Danno

New Orleans Saints
Quarterback grades: Drew Brees, 78.2

Brees does enough to grab win

Was it a classic Drew Brees divisional performance? No. He was lucky to get away with a dropped interception courtesy of Brent Grimes and nearly threw two more picks while targeting Vernon Hargreaves. But the Saints, with Brees running the show, moved up and down the field with relative ease and Brews was exceptional on his intermediate and deep throwing, going 9-of-13 for 166 yards.

Top offensive grades:

FB John Kuhn, 92.4
LT Andrus Peat, 91.7
RT Zach Strief, 83.6
LG Senio Kelemete, 82.8
C Max Unger, 82.7

Line shows up to lead saints to win

That was the kind of Saints performance we’ve gotten used to over the years, with Brees given time in the pocket and Mark Ingram given plenty of space to get a head of steam up at second-level defenders. The tone was set early on with the Saints running power to the right side of their line on the first two plays, and it was a play they continued to go to, having a lot of success caving in DaVonte Lambert while John Kuhn cleared out Daryl Smith.

It’s telling that of the starters, the line only gave up one sack, one hit and three hurries.

Top defensive grades:

S Jairus Byrd, 91.7
DE Cameron Jordan, 85.1
CB B.W. Webb, 83.2
S Roman Harper, 75.8
DT Nick Fairley, 74.4

Byrd makes the big plays to ruin Bucs Christmas

It may have finished a two-score game, but this was a closer game than the scoreboard suggested. It came down to key moments, and where the Bucs failed to make the most of them, the Saints did not. In particular it was Jairus Byrd who made the biggest difference, and his fourth-quarter pick was the play of the day. With Winston zeroing in on his receiver he made a great break on the ball to pick him off. That forced the Bucs to chase the game and that saw the previously quiet Cameron Jordan really let rip with a sack, hit and two hurries in the fourth quarter.

PFF Game-Ball Winner: Saints S Jairus Byrd, 91.7
https://www.profootballfocus.com/pro...ts-to-victory/

K Major

Again job well done KUHN.

Solid all season long. Pro Bowl snub in 2016.

neugey

Missed the whole game except the last 3 minutes. Is Byrd really pulling it together?

dizzle88

His second interception was a great read, undercut a crossing route and looked like plays he made regularly in Buffalo.

jnormand

Good grades. Man I really feel like our the d line is getting better almost every week. Please resign Fairley.

WillSaints81

When it comes to evaluating a performance, it has to be the games against the teams that matter. I don't consider TB in the same vein as Detroit, Denver, Seattle, KC, NYG, and Oakland.

The oline did do well but 9 of 13? 166 yards? That's not what you expect in a home game. Do the saints want to actually run that much or was this a reward game for Ingram?

Rugby Saint II

We passed? Woo hoo............it's party time.

BusDriver

Brees was 23 of 34 for 299, that 9-13 166 was just the mid/deep stats.

jeanpierre

Peat will pass Armstead as the LT and Armstead (if he can be available) will replace Strief at RT - when, if anyone can take his job...

Know his really up there, but I'd make sure Kuhn knows we want him back for our last run with Brees next season...

We MUST sign a top veteran right guard - my preference is Kevin Zeitler, CIN; and I'd consider signing a swing tackle as well...

Thought Sterling Moore had a better game than he was graded especially that Missed Offensive PI on Mike Evans in the end zone...

Fairley is a burst, low stamina DT - I'd be leary signing him to big guaranteed money - keep the carrot in front of him...

Byrd is teasing and will not be that player for 16 games - so why pay for it when we've got a two-pick Vonn Bell and better FA options?!?

It's not that my way is the right way, I just make the right way my way...

saintfan

You rekon Armstead would play (could play) RT? Cause if Peat has potential on the left he seems to be nothing but a liability on the right.