Saints’ performance was ugly, but it was a victory

    That was some ugly football the Saints played last Sunday afternoon in Tampa.
    But, as Garrett Hartley’s game-winning field goal sailed through the uprights, I had one thought: No way the Saints win a game like this last year.
    Sean Payton’s fingerprints are all over the Saints’ 2-0 start. Facing a 4th-and-3 at the Saints’ 29, Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano played it safe. And when Ryan Lindell’s 47-yard field goal sailed wide left, the Bucs were doomed.
    In three plays, Drew Brees drove the Saints from their 37 to the Bucs’ 9-yard line.
    My guess? If the roles were reversed, Sean Payton would have gone for the first down on fourth-and-3 from the 29-yard line. Make three yards, and the game is over.
    Earlier in the game, a Payton gamble came up snake eyes. At the end of the first half, Payton took three points off the board after Hartley made a 20-yard field goal. Offsides on Tampa Bay moved the ball inside the 1-yard line. Brees pleaded with Payton to go for the touchdown. The head coach smiled and then waved the offensive unit on the field.
    Even though the Saints were stuffed (Payton outguessed himself), decisions like that one resonate in the clubhouse.
    The Saints’ defense also showed some toughness. After allowing a 20-yard completion from Josh Freeman to Vincent Jackson on third-and-9, the Saints defense stiffened and forced Lindell’s field goal attempt.
    Payton’s decision to hire Rob Ryan as his defensive coordinator also has proven shrewd. After two games last season, Saints’ opponents had scored 75 points and gained 900-plus total yards. This season, the Saints’ defense has allowed 24 points against a pair of division rivals.
    It will be interesting to see if the Saints can continue to maintain that level of play as injuries on defense continue to mount.
    The Saints do have issues. The offensive line is struggling. Brees is getting hit too much. And the Saints have yet to rush for 100 yards as a team.
    The Saints were 0-of-4 in red zone conversions against Tampa Bay. A good running attack would give Brees more passing lanes when the field shrinks. And Payton continues to cling to the belief that Mark Ingram is his No. 1 tailback. But his best option appears to be Pierre Thomas, who gained 29 yards in only five carries.
    Moments after the 16-14 win over Tampa Bay, a friend texted me, calling the victory “improbable.” That it was. But Saints fans shouldn’t be surprised that it was a struggle against the Bucs. The Bucs were catching the Saints at exactly the right time.
    The Saints were coming off an emotional sellout win over the Falcons. The Bucs were coming home after giving away a potential road victory against the Jets. And, Payton’s career record against the Bucs was 6-6.
    Ed Daniels is sports director of ABC26 WGNO. He can be reached at [email protected].