NEW ORLEANS — The Saints went into the game as a team that had barely gotten by its past few games and left it with many thinking they are the best team in the NFC, after stomping the Bucs 38-3 in a nationally-televised contest.
“We did a lot of things well," said head coach Sean Payton in an understatement. "It was a good team win.”
The Saints offense was clicking from the get go with Drew Brees looking like prime-time Drew Brees, completing passes to 11 different receivers as they built a 31-0 first half lead.
Brees finished 26 of 32 for 222 yards and four touchdowns. He had a QB rating of 135.2.
"We knew this was a big game, divisional opponent, Tampa is playing extremely well," said Brees. "We’re just trying to get better every week."
Meanwhile the Saints defense made Tom Brady look ordinary – check that – made him look bad. It was undoubtedly one of the six-time Super Bowl champion’s worst games in his career.
He finished 22 of 38 for 209 yards and a QB rating of 40.4.
Brady was picked off three times and sacked three more and just didn't look as sharp as he has in the games since the Saints beat he and the Bucs in week one.
The Bucs set an all-time NFL low with only 5 carries in the entire game. Tampa only ran 43 plays to the Saints' 72.
"It was one of those games as a team that we can build on," said Payton. "I thought in the secondary we did a great job. The rush and the coverage complimented each other real well."
The Saints had so many players touch the ball on offense and no one in particular stood out but Taysom Hill looked like the Taysom Hill of old for the first time this season. He ran the ball 7 times for 54 yards, completed two passes for 48 more and caught a pass for 21 more.
The Saints were coming off three consecutive 3-point wins, but after this big win Brees pointed out how the team had been minus a lot of weapons. The team had played since week one without Michael Thomas and had played the last two without Emmanuel Sanders.
The win pushed the Saints to 6-2, a half game ahead of Tampa, who is 6-3, but the Saints have an advantage over the Bucs having swept the season series.
