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The New Orleans Saints defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 30-10, on Sunday at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
The win was the sixth consecutive for the Saints, their longest winning streak since they won eight consecutive games to end the 2011 season.
Here’s what we learned from Sunday’s game:

The Saints are in control of the NFC South
Officially, their lead is only a half-game but the Saints have established their supremacy in the NFC South Division. Sunday’s win allowed them to maintain their lead on the rest of their rivals and vaulted them into the second half of the season as the clear team to beat. The Panthers are a half-game back, but the Saints’ Week 3 win in Carolina gives them a leg-up in the division race.



The Saints continue to win in different ways
One week it’s the defense. The next it’s Drew Brees and the offense. This week the Saints’ special teams carried the day. Justin Hardee’s blocked punt and return for a touchdown set the tone early and ignited the sellout crowd. Historically, NFL teams rarely lose when they block a punt for a touchdown, and the Saints proved true that axiom. Winning in different ways is the sign of a complete team, and the Saints are showing they can succeed in all phases.

Drew Brees is human
His first-quarter misfire of a bomb to Ted Ginn Jr. might have been the most errant pass of Brees’ legendary Saints career. Ginn was wide open thanks to what appeared to be miscommunication in the Bucs' secondary, but Brees’ pass was uncharacteristically off target. And Brees knew it, too. He grabbed his head in disgust after the incompletion. Brees atoned with a pin-point strike to Ginn for a 36-yard TD in the third quarter that put the game away.

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SmashMouth

jnormand

6-2. Dilly Dilly!!!!

Halo

What we learned?

Apparently Mike Evans and Jamis Winston are not ejectable from a game no matter how unsportsmanlike and disgusting they act on the sidelines. Apparently Evans spearing blindsided Marcus Lattimore is JUST OK with "NEW YORK" (where Goodell watches over everything.) It's sick!

jnormand

Start Bountygate 2 on Winston and Evans! Dilly Dilly!!!

nola_swammi

https://twitter.com/PFF/status/92729...18742904838%23

Crusader

K Major

Special teams (specifically fielding punts) needs work. Those muffs are inexcusable and in a close game that could cost us. The Saints are a good team ... not great but good. I'm still waiting for them to put together a complete game in all phases.

Side note - no need to get cute on kickoffs with the BYU backyard lateral stuff.

hitta

This team is very close to being completely dominant in my opinion. There are a few key positions that we need and we'll be set. For example if this team had a great pass catching TE, a lot of those drives that stall out for us would end up with us getting 7. That is something we have to target in the off-season.

hagan714

Now we are in first place in the division and holding a road win against second place panthers.

Now we are in control of our own division title hope for the first time in a long while.