Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints: Report-Card Grades for New Orleans
The New Orleans Saints rebounded from last week’s lopsided loss with a hard-fought 37-31 overtime victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday afternoon.
New Orleans (2-3) overcame three interceptions from quarterback Drew Brees and an injury to tight end Jimmy Graham to outlast the visiting Bucs (1-4) in this key divisional matchup.
An 18-yard touchdown scamper by Khiry Robinson in overtime clinched the game for the Saints, who are now just a game out of first place in the NFC South.
Coach Sean Payton’s club got out to an early 13-0 lead, but Tampa Bay then went on a 24-0 run before New Orleans would score again. Brees' five-yard touchdown pass to Travaris Cadet late in the third quarter cut the lead to 24-20.
The two teams then traded scores before a Junior Galette sack for a safety shifted the momentum back toward the Saints’ side with a few minutes remaining in the game.
New Orleans drove for a field goal, and the score was knotted at 31 at the end of regulation.
In the overtime period, the Saints offensive line took control of the line of the scrimmage, as Robinson pounded out a couple of nice runs before ripping off the game-winning score.
The victory gave New Orleans its 10th consecutive home victory, while the Bucs were sent back to Tampa with a 1-4 mark after a hard-hitting battle.
Continue reading for full report-card grades for the Saints following their important divisional victory.
Quarterback
1 of 10
From the beginning of the game, it was evident that Drew Brees was not accurate on Sunday, as he misfired on numerous throws throughout the first quarter.
His lack of accuracy on deep throws was perplexing, as his passes fell short of open receivers on numerous occasions throughout the contest.
As the game progressed, it was his decision-making that would prove costly to the Saints. On two consecutive possessions, he tossed interceptions, the latter of which was plucked out of the air and returned for a score by Bucs linebacker Danny Lansanah.
Brees found his footing after the second interception, however, and he led the Saints on a touchdown march on the ensuing drive to cut the Tampa Bay lead to four points.
Credit is due to the Saints’ team captain for weathering the storm and leading his team to a comeback victory, and it should also be noted that he was heavily pressured all day by Tampa Bay defensive tackle Gerald McCoy.
His overall performance was nonetheless one of the shakiest of his New Orleans career, however, and it was definitely his worst of the season.
Brees' play may have been gutsy on Sunday, but it certainly wasn't good.
Grade: D
Running Back
2 of 10
As their quarterback struggled, the Saints running backs were at the top of their game on Sunday, and they carried the team all the way through the overtime period.
Making his third start since Mark Ingram went down with an injury, Khiry Robinson led all rushers with 89 yards on 21 carries. He ran with intensity for the entirety of the game, and he also displayed impressive patience and vision as a ball-carrier.
Robinson and the Saints offensive line took control in overtime, as he ripped off consecutive six-yard runs before rumbling into the end zone on the game-winning 18-yard scoring play.
Pierre Thomas was equally outstanding in the game, as the nine-year veteran led all Saints receivers with 77 yards on eight catches and a touchdown, while adding 35 yards and another score on the ground. With the Bucs defensive front pinning its ears back and going after Brees with reckless abandon, the Saints repeatedly utilized the screen to Thomas to perfection.
Travaris Cadet also got in the action in the passing game, as he hauled in three balls for 19 yards and the aforementioned five-yard scoring pass in the third quarter.
Grade: A
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
Besides the Saints securing a win, perhaps the biggest story of the day was the injury to Jimmy Graham.
The All-Pro tight end went to the locker room in the second quarter with a shoulder injury and never returned. New Orleans undoubtedly missed his presence in the passing game, as Brees had to look to other targets in order to keep the chains moving.
Josh Hill continued to have a significant role in the offense, and his performance on Sunday was good enough to help pick up the slack when Graham went down. Hill finished with 53 yards on three catches, while veteran tight end Benjamin Watson added 43 yards on five receptions.
At the wide receiver spot, rookie Brandin Cooks had a big day, as the first-round draft pick played a prominent role in the Saints offense.
He was utilized in a variety of ways throughout the contest, and he caught passes for positive yards off screens, outs and slants. He also carried twice in the red zone for 15 yards on New Orleans' late third-quarter scoring drive, and he finished with 83 total yards on 12 touches.
Marques Colston had three catches on the day, including a 36-yard reception on a seam route that set up the Saints' first field goal of the game.
Kenny Stills, meanwhile, registered only one catch, and while two of the passes he dropped weren’t the best of throws, they were catchable balls that he should’ve come up with.
Grade: C+
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
The New Orleans offensive line played a key role in Sunday's victory, as the group's run blocking was solid throughout the game.
Pass blocking was a different matter entirely, however, thanks to the dominant play of Tampa Bay defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. The All-Pro demonstrated why he's quickly making a name for himself as one of the game's top 3-technique linemen, as he was a constant thorn in Brees' side. He registered four hits on the Saints quarterback, while finishing with two tackles for loss on the day.
While Saints guards Jahri Evans and Ben Grubbs were far from stellar in their containment of McCoy on passing downs, they were outstanding in the ground game, particularly on the game's final drive in overtime.
