NEW ORLEANS – Who saw this coming? If your hand is now raised, please excuse me if I don't think you're being entirely truthful. Missing their starting quarterback, the Bucs went into one of the toughest buildings in the NFL. Yet they went out and tied a franchise record for the most points in a game. What a way to start the season. Here is the report card from the Bucs' 48-40 victory over the Saints: DEFENDING THE DEFENSE The Bucs defense wasn't exactly stellar Sunday. It gave up 475 yards and 40 points. Drew Brees, who has been known to make a lot of defenses look feeble, threw for 439 yards. And because the defense had its troubles, the outcome was, disturbingly, in doubt until the final two minutes even though the Bucs put up 48 points. Having said all that, two big splash plays from the defense were crucial to the victory. First, Justin Evans scooped up a fumble caused by Vernon Hargreaves and raced 34 yards for a touchdown to spot Tampa Bay a 31-17 lead in the second quarter. Then, in the third quarter, another fumble in the secondary — this one caused by Kwon Alexander and recovered by Ryan Smith — snuffed out another Saints drive. "What happens in a track meet?'' Bucs coach Dirk Koetter said. "Turnovers are what decide it, and that's probably what happened.'' GRADE: B for ballhawking. HERE WE GO AGAIN The final few minutes were a bit nerve-racking because, once again, the Bucs couldn't make a makeable field goal. Chandler Catanzaro could've given the Bucs a 51-32 lead and iced the game with just under five minutes left, but his 44-yard field goal attempt drifted wide right. Next thing you know, the Saints cut it to a one-score game (48-40), forcing the Bucs to pick up a first down on their last drive to close out the game. Catanzaro's miss also kept the Bucs from setting a franchise record for points in a game. Just once, Bucs fans would love to be able to trust their kicker in important situations. To his credit, Catanzaro did make two other attempts from 33 and 36 yards. GRADE: C. WHERE'S JONES? Running back Ronald Jones, the Bucs' second-round pick, was inactive for Sunday's game. Despite a disappointing preseason in which Jones rushed for 22 yards on 28 carries, Bucs coaches said all the right things about Jones. Yet, the Bucs decided to sit him down, and that's a bad sign for a team that isn't what you would call loaded at running back. It's far too early to suggest Jones is a bust. He might have a long and productive career ahead of him. But Sunday was an ominous start. GRADE: Incomplete. STAND BY YOUR MAN The game got a little testy in the third quarter, especially after Bucs QB Ryan Fitzpatrick was roughed up by the Saints' David Onyemata. Two plays later, Fitzpatrick was roughed up again, this time by Marcus Davenport. By that time, Bucs guard Ali Marpet had had enough. He immediately went after Davenport and shoved him (without getting a penalty). Two plays later, Bucs center Ryan Jensen was called for unnecessary roughness while sticking up for Fitzpatrick. Give both credit for protecting their quarterback. GRADE: A. HAND IT TO THEM Might the Bucs have the best all-around receiving corps in the NFL? Seriously, there might not be a better crew than wide receivers Mike Evans, DeSean Jackson, Chris Godwin, Adam Humphries, and tight ends O.J. Howard and Cam Brate. There's no question that Bucs QB Ryan Fitzpatrick had a phenomenal day, but those receivers made some spectacular catches. They are so good that Fitzpatrick's biggest dilemma is figuring out which guy to throw to. GRADE: A. WHO'S CALLING? So who called the plays for the Bucs on Sunday? Was it head coach Dirk Koetter or offensive coordinator Todd Monken? Koetter was coy and a little testy when asked about that after the game. "What do you want me to say?'' Koetter said. "We ran the Bucs offense.'' One could argue that his point was: Who cares? In the end, it doesn't matter. If the Bucs continue to have open receivers running up and down the field and their quarterback throwing dimes, whoever is calling the plays looks brilliant. GRADE: A<doc-sep>Ryan Fitzpatrick leads the Bucs to a 48-40 victory in New Orleans in the season opener. Tampa Bay ties a franchise record for points in a game, as Mike Evans and DeSean Jackson have big days. The offensive line does well, too. The defense struggles for the most part, but comes up with some big plays. Plus, USF gets a big win over Georgia Tech, while Florida loses to Kentucky for the first time since 1986. And, the Rays sweep the Orioles but remain eight games back in the wild-card race as the A's keep winning. Listen and subscribe for free on iTunes and the Podcasts app Or listen below: Have a question for Rick? Leave a comment below, and he'll try to answer it in a future podcast.