Saints vs. Buccaneers: Full Report Card Grades for New Orleans
The New Orleans Saints closed out their 2014 season with a win Sunday, as they overcame a two-score second-half deficit to defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 23-20.
New Orleans, which finished its season at 7-9, trailed 20-7 at the beginning of the fourth quarter, but coach Sean Payton’s squad scored 16 points in the final period to claim the victory.
Sunday’s win marks the Saints’ fourth consecutive road triumph, although the team dropped its last five contests at home.
New Orleans overcame three interceptions from quarterback Drew Brees, who recovered from his miscues to lead the Saints in their fourth-quarter comeback.
The Saints struggled to move the football in the first half, while on the defensive side, they were gashed by Tampa Bay running backs Doug Martin and Charles Sims. The Buccaneers rolled up 148 rushing yards in the first and second quarters, while quarterback Josh McCown torched the New Orleans secondary with pinpoint passes to wideouts Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson.
The second half, however, was a different story entirely.
The Saints outgained Tampa Bay 220-32 after the halftime break, and they shut down the Buccaneers running game with an aggressive, penetrating defensive front.
Under Brees’ direction, the New Orleans offense moved the ball at will, but interceptions by the Saints signal-caller ended two lengthy third-quarter drives.
Despite the turnovers, defensive coordinator Rob Ryan’s unit held strong in the second half. Big plays by numerous New Orleans defenders, along with a resilient fourth-quarter performance from Brees, helped spur the Saints’ comeback win.
A fullback dive by Mark Ingram from a yard out brought the Saints to within six, and after a Keenan Lewis interception, Brees found Marques Colston for the go-ahead touchdown strike.
Junior Galette put the finishing touches on the New Orleans victory with a sack of McCown that resulted in a safety.
Continue reading for report card grades for each Saints positional unit from their Week 17 performance, complete with a final grade on the last slide.
Quarterback
1 of 10
Brees had an up-and-down day under center for New Orleans. He totaled 281 yards on 24-of-38 passing, and he finished the game just 48 yards shy of his fifth 5,000-yard passing season.
Brees was a bit erratic in the first half, as he misfired on several throws to open receivers.
With the Saints down 20-7 in the third quarter, he directed two solid drives, but both marches ended with interceptions deep in Tampa Bay territory.
He was also picked off in the first half after one of his passes was batted at the line of scrimmage and the Buccaneers' Leonard Johnson plucked it out of the air for the interception.
After his third interception, Brees gathered himself and led the Saints on scoring marches on two of their next three drives. His 36-yard touchdown pass to Marques Colston put the team up for good with 3:23 remaining in the game.
The Saints quarterback was flat-out bad on his two second-half picks, but he delivered a gutsy performance in leading the comeback, as he helped propel the Saints to a win in their final game of the season.
Grade: C-
Running Back
2 of 10
The New Orleans rushing attack was hardly overpowering against the Buccaneers, but it was satisfactory, and it helped keep the Tampa Bay defense honest.
Ingram led the way with 57 yards on 14 carries, averaging 4.1 yards per carry. As usual, the fourth-year back ran with purpose and intensity throughout the day, and he fought for every yard on every carry.
Both Ingram and Khiry Robinson reached the end zone for New Orleans, although the latter gained only 15 yards on seven attempts.
Ingram and Robinson also contributed to the passing game with a couple of receptions each, with Robinson hauling in a swing pass for 17 yards to set up Ingram's fourth-quarter touchdown run.
The Saints running backs weren't exactly spectacular, but they had a heavy hand in New Orleans' Week 17 victory.
Grade: B-
Wide Receiver and Tight End
3 of 10
Saints tight end Jimmy Graham had a tough day from a physical standpoint, as he was popped hard by Buccaneers defensive backs on numerous occasions. The 2015 Pro Bowler still had a productive day, however, and he finished with six catches for 54 yards, including some key first-down receptions on slants and out routes.
Kenny Stills led the Saints in receiving yards with 82, with 44 of them coming on an exceptional grab in traffic on a deep post route in the third quarter.
Marques Colston dropped a pass in the first quarter, but his 36-yard touchdown catch in the fourth more than made up for it. The veteran wideout had another catch that went for 15 yards, and he lent his services as a blocker thoughout the game.
Nick Toon was overthrown by Brees after beating the Tampa Bay coverage in the fourth quarter, but he did chip in with a big 24-yard catch for a first down early in the contest. Toon stepped up his game in the second half of the season when Brandin Cooks went down, and he finally showed signs of promise after an underwhelming first two seasons in New Orleans.
Robert Meachem and Benjamin Watson also made some nice grabs in the game, although both players made their primary contributions as blockers.
Grade: B-
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Offensive Line
4 of 10
Up front, the Saints delivered a decent performance Sunday. Brees was given much more time in the pocket than he was a week ago in New Orleans' loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
There were a couple of breakdowns, as Brees was sacked twice and hit four times, but overall, the Saints offensive line had a solid outing.
For the second straight week, Bryce Harris manned the left tackle spot in place of injured starter Terron Armstead, and he delivered a respectable showing for the most part.
The Saints' run-blocking wasn't anything special, as they averaged 3.0 yards per carry for the game, but they managed to open some holes against Tampa Bay's front seven on numerous occasions.
Jahri Evans and Zach Strief were both flagged for penalties, but as a whole, this group turned in a passable effort on Sunday.
