Reggie Bush's 71-yard punt return TD is the Saints Play of the Day

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Reggie Bush's 71-yard punt return TD is the Saints Play of the Day

Reggie Bush's 71-yard punt return TD is the Saints Play of the Day

John Sigler, Saints Wire

Sat, Jul 4, 2026 ·

2 min read

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Our countdown to the New Orleans Saints ' 2026 regular season opener with the Detroit Lions is on Day 71, and that means this 71-yard punt return touchdown by Reggie Bush is our pick for the Saints Play of the Day. You can see the big play for yourself right here .

Bush nearly rallied the Saints back to beat the Minnesota Vikings by himself on Monday Night Football way back when; this was the first of two punt return touchdowns he scored in the second half, cutting into the 10-point lead Minnesota built before halftime. On this one, Bush dodged a couple of tackles, followed his blockers to the sideline (helped by a big hit from linebacker Jo-Lonn Dunbar ), and then outran the entire Vikings coverage unit. Saints fans in the sold-out crowd just about tore the roof off the Superdome cheering him on.

All told, Bush racked up a career-high 176 punt return yards in this game, becoming just the twelfth player in NFL history to score two touchdowns on punt returns in a single game. The feat has since been repeated twice, but that doesn't make it any less impressive. The fact of the matter is that Bush came through when the team needed him. It's just a shame it wasn't enough to win the day. The Saints outgained the Vikings offensively by 105 yards, but too many turnovers and too many decisions to kick field goals cost them. Of Martin Gramatica's four tries, one was blocked and returned for a Minnesota touchdown, while another missed the goalpost, resulting in a 30-27 loss in prime time.

It was a lesson a young Sean Payton wouldn't soon forget. A year later, he and the Saints would get the last laugh by ending the Vikings' season in the NFC championship game.