Buccaneers vs. Saints: 4 Things We Learned About New Orleans in Their 27-16 Win

Coming off an embarrassing 10-point loss a week earlier to the St. Louis Rams, the New Orleans Saints knew coming into Sunday's divisional home game versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that they needed to make some things happen early in the contest. 

That being said, both teams started slow, but the Saints were able to move the ball well enough at the end of the first quarter to score a late touchdown on a beautiful fade pass from Drew Brees to Lance Moore. 

From there, the Saints pretty much took control. Twenty-seven points and nearly 500 yards of offense later, the Saints ended the day still leading the NFC South, and set up a huge Week 10 matchup between themselves and the Atlanta Falcons next Sunday at the Georgia Dome. 

1. The Saints Play Best When They Have the Lead

Sunday's game reminded me a little bit of some of the Saints victories in their first five seasons under Sean Payton. It was a game where the offense got going relatively quickly, the defense was pretty good in the first half and they were able to hold on in the second half. 

It is a bit odd to think that a team so explosive would struggle so much when they get behind. But the Saints under Sean Payton have always been a better team with the lead. The defense always plays better with the lead, and the offense—particularly Drew Brees—is much more reliable and less turnover prone. 

Sunday, we got to see why. The Saints defense by nature is a bend-but-don't-break unit. They are generally pretty good at holding teams to field goals, especially in the red zone. 

And as the defense holds the opposing offense to field goals, the offense methodically runs the football and picks up chunks of yardage while also bleeding the clock away.

This formula has been as successful as any the past six years in the NFL. In fact, you could say it is the optimal formula for any and all football teams. 

Sunday, the Saints rode that formula to an essential division victory at home. This formula should lead to more success this season, if only the Saints can find a way to bottle it up and drink it before each game they play the rest of the 2011 season.  

2. The Saints Are Slowly, but Surely Reinventing the Offense

For some undefined reason, Fox decided to show the 49ers at Washington Redskins instead of the Saints game. But I am very fortunate to have NFL RedZone, which allowed me to still see a good chunk of the game, especially the key moments. 

What I noticed offensively is the Saints were using a lot of three back formations—which I've always loved—and some pistol offense, which I don't really like but understand some of its benefits. 

The point is, the Saints have done some extensive self-scouting (that is the process of evaluating your own tendencies) and have made some much needed changes. The offense the Saints featured Sunday was different in a lot of ways than the one they used for most of the first eight games this season. 

Don't get me wrong, the system is still the same. The philosophy is still ultimately the same. And many of the personnel packages and formations are still the same. 

But many of the concepts and plays the Saints ran Sunday were used in a different manner than they have been, especially against the Bucs. 

This is what makes Sean Payton, Pete Carmichael, Jr. and Gregg Williams such good coachesthat is, their ability to keep certain things the same, but dress them up in such ways that they are unrecognizable by the opponent. 

3. Upon Review, Pat Robinson Isn't That Bad

When Tracy Porter left early in the first quarter on a stretcher, Saints fans held their collective breaths—partially in reverence to the person Porter, but also because they knew what his loss could mean to the Saints defense. 

Without Porter, Patrick Robinson was the default second corner, a significant dropoff from Porter and a likely target opposite Jabari Greer. 

Greer played perhaps his best football game this season in Porter's absence. But Robinson was also up to the task, as he helped the Saints keep the Bucs receivers out of the end zone all day and forced Tampa Bay to kick field goals instead of touchdowns. 

Was Robinson great? No. But he was more than adequate for a second corner. When the rest of the team's defense is playing well and the offense is balling out, an adequate second corner will get the job done. 

4. The Saints Like the Throwback Unis

Just when I had finally admitted the Saints don't look so bad in black pants—whether at home or away—the Saints went back to the throwbacks for the second time this season. 

And for the second time this season, the Saints played a good, if not great, football game wearing the '67 get ups. While I'm a huge fan of the current black and gold, and white and gold combos, the throwbacks are a little more flashy but bring a classic twist as well. 

I'm not a uniform expert, but have always found the jersey choices of football teams to be a fascinating science, or is it an art? Whatever it is, it may not matter so much what choice the Saints make at home, as they have not lost in any uniform combination when playing at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.