Despite another schizophrenic performance from the defense, which was horrid early and late but strong for a long stretch in the middle, the Saints beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 35-28 thanks to another brilliant performance from QB Drew Brees and his receivers.
After spotting the Bucs 14-0 and 21-7 leads, New Orleans had five touchdowns drives in six series to go ahead 35-21. Then ,the Saints went into survival mode, holding on when a potential tying-touchdown catch on the final play was nullified by an illegal-touching penalty.
Offense: B+
The only thing keeping the Saints from an "A" was their final possession, when they needed two first downs to run out the clock and got only one, giving the Bucs a final chance to tie. That’s nitpicking, though. Given bad field position all game by a defense that could not force three-and-outs, New Orleans drove 80, 80, 79, 72 and 95 yards for its five touchdowns. Brees completed 20 of 25 passes for 313 yards and four scores in the first half alone. He was not sacked all game. The wide receivers had a huge day, making up for the absence of Pro Bowl TE Jimmy Graham. The Saints were mediocre on the ground (26 carries, 81 yards) but didn’t need more than that. Last week’s grade: B
Defense: C-
It was a strange performance from a unit that has allowed more yards in its first six games than any defense going back to at least 1940, according to ProFootballReference.com. Tampa Bay scored easy touchdowns on its first three drives, shredding a defense that was supposed to be boosted by LB Jonathan Vilma’s return. Then, the Saints held the Bucs scoreless for more than 39 minutes, including an outstanding goal-line stand after safety Malcolm Jenkins chased down Vincent Jackson at the 1 on a 95-yard pass play. The Saints almost gave up two TDs in the final 4:10, surviving three passes into the end zone from the 9-yard line on the last three plays of the game. They made enough plays to win, but they allowed 513 yards to an average offense. Last week’s grade: C
Special teams: B
The kicking game was not a significant factor in the outcome. Garrett Hartley drilled a 51-yard field goal, but an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on the Bucs gave the Saints a first down on a drive that ended in a TD. The most pivotal special teams play was Ramon Humber’s and Will Herring’s tackle of Aurelius Benn at the Bucs’ 8 on a kickoff that Benn returned from 8 yards deep in the end zone. The Saints stopped the Bucs for the first time after that play, gathering momentum. Last week’s grade: B
Coaching: B
Interim-interim coach Aaron Kromer ended his stint with back-to-back victories after an 0-4 start, handing the reins back to interim coach Joe Vitt. Kromer never lost the team despite some losing football games in the first four weeks. The Saints played hard against Tampa Bay and showed good fortitude bouncing back from their early 14-point deficit. One quibble: The decision to run for a first down on third-and-3 on their final possession was bad. Needing one more first down to seal the victory, offensive coordinator Pete Carmichael should have trusted Brees’ arm instead of RB Darren Sproles’ legs against the NFL’s No. 1 rushing defense (in average per carry). Sproles was stuffed, and the Bucs almost forced overtime. Last week’s grade: B
Follow Saints reporter Guerry Smith on Twitter @CBSSaints.