TAMPA, Fla. — Relentless all day long, Tampa Bay's defense finally shut down Drew Brees when it mattered most.

Jermaine Phillips and Phillip Buchanon intercepted the NFL's leading passer in the closing minutes and Matt Bryant kicked a 37-yard field goal with 1:55 remaining today to help the Buccaneers stay atop the NFC South with a 23-20 victory over the New Orleans Saints.

Brees, on pace to break Dan Marino's single-season yardage record, threw for 296 yards and two touchdowns on a rainy day but also was picked off three times — once in the end zone — and bothered by the Bucs' pass rush all afternoon.

The victory was the fourth straight for Tampa Bay (9-3). The Bucs are 6-1 since Jeff Garcia regained the starting quarterback job, which he lost after a poor performance in a season-opening loss against the Saints (6-6).

Garcia was limited to 119 yards passing, but threw 38 yards to Antonio Bryant for a third-quarter touchdown that put the Bucs up 20-10. Carnell "Cadillac" Williams also scored on an 8-yard run, his first TD since a career-threatening knee injury 14 months ago.

Brees completed 25 of 47 passes and wiped out a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit by throwing a 20-yard TD pass to Pierre Thomas and taking advantage of a short punt to tie the game on Garrett Hartley's second field goal with 5:34 to go.

A week after gaining 418 yards in a 51-29 rout of Green Bay, the Saints' high-powered offense sputtered until Brees put together a six-play, 72-yard drive just before the half to give New Orleans a 10-6 lead on his 13-yard TD pass to Lance Moore.

Brees hurt the Bucs with three completions of 39 or more yards in the season opener, but Tampa Bay's secondary did a much better job this time. Marques Colston's 37-yard reception set up the Saints' first TD, though Brees' longest completion other than that was 22 yards to Colston in the first quarter.

The Bucs took control early in the third quarter, marching 46 yards to regain the lead on Williams' first TD since Sept. 23, 2007, against St. Louis — the week before he torn the patellar tendon in his right knee.

Special teams has been a big part of Tampa Bay's success, and return man Clifton Smith was a huge factor again Sunday. He ran down Glenn Pakulak's 70-yard punt and raced 42 yards to the Saints 39 to set up a second-quarter field goal, then had a 12-yard return to the New Orleans 43 to position the Bucs for Garcia's TD throw to Bryant.

Josh Bidwell's 18-yard punt helped the Saints tie the game, but he redeemed himself with a 37-yarder that pinned the Saints at their own 7 with just under four minutes to go. Phillips intercepted a pass intended for Colston to set up the winning field goal, then Buchanon sealed the victory with his pick on a throw intended for Moore with a little more than a minute left.