They’re all tied up atop the NFC South.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers hung tough to beat the New Orleans Saints 26-20, leaving both teams at 4-2 and tied for first place in the NFC South. It was an impressive showing from the Buccaneers, who took a 20-7 lead in the second quarter and held on as the Saints attempted a furious second-half rally, ultimately winning 26-20.
The Saints’ last, best chance fell short when Drew Brees threw an interception in the end zone in the game’s closing minutes -- the third interception of the day for Brees, who had 383 passing yards and became the first quarterback in NFL history to top 350 yards in four straight games. Turnovers were a huge problem for the Saints, who also had lost fumbles by Mark Ingram and Pierre Thomas.
Tampa Bay got a huge game from Josh Freeman, who completed 23 of 41 passes for 303 yards, with two touchdowns and no interceptions. And running back Earnest Graham was outstanding, carrying 17 times for 109 yards when pressed into the starting lineup to replace the injured LeGarrette Blount.
And so the Buccaneers, just a week after getting embarrassed by the 49ers, now look like a playoff team. Things change fast in the NFL, and the Buccaneers turned things around in a hurry.