<doc-sep>Related Everything You Need to Know About Week 1 of the 2018 NFL Season With a Vegas spread of 9.5 points, oddsmakers pegged Saints-Buccaneers as the game this weekend with the highest probability of being a blowout. Only it was supposed to be New Orleans dominating Tampa Bay. But on seemingly every possession Sunday, Ryan Fitzpatrick and the Bucs picked apart the Saints’ defense as Tampa Bay cruised to a 48-40 victory that was never supposed to happen. Entering Week 1, the Buccaneers were expected to be one of the worst teams in football, while the Saints—who just eight months ago were one fluke play away from the NFC championship game—looked like a Super Bowl contender. So it was shocking when Fitzpatrick—the Bucs’ backup QB who is starting as Jameis Winston serves a three-game suspension—went 21-for-28 for 417 yards and four touchdowns. Sorry, I should specify: That’s four passing touchdowns. Fitzpatrick also had 12 carries for 36 yards and another TD on the ground. The Bucs came into the season with such little hype that it’s easy to forget that the team has one of the best groups of pass catchers in the league. They quickly reminded the Saints. On virtually every drive, the Bucs had a big play or touchdown, like these from DeSean Jackson: These from Chris Godwin: And this filthy Mike Evans touchdown: Fitz launches it 50 yards to Evans for the TD! Bucs up 41-24.#GoBucs | #TBvsNO pic.twitter.com/zkxBXCkWyw — Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 9, 2018 Some of these look nearly identical—it’s like New Orleans’s defense didn’t learn anything throughout the course of the game. That’s particularly worrisome for the Saints, as one of the main reasons the team jumped to 11-5 in 2017 after three straight 7-9 seasons was its defense, which evolved from a bottom-of-the-league unit to an eighth-place finish in DVOA last year behind stars like pass rusher Cameron Jordan and defensive back Marshon Lattimore. If the team is sliding back into the basement on that side of the field, it will put them well behind the Eagles, Vikings, and Rams in the NFC, each of whom has one of the most complete rosters in football. That’s not to say it’s time to hit the panic button yet. The Saints have been here before—just last year, the team started 0-2, as they had in every season since 2014. New Orleans gave up 65 points in its first two games of the season … only those games came against the Vikings and Patriots. Unless the Buccaneers make the NFC championship game, this loss won’t look nearly as forgivable in retrospect. There were glimmers of hope in this game, though. One of the main questions facing New Orleans coming into this season was whether running back Alvin Kamara’s historic offensive efficiency would hold up, especially with Mark Ingram suspended for four games. That wasn’t a problem on Sunday. Kamara draws blood first with a 5-yard touchdown run! #TBvsNO pic.twitter.com/vnjxb6pfLr — New Orleans Saints (@Saints) September 9, 2018 Kamara turned 17 touches into 141 yards and three touchdowns, looking every bit like the offensive game-breaker he was last season. Drew Brees quietly put up 439 yards, showing that even at age 39 he can still sling it all over the yard. And Michael Thomas (180 receiving yards, one TD), looks like the true top wideout he evolved into last season. For all the concerns about the defense, the offense showed that it was exactly where it needed to be. Hell, if it weren’t for two lost fumbles, the Saints probably could have eked out a win here. Fumbles are generally random, so there’s an argument that New Orleans’s loss may have come down to bad luck, as Tampa Bay had zero turnovers. But that fact only underscores the problem: If the Saints are a Super Bowl contender, they shouldn’t need fumble luck to overcome the Bucs, and they shouldn’t give up 500 yards of offense to any team.