Postgame notes from New Orleans Saints dominant 38-3 win over Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Saints improve to 6-2 with fifth consecutive victory

Nov 08, 2020 at 11:21 PM

• The New Orleans Saints improve to 6-2 and sweep the season series with Tampa Bay for the second consecutive year. New Orleans returns to action on Sunday, Nov. 15 when it takes on the San Francisco 49ers at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Kickoff is set for 3:25pm CT on Fox.

• New Orleans has won each of its last five games and now has at least a five-game winning streak in four consecutive seasons for the first time in franchise history. The 6-2 start also gives New Orleans at least a 6-2 mark at the season's midpoint for the fourth consecutive season – the first such four-year stretch in club history.

• New Orleans' record against Tampa Bay improves to 37-21 all-time and 17-9 all-time on the road. New Orleans has now won its last five games against Tampa Bay, including its last three games at Raymond James Stadium.

• The Saints scored a season-high 38 points and amassed 420 yards, including 138 rushing yards and 282 passing yards. New Orleans held the ball for 40:04, its highest time of possession since Week 10 of the 2017 season, when it amassed 41:23 time of possession in a 47-10 victory over Buffalo.

• New Orleans held Tampa Bay to a season-low 194 yards, including 186 passing yards and eight rushing yards, which matches the second lowest rushing total surrendered by New Orleans in franchise history (two yards against New England on 11/30/1986 and eight yards against Dallas on 12/6/1998). New Orleans also recorded three interceptions for the first time this season, while holding Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady to a passer rating of 40.4, the third lowest passer rating of his career.

• The victory gives New Orleans a series sweep over Tampa, the first time Brady has been swept by a division opponent in his 19-year NFL career.

• Tampa Bay's leading rusher, running back Ronald Jones rushed for nine yards on three carries, as the Saints extend their streak to 51 games, including postseason, without giving up 100 yards rushing to a single player. The streak now matches the 1972-76 Dallas Cowboys as the longest such streak in NFL history.

• New Orleans' defense held Tampa Bay to three-and-outs on each of the Buccaneers' first four drives, marking the first time in Brady's career (333 games, including playoffs) that his team has gone three-and-out on each of its first four drives.

• For Coach Sean Payton, the victory improves his career record against Tampa Bay to 18-10, his road mark against the Buccaneers to 9-5, and his record against Tampa Bay Coach Bruce Arians to 5-1. The victory gives Payton his fifth career series sweep of the Buccaneers and he now has swept each NFC South opponent in back-to-back seasons at least once in his career.

• Quarterback Drew Brees finished with 222 passing yards on 26-of-32 passing and added four touchdown passes. Brees has now thrown for four or more touchdowns in 37 career games. Brees' career record against Tampa Bay improves to 20-10, making the Buccaneers the first team Brees has defeated 20 times.

• In his seventh career matchup against Brady, Brees surpassed Brady for the NFL's all-time lead in touchdown passes, having now thrown for 564 touchdowns. Brees also now holds a 5-2 record against Brady.

• Quarterback Taysom Hill recorded career highs in passing and rushing yards, finishing with positive yards rushing, passing, and receiving for the second time this season and fourth time in his career. Hill rushed for 54 yards on seven attempts, passed for 48 yards on two-for-two passing, and added one reception for 21 yards. Hill's other game this season with positive yards in each category came in Week 1 against Tampa Bay.

• Playing in his 150th career game, receivef Emmanuel Sanders recorded four receptions for 38 yards and his third touchdown reception of the season. Sanders has recorded at least four receptions in each of the last four games he's appeared in this season. Sanders now has 631 career receptions, surpassing Pierre Garcon and Rob Moore for 67th in NFL record books.

• Running back Alvin Kamara rushed for 40 yards and one touchdown on nine carries, and now has 2,879 rushing yards in his career, surpassing Tony Galbreath for ninth in club record books. Kamara scored his 10th career touchdown against the Buccaneers, his most against any opponent, making Tampa Bay the first team Kamara has double digit scores against. Entering the game with 298 receptions, Kamara also surpassed 300 for his career, finishing with five catches for nine yards.

• In his first game since Week 1, receiver Michael Thomas led the Saints in receptions and receiving yards, finishing with 51 yards on five catches.

• Defensive end Trey Hendrickson recorded 2.0 sacks (on back-to-back plays in the third quarter), and now has 7.5 sacks this season, good for third amongst all NFL defenders. In his second career game with 2.0 sacks, Hendrickson finished with a total of three tackles and added two quarterback hits.

• Safety Malcolm Jenkins recorded his first interception since Week 12 of the 2018 season, as a member of the Philadelphia Eagles, and tied for the team lead with five tackles.

• Playing in his 136th consecutive game, linebacker Demario Davis finished with five tackles, tied for the team lead. Davis has recorded at least five stops in six of the Saints' eight games this season.

• Cornerback PJ Williams recorded five tackles, tied for the team lead. Williams last recorded at least five tackles in New Orleans' Week 2 loss at Las Vegas, when he recorded seven tackles against the Raiders.

• Safety Marcus Williams recorded his second interception of the season, both coming against Brady. Williams, who added one tackle and one pass defense, has now recorded multiple interceptions in each of his four seasons in the NFL.

• Receiver Tre'Quan Smith recorded one reception for 14 yards and his third touchdown of the season. Smith's lone reception went for a touchdown score for the third time in his career, joining Weeks 12 and 15 of last season in victories over Carolina and Indianapolis, respectively.

• Tight end Josh Hill scored his first touchdown of the season and recorded his first multi-catch game of 2020, finishing with two receptions for 14 yards and the touchdown reception.

• Receiver Deonte Harris recorded the longest reception of his career on a 40-yard catch-and-run on the Saints' second drive. In addition to the one reception, Harris averaged 10.0 yards on three punt returns.

• Running back Latavius Murray recorded double-digit rushes for the fifth time this season, recording 39 yards on 10 carries.

• Tight end Adam Trautman scored his first career touchdown, becoming the 72nd player to catch a touchdown from Brees. Trautman finished with three receptions for 39 yards.

• Defensive tackle David Onyemata recorded his first career interception, picking off Brady with 11:05 to play in the second quarter and setting up a 5-play, 27-yard touchdown drive. Onyemata added four quarterback hits and one pass defense.

• Defensive tackle Malcom Brown recorded his first sack since Week 5 of the 2019 season, and added a quarterback hit.

• The Saints extend their streak to 296 regular season games without being shut out, the longest such running streak in the NFL and fourth longest all-time. The streak dates to Sept. 6, 2002 when New Orleans defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26-20 at Raymond James Stadium.

Photos: Game Action | Saints-Buccaneers Week 9 2020