Grade: C
Defensive Line
5 of 10
The New Orleans defensive line limped into Sunday's contest with multiple starters out of the lineup. Nose guard John Jenkins, who had filled in when original starter Brodrick Bunkley went down, was placed on injured reserve last week, as was starting end Akiem Hicks.
The duo was replaced by Lawrence Virgil and Tyrunn Walker, and both players enjoyed productive outings against Tampa Bay. Walker combined with fellow end Cam Jordan for the first of three sacks of Buccaneer quarterback Josh McCown, while Virgil made two tackles, one of which resulted in a loss of yards.
Speaking of Jordan, the former first-round pick delivered one of his better performances of a largely disappointing season. He finished with 1.5 sacks, with his solo stop of McCown coming on a big second-down play late in the game with the Bucs backed up in their own territory.
There were some lapses, however, particularly in the first half. Backup lineman Brandon Deaderick was shoved out of the way on a long run by Sims in the second quarter, and there were a couple of other big gains by Tampa Bay in the first half.
This group picked up its play in a big way in the second half, however, and it played a key role in New Orleans' victory.
Grade: B
Linebacker
6 of 10
After giving up 148 rushing yards in the first half, New Orleans shut down the Tampa Bay ground attack in the second half, thanks largely to the play of the Saints linebacking corps.
The group was significantly improved after the halftime break, as Martin and Sims found the going extremely difficult.
Inside 'backers Curtis Lofton, Ramon Humber and David Hawthorne shook off Buccaneer blockers and filled gaps in impressive fashion, and the trio combined for 26 tackles on the day.
On the outside, Parys Haralson enjoyed a fine outing, as he delivered two hits on McCown. In addition, the intensity he brought to the New Orleans defense was quite noticeable, and it appeared to rub off on other Saints defenders in the second half.
Meanwhile, Galette was relatively quiet until the game entered its final moments. That's when he made perhaps the game's biggest defensive play with a huge sack of McCown for a safety on a fantastic outside move. The play all but clinched the victory for New Orleans, as the Saints proceeded to run out the clock after the ensuing free kick.
Grade: A-
Secondary
7 of 10
Like the front seven, the Saints secondary endured a shaky first-half performance, but the group upped its play significantly in the third and fourth quarters.
Buccaneers wideout Mike Evans burned New Orleans cornerbacks for multiple first-down receptions, with Terrence Frederick having an especially rough half.
Lewis won some and lost some against the talented 6'5" rookie, but the Saints' top cover man made one of the game's top plays in the fourth quarter. With time winding down and Tampa Bay driving, Lewis came up with a huge interception, as he snagged a deflected ball and returned it to midfield. The play set up the Saints' go-ahead touchdown, and it put a nice cap on Lewis' fine season.
Jamarca Sanford started in place of the injured Kenny Vaccaro at strong safety and made a big impact with his physical style of play. The journeyman delivered some major league hits, and he led the Saints with nine solo tackles.
At the free safety spot, rookie Pierre Warren missed numerous tackles in the first half, but he stepped up his play with solid coverage in the third and fourth quarters.
In the end, McCown totaled just 115 passing yards, which serves as a testament to the New Orleans secondary's improved play in the second half.
Grade: B-
Special Teams
8 of 10
The Saints kick coverage unit is usually reliable, but it turned in a subpar performance Sunday.
Tampa Bay kick returner Bobby Rainey averaged over 28 yards per kickoff return, and he totaled 34 yards on three punt returns.
On the flip side, New Orleans wasn't able to get Jalen Saunders going in the return game. The rookie had a 99-yard kickoff return a week ago, but he didn't get a shot at one against the Bucs. Travaris Cadet registered New Orleans' lone kickoff return for 19 yards.
Saunders was also a non-factor in the punt return game, with just three yards on one attempt.
Punter Thomas Morstead, meanwhile, was a special teams bright spot, as he averaged 52 yards on three punts.
Grade: C-
Coaching
9 of 10
Sunday's game was basically meaningless for the Saints, as they had already been eliminated from playoff contention. Nevertheless, New Orleans competed in the game until the very end, and for that, Payton deserves some credit as the head coach.
In addition to their fierce competitive resolve, the Saints also looked like a team that was well prepared to play. From a schematic standpoint, they appeared ready, for the most part, for what the Buccaneers were doing on both offense and defense, although they weren't always able to execute.
Offensively, the Saints stuck with their guns in the passing game, while Payton displayed enough of a commitment to the running game to keep Lovie Smith's defense honest.
On the other side of the ball, Ryan's unit was beset with major injuries, and the Saints didn't have a whole lot of experience on the field. Despite the circumstances, Ryan did an admirable job of making halftime adjustments, and his defense looked like a completely different unit in the second half.
Grade: B
Final Grade
10 of 10
With nothing left to play for in their season-ending contest, the Saints gave a solid effort and emerged with their fourth straight road win.
No, it certainly wasn't pretty, but Payton's squad could've easily folded when it was down 20-7 late in the third quarter. Instead, the Saints dug deep and seized victory with stellar second-half defense and a potent, albeit turnover-prone, offense.
Losing games in the closing minutes has been a major problem for this team all season long, but that wasn't the case Sunday, as New Orleans made key plays in crucial moments.
Granted, the Bucs are a far cry from a solid football team at 2-14, but the Saints earned their win Sunday, and in the NFL, that's nothing to scoff at.
Final Grade: B-
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