saints
• New Orleans Saints Predictions

June News:
• New Orleans Saints Ready for Training
• New Orleans Saints Almost Finished With OTA's
• New Orleans Saints' Brees Buries Past, Looks to Future
• New Orleans Saints Signs Two Local Players
• New Orleans Saints' Meachem Expected Back by Camp
• New Orleans Saints 2007 Preview

May News:
• New Orleans Saints Camp Shows Team Ready For NFL Tops

April News:
• JaMarcus Russell, Draft, New Orleans Saints
• New Orleans Saints 2007 - 2008 Schedule
• New Orleans Saints 2007 Draft Preview

Feb News:
• Saints Limp into Scouting Combine
• Saints Tag Grant as Franchise Player
• New Orleans Saints Re-Sign LB Scott Shanle
• Super Bowl XLI Champions - Indianapolis Colts
• As You Watch Super Bowl, Don't Forget New Orleans

Jan News:
• Super Bowl XLI Preview
• New Orleans Saints Eager to Build on a Winning NFL Season
• Bears Win Over Saints - NFC Champions
• Saints vs. Bears - Playoffs NFC Championship
• Philadelphia 24, New Orleans 27
• Eagles at Saints - Playoffs
• Saints' 2007 Opponents Set

Dec News:
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• Saints vs. Panthers Preview
• Saints 30, Giants 7
• Saints vs. Giants Preview
• Saints Fall to Redskins, but March into Playoffs
• Redskins vs. Saints Preview
• New Orleans Saints 42, Dallas Cowboys 17
• More About New Orleans Saints vs. Dallas Cowboys
• New Orleans Saints vs. Dallas Cowboys Preview
• Reggie Bush’s 4 TD’s: New Orleans Saints 34, San Francisco 49ers 10

Nov News:
• New Orleans Saints vs. San Francisco 49ers Preview
• New Orleans Saints Playoff Contenders
• New Orleans Saints 31, Atlanta Falcons 13
• Saints vs. Atlanta Preview
• Cincinnati Bengals 31, New Orleans Saints 16
• Another Saints vs. Bengals Preview
• New Orleans Saints vs. Cincinnati Bengals Preview
• Pittsburgh 38, New Orleans 31
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• New Orleans Saints at Pittsburgh Steelers Preview
• New Orleans Saints at Mid Season
• New Orleans 31,Tampa Bay 14

Oct News:
• Saints Vs Ravens - Saints Lose
• New Orleans Saints Report Card
• Just Like the City of New Orleans, Saints Bounce Back
• New Orleans Saints Story Almost Too Good To Be True
• Philadelphia Eagles Collapse to New Orleans Saints 27-24
• Eagles Vs Saints Preview
• New Orleans Saints 24 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers 21
• New Orleans Saints Ready for Tampa Bay Bucs
• Saints Again Show Spunk, but Run Out of Gas