The New Orleans Saints lost heartbreakingly to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Monday Night Football last night.
Many of the Saints players took this loss to heart, including veteran running back Mark Ingram.
Im sick about this one. Regardless of circumstances or how I feel I have to get that fresh set of downs for the squad. I apologize to my teammates my coaches and my city for a crucial mistake. We work way too hard and sacrifice blood sweat and tears. I will be better. ⚜️🖤
— Mark Ingram II (@markingramII) December 6, 2022
In a heartfelt Tweet, Ingram explains a potential blunder that he made in last night’s contest.
Unfortunately for Ingram, he made a fatal error, a major reason why the Buccaneers were able to ultimately come away with the victory.
The Saints had a 98.7 win probability before Mark Ingram ran out of bounds 1 yards short of a first down on the second-and-8 play around the 6-minute mark of the fourth quarter.
— Jeff Duncan (@JeffDuncan_) December 6, 2022
After Ingram ran out of bounds, the Saints were unable to convert on their third-and-one play, forcing a punt.
This gave the ball back to Tom Brady and the Buccaneers, who at this point, were behind 16-3.
The Aftermath Of Ingram’s Mistake
With less than six minutes left in the game, the Buccaneers marched down and scored quickly, and consequently, forced another punt on the Saints’ next drive.
With a combination of defensive breakdowns and yet another excellent Brady-led drive, the Buccaneers scored one more touchdown, ending the game, 17-16.
With the Buccaneers securing a victory, they moved to a 6-6 record, which leads the division.
The Saints fell to 4-9, which leaves them at the bottom of the division.
It’s certainly important to recognize that, while Ingram did make this mistake, he wasn’t the sole reason for the Saints losing this game.
The defense gave up two straight scoring drives, both taking less than three minutes.
Although the Saints defense allowed fewer points than their season average has been (22.8), this fourth-quarter collapse was detrimental to the team’s success in this game.