<doc-sep>Well that one stung, didn’t it? The New Orleans Saints continue their putrid record in Week 1 games. But in what was another roller-coaster of a game with plenty of ups and downs along the way, here are a couple that stood out. Up: Drew Brees Drew Brees deserved to win this game. He finished the game 37/45 for 439 yards, 3 TDs, a two-point conversion, and no interceptions. He nailed short throws and intermediate throws, and still showed plenty of zip on the ball. After the Saints traded for Teddy Bridgewater to possibly fill in as the QB of the future in New Orleans, as early as next season, Drew Brees is putting to bed the talks that he doesn’t have anything left in the tank. Up: Alvin Kamara He couldn’t really get anything going in the running game consistently (with only 29 yards), but he did finish the game with 141 total yards of offense and 3 scores. He showed multiple times why he was the 2017 Offensive Rookie of the Year, looking every bit as explosive and elusive as he was in 2017. Multiple times he looked like he was going to be cornered for a loss or minimal gain, but he would just turn on the jets and fight for extra yards. On the other hand, he did show that running between the tackles is still not his strong suit, so it will be interesting to see how Kamara is used going forward. Down: the rest of the Saints offense As great as Kamara and Brees were in this game, the rest of the Saints offense left a lot to be desired. The Saints struggled to find running room as a team, feeling the effects of Mark Ingram’s suspension, rushing for only 43 total yards in the game. Cameron Meredith was inactive. Tre’Quan Smith was targeted once with zero catches. Michael Thomas, for as great a stat line as he put up in the game (180 receiving yards and a TD), he had two critical mistakes in the game. He dropped an easy completion for a first down that ended up resulting in a Saints punt and points for the Bucs, and then later lost a costly fumble that, again, resulted in points for the Bucs. Mike, you’re better than this. And speaking of “Mike’s,” Mike Gillislee - you’ve already been cut from one team for fumbles. Don’t make it another. Down: the entire Saints defense Defense? ! WHAT defense? ! I honestly cannot think of anything the Saints defense did well in this game. They generated absolutely no pressure on Ryan Fitzpatrick (with zero sacks and only two QB hits). They struggled to stop the run. There were multiple botches in coverage. They couldn’t turn the ball over. All in all, it was an absolutely terrible showing for what is supposed to a promising group of defensive players. Go get ‘em next week, boys.<doc-sep>
NEW ORLEANS — No Jameis Winston. No problem. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick stood in for the suspended quarterback and stood out, passing for 417 yards and four touchdowns while running for another score in the Bucs 48-40 win over the Saints Sunday. Fitzpatrick did something Winston struggled doing a year ago. He connected on passes of 58- and 36 yards to DeSean Jackson for TDs and 50 yards to Mike Evans for another score. Jackson was injured after catching a pass in the fourth quarter and had to he helped off the field. He finished with five catches for 146 yards and two TDs. The Bucs scored on their first five possessions and added a defensive touchdown in the first half. Cornerback Vernon Hargreaves forced a fumble by Saints running back Mike Gillislee and safety Justin Evans scooped it up and raced 34 yards for a touchdown to give the Bucs a 31-17 lead. The Bucs didn't need punter Bryan Anger until 7:42 remaining in the third quarter. It was a shocking start to the season for the Bucs, who have to rely on their 14th year veteran for at least three games until Winston returns. Turns out, they may not have to rush him back. Fitzpatrick showed he still has some Fitzmagic left. The Saints pulled to within 48-40 but were out of timeouts when Fitzpatrick ran for a first down on third-and-11 right before the two-minute warning. The Saints took the opening kickoff and drove it for a touchdown with running back Alvin Kamara scoring on a 5-yard run. But Fitzpatrick showed immediately that the Saints were in for a fight. With Jackson lining up in the slot, the Saints somehow lost coverage on him and Fitzpatrick lofted a perfect 58-yard bomb to Jackson, who only had three touchdowns last season. The Bucs defense did not do much to slow Brees. They sacked him once, but they forced two fumbles. But the story was Fitzpatrick, who went 2-1 as a starter last season when Winston injured his shoulder. All he did was produce the best opening day performance by a Bucs quarterback since Steve DeBerg passed for five touchdowns over the Falcons on opening day in 1987. Contact Rick Stroud at rstroud@tampabay.com. Follow @NFLStroud