<span>              <span style="text-decoration: underline;">POSTGAME NOTES</span>                   

            <span style="">Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints ● Sunday, December 27, 2009 </span>                   

* This marks the first time since the 2003 season that the Saints have had two overtime contests in a season. Sunday's game was the first overtime game the Saints have played in the Superdome since 11/16/03 against Atlanta.  
* QB Drew Brees completed 32-of-37 passes for 258 yards with 1 touchdown pass and a passer rating of 104.7.  
* Brees completed a club record 19 straight passes, a streak that came to an end just before the end of regulation. Brees held the previous record of 17 straight completions set over a two-game span in December 2007.  
* Brees' touchdown pass was the 202nd of his career, putting him in sole possession of 29th all-time. It was his 34th of the season, tying him for the club record, he set in 2008.  
* The Saints now have 500 points on the season, the 12th-highest single season total in NFL history  
* RB Pierre Thomas had six rushes for 60 yards and one touchdown before departing the game at halftime with bruised ribs. With his rushing touchdown, his sixth of the season, Thomas now has the team lead in the category.  
* With 20 rushing touchdowns on the season overall, the Saints are now tied for the second-highest total in club history.  
* WR Marques Colston led the Saints and tied his season high with eight receptions for 77 yards. With his first quarter 15-yard reception, Colston surpassed the 1,000 yard mark for the third time in his four NFL seasons and he surpassed the 4,000 yard mark for his career.  
* Colston now has 284 career receptions, tying him for fourth place on the Saints' all-time list with Tony Galbreath.  
* WR Robert Meachem had five receptions for 66 yards with a 30-yard touchdown. The score was Meachem's team-leading 10th overall on the season, and he is now tied with Colston for the team lead with nine touchdown receptions.  
* With his first quarter 21-yard interception return, S Darren Sharper set the single season NFL record for interception return yardage with 376. The pick was the 63rd of Sharper's career, tying him for sixth on the NFL all-time list with Ronnie Lott. With nine picks this season, tying for the NFL lead, Sharper's total is tied for the second-highest total in club history.  
* CB Tracy Porter's third quarter interception in the end zone stopped a potential Tampa Bay scoring drive. The pick was his fourth of the season and his first since November 2, vs. Atlanta.  
* With his second quarter sack and forced fumble of Buccaneers QB Josh Freeman, DE Charles Grant made the 500th tackle of his career. Grant finished the day with seven tackles (three solo), one forced fumble, one sack and batted down a pass on a fourth down play in the fourth quarter.  
* DE Will Smith had six solo tackles and one sack.  The quarterback takedowns of Buccaneers QB Josh Freeman gives him 13 for the season, extending his career-high.  
* LB Jonathan Casillas made the first start of his NFL career in place of an injured Scott Shanle (concussion) at weakside linebacker and had a team-co-leading and career-high 10 tackles.