WhoDat!656

The Saints might have lost shockingly in St. Louis in Week 8, but I didn't think it was time to panic in New Orleans, because Sean Payton has a pretty mature team built at this point. I expected the Saints (6-3) to play well and rebound at home against the Bucs on Sunday, and they did, winning 27-16 in a game that really didn't even feel that close.

You think of New Orleans as a passing team first, but the Saints went out and ran the ball down the Bucs' throats in this one, with 195 yards rushing on 28 carries, a cool 7.0 average. Tampa Bay's defensive front, which is heavily populated with first-round picks, was no match for the Saints offensive line. Four New Orleans rushers had gains of at least 12 yards, with Darren Sproles popping one for 35 yards, Pierre Thomas taking a carry for 33 yards, and even Drew Brees ripping off a 20-yard gain.

With Brees throwing for 258 yards and a pair of scores, the Saints rolled to a 453-yard day on offense, with 24 first downs and just two punts. New Orleans made it clear that last week was an aberration, and now next week's trip to Atlanta (5-3) will be a battle for first place in the NFC South, just as most presumed it would be in the preseason.

• I don't care how he might have been provoked, Bucs running back LeGarrette Blount simply cannot be throwing a punch on the field and hitting anyone in the head -- openhanded or closed fist, not after the incident that ended his collegiate career at Oregon. Blount was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct in the third quarter after he shoved or slapped Saints defensive end Will Smith in the facemask, hurting a Bucs drive and making them eventually settle for a long field goal and a 17-6 deficit.

If Blount ever hopes to get fully past the ugly postgame punching incident that ended his Ducks career, he can't be reinforcing his reputation by losing his composure and throwing a punch every other season.


Read more: Darrelle Revis, Jets thwart Ryan Fitzpatrick, high-powered Bills - Don Banks - SI.com

"A Veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America" for an amount of "up to and including my life."

halloween 65

We can do the same thing to the Falcons next week. I can't say enough about the way we played today, we were good. Maybe we can keep it up, I hope so. Ivory looked good, Thomas was possessed, and Sproles well was Sproles- Mr. Consistent. O-line drove all day, ST-good,D-line-stingy,lb's-looked really fast,db's hard hitting and stingy, Brees - I really think he made excellent decisions, receivers- well rounded play, coaches- called a great game. If I graded this game- all around A. Look out Atlanta my Saints are coming.

CharityMike

I haven't had a chance to see the game yet. I had to DVR it...stupid family reunion...in BogaChita State park in Franklinton..could barely pick up 870am.

Sounds like I missed a good one. I am looking forward to watching it tomorrow.

Srgt. Hulka

It was a good game, but we HAVE GOT to stop coasting when we get a little bit of a lead. That one "drive" where we went three and out, just trying to eat up the clock, really pissed me off. There was still 10 minutes left in the game and we're only ahead by two scores. We have to go balls to the walls for 60 minutes. We can't afford to allow any team to get any kind of momentum when the score is that close and there's that much time left on the clock. That and our defense STILL giving 15 yards cusion on their recievers are the only complaints I have about the game. It was a fun game to watch, and I hope that momentum carries into next week's game.

That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, ...

dizzle88

We have to keep tackling the way we did today, was the best game as far as tackling goes by the defense. In the open field bucs were wrapped up by one tackler.

Hope vilma comes back healthy, Dunbar played really well