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          Saints' Rattler finds Bub Means for first TD vs. Buccaneers

          • Katherine Terrell, ESPN Staff WriterSep 8, 2024, 02:36 PM ET
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              Katherine Terrell came back to ESPN to cover the New Orleans Saints in the summer of 2022. She left the company in 2019 after joining in 2016 to cover the Cincinnati Bengals. Katherine is a graduate of LSU and a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, native, and she has covered the NFL since 2013. You can follow Katherine on Twitter: @Kat_Terrell
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          NEW ORLEANS -- New Orleans Saints rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler had never thrown a regular-season pass before Sunday, and rookie Bub Means had never caught a regular-season pass.

          The duo chose to connect at an opportune time, with Rattler finding Means in the corner of the end zone with 8:37 left in the second quarter of the Saints' game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Rattler's touchdown pass to Means gave the Saints a 20-17 lead, their first lead of the game.

          There wasn't much that went right for the Saints early in the game. They went into an early deficit after the defense gave up a touchdown and wide receiver Chris Olave's reception was knocked out of his hands and returned for a touchdown. Olave, who took a hit to the head, was ruled out of the game with a concussion.

          But the Saints were clearly determined to help their rookie quarterback out. Wide receiver Rashid Shaheed returned a punt 54 yards for a touchdown, Paulson Adebo picked off Baker Mayfield to set the Saints up for a field goal, and then an interception by Johnathan Abram, who was elevated from the practice squad for this game, set up the Rattler and Means score.