The biggest play on Sunday had to be the longest play in Josh Freeman's short career: a 65-yard touchdown to Arrelious Benn. The Bucs have tried to make that big play happen every week. There seems to be a play-action shot play to Arrelious Benn in Greg Olson's script, but this is the first time it worked.
And as on most big plays, it required a team effort. It required the right route combination, good protection by the offensive line, a well-executed fake by the quarterback and running backs, an accurate throw by Josh Freeman and a well-run route by Arrelious Benn.
All that came together on that play, with a little help from the New Orleans defense. The Saints brought six pass rushers on the play, while the Bucs blocked with six players. The offensive line and Erik Lorig did a great job of keeping Josh Freeman clean long enough to get off a pass to Arrelious Benn, who was running wide open across the field.
That six-man blitz had left the Saints with just five players in the back end, while the Bucs sent out four players into routes: Kellen Winslow, Mike Williams, Arrelious Benn and Earnest Graham, who leaked out of the backfield after the play-fake. Judging by the way the linebacker picks up Earnest Graham out of the backfield, the Saints were playing man coverage with Malcolm Jenkins playing as the deep safety.
Because the Saints had cornerback Jabari Greer guarding Kellen Winslow and cornerback Tracy Porter on Mike Williams, that left the Saints with a linebacker on Arrelious Benn - a mismatch in the Bucs' favor. That's why Malcolm Jenkins is there: he's supposed to guard the deep half, but he gets sucked in by Mike Williams running a go route, and cannot come over to Arrelious Benn to stop the completion.
The result? Arrelious Benn is off to the races and Malcolm Jenkins can't keep up. The touchdown gave the Bucs a 10-7 lead they wouldn't lose the rest of the way. More importantly, that completion seemed to jump-start an offense that had struggled to score points recently.