New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Bucs: 5 Second-Half Adjustments for Saints

The 5-3 New Orleans Saints came into the game reeling from an uncharacteristic loss against the lowly St. Louis Rams. Facing the young and hungry Tampa Bay Buccaneers, New Orleans has a chance today to prove last week was just a fluke, and that they're still the big dogs in the NFC South.

So far, so good.

Here are five adjustments New Orleans must make in the second half to put the Bucs away. A 6-3 record will sound so much sweeter than 5-4.

No. 1: Pound Josh Freeman

Tampa Bay QB Josh Freeman showed tremendous promise down the stretch last year, but this year he's been inconsistent.

As with any quarterback, the key to limiting his effectiveness is confusing him and making him pay for indecision.

Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams has a good track record of making life difficult for NFL QBs. He needs to dial it up a notch in the second half.

Freeman is a big kid, but he can be something of a stationary target in the pocket.

No. 2: Keep the ground game involved

The high-octane Saints offense still needs a traditional ground element to keep defenses honest. With their leading rusher Mark Ingram sidelined, Pierre Thomas and Chris Ivory have been filling in nicely.

Keeping Thomas, Ivory and Spoles going should eventually open up the edges for Brees and Marques Colston to hit a big play.

No. 3: Recover from the Tracy Porter injury

Tracy Porter's injury has cast a pall over this game from the first play from scrimmage. No one ever wants to see a serious injury, and neck injuries are especially scary.

The Saints need to recover both mentally and on the field, as New Orleans is now down one of their starting CBs. Patrick Robinson and the other backups in the secondary will need to be on their game in the second half.

No. 4: Load up on LeGarrette Blount

Now that he's finally healthy, LeGarrette Blount is THE key player in this game.

He's had a few good sequences in the first half, but as of late the Saints have been able to bottle him up. Expect Tampa to get Blount involved in more creative ways in the second half, whether it be through screen passes or quick pitches to the edge.

No. 5: Shut down the Freeman comeback

In his two seasons in the NFL, Josh Freeman has earned a reputation as a comeback artist. For whatever reason, the two-minute drill just seems to be in his DNA. Entering the half with a lead, the Saints are in great shape, but they can't allow Freeman to have a monster second half.

Sean Payton needs to keep his team focused. Another score from the Saints early in the second half could put Tampa Bay away for good.