The Saints totaled 140 rushing yards in the contest, and while the running backs played admirably, their offensive line deserves some recognition as well.
Grade: B-
Defensive Line
5 of 10
Tampa Bay couldn’t get its ground game rolling on Sunday, thanks in part to the New Orleans defensive line.
Cam Jordan, Akiem Hicks and Brodrick Bunkley did a satisfactory job filling gaps on running plays, as the Saints linebackers were able to keep Doug Martin and the Buccaneers running backs largely in check.
The problem, however, was the group's lack of a consistent pass rush. Tampa Bay quarterback Mike Glennon wasn’t pressured much at all by the New Orleans defensive front, as Rob Ryan was forced to dial up blitzes in order to generate pressure. The trio failed to record a hit on the Bucs signal-caller, and only Jordan had a tackle for loss.
The group wasn’t a liability on Sunday, but it wasn’t a strength, either.
Grade: C
Linebacker
6 of 10
After a terrible showing last week in Dallas, the New Orleans linebacking corps was noticeably improved against Tampa Bay.
Although he was held in check for most of the game, Junior Galette came through when the Saints needed him the most. With the Bucs backed up at their own 1-yard-line late in the contest, he sacked Glennon in the end zone for a safety. The big play served to make up for the Saints offense coming up short on a two-point conversion attempt a few plays earlier, and it brought New Orleans to within three points.
Parys Haralson enjoyed a solid outing from the other outside ‘backer spot, and he recorded one of just three hits on Glennon from the New Orleans defense.
Inside linebackers David Hawthorne and Curtis Lofton fed off the quality run defense from the line, as the duo collected six and five tackles, respectively.
As a group, the Saints linebackers were solid against the run, as the Bucs totaled just 66 yards on the ground, although Tampa Bay running backs Doug Martin and Bobby Rainey did their share of damage in the passing game.
Grade: C
Secondary
7 of 10
The New Orleans secondary has taken quite the beating thus far in 2014, but the group tightened up a bit on Sunday.
With injured safety Jairus Byrd done for the year, Patrick Robinson gave the Saints their first interception of the season, as he hauled in a diving catch on a deep throw from Glennon in the second quarter. Robinson manned the nickel position in place of Rafael Bush, and he looked to be far more comfortable than he did on the outside during the first two games of the season.
Moving up to take Byrd's position in the deep secondary was Bush, who was a bit shaky in pass coverage despite tallying five tackles.
After getting worked over by Cowboys tight end Jason Witten a week ago, strong safety Kenny Vaccaro redeemed himself, as he finished tied with Hawthorne for the Saints' lead in tackles with six. The second-year man out of Texas also helped shut down Bucs rookie tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who tallied just 11 yards on one catch.
Starting corner Corey White had an up-and-down afternoon, as he was beaten on a few passes by Glennon but also registered a deflection.
As for No. 1 corner Keenan Lewis, the New Orleans native had a tough day trying to corral Bucs receiver Vincent Jackson, who finished with 144 yards on eight catches.
Grade: C
Special Teams
8 of 10
The Saints’ special teams play was back up to par on Sunday, after kicker Shayne Graham had begun to struggle in the past couple of weeks.
Graham was perfect in the kicking department, as he nailed all three of his field goals, all of which proved to be crucial to the victory.
In the return game, Cadet had a solid outing with 76 yards on kickoff returns, although Cooks has still yet to get anything going for New Orleans as a punt returner.
The Saints’ coverage teams were a little shakier than usual, as Tampa Bay’s Solomon Patton totaled 86 yards on four returns.
Punter Thomas Morstead, meanwhile, was outstanding, as usual. He averaged over 48 yards per punt.
Grade: B
Coaching
9 of 10
The Saints' coaching received an "F" grade following last week's debacle in Dallas, but Sean Payton and his staff were significantly better at home against the Bucs.
Although the Saints attempted 57 passes, Payton demonstrated more of a commitment to the run this week, and his offense rolled up 511 yards as a result.
Despite the surplus of mistakes from Brees, New Orleans was highly productive through the air and on the ground, and there was also a noticeable increase in the team's physicality.
Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan did a nice job of mixing the looks his defense gave Glennon, and he wasn't shy about sending blitzes to generate pressure when the need called for it.
Grade: B
Final Grade
10 of 10
This one had all the ingredients of what's commonly referred to as an "ugly win."
When your quarterback tosses three interceptions, including a pick-six, coming out with a "W" is never going to be easy. Brees and the Saints were able to do what was necessary to get a victory, however, and their chances of competing for a divisional crown are still very much intact.
New Orleans made plenty of mistakes, but it also benefited from miscues on the Tampa Bay side. The Bucs accumulated 113 yards on a whopping 15 penalties, which isn't going to get it done against the Saints in the Superdome.
The loss of Jimmy Graham and the absence of Jairus Byrd were noticeable, but the Saints were still able to gut out a win as they head into their bye week.
Final Grade: C
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