The Saints bettered their fortunes by beating Tampa Bay on the road last week, thus thrusting themselves into the playoff mix. This is their second win in a row, and second game where the defense was able to keep them in it until the offense woke up in the fourth quarter.
The game started with Aaron Stecker returning the opening kickoff 98 yards for the touchdown, and it ended with Darren Howard sacking Brian Griese to seal the victory after the Saints offense scored two fourth-quarter touchdowns. Quarterback Aaron Brooks was harassed continuously, after starting left tackle Wayne Gandy went out of the game in the first quarter, to the tune of seven sacks. He still managed to hang in there and not commit the types of turnovers that many have come to expect from him. The team as a whole showed poise after Joey Galloway’s punt return touchdown and Taylor’s field goal put the Bucs up by ten in the fourth. They rallied on both sides of the ball to get the victory.
Although not playing against offensive juggernauts, the Saints defense has to be happy with its performances the last two games. They have held both opponents under 300 yards of total offense. That is a huge feat for a team ranked statistically last in defense all year. Many fans seemed to have hopped back on the bandwagon as a playoff push appears to be in the works, but I remain guarded. If the history of this team under Jim Haslett has shown anything, it is a maddening inconsistency. The Saints have looked good, especially defensively, in their last two wins, but I am still waiting for the other shoe to fall. If it doesn’t, for the first time in five years the city of New Orleans will have a reason to watch football in January.
