LINK

1. Taysom Hill's blocked punt was the catalyst
The biggest play in the game was made by a Saints quarterback. Who would have thought it would be a blocked punt by Taysom Hill that would ignite the Saints? Hill blasted through the middle of the Bucs’ punt protection and blocked Bryan Anger’s punt midway through the third quarter to spark the Saints’ comeback. It was the Saints' second blocked punt of the season and the first blocked punt of Hill’s career. And it couldn’t have come at a more important time as the Saints were struggling mightily on offense. The block energized the Saints and they never looked back after it.

2. The Brees Leap worked again
I don't know what the official success rate is for Drew Brees' leaping sneaks for touchdowns, but I honestly believe it's 100 percent. I can't recall the last time it failed to work. Brees' leaping 1-yard sneak for the go-ahead touchdown converted a gutsy fourth-down call by Sean Payton and gave the Saints the lead for good. Once again, it worked because of Brees' remarkable athletic ability. His ability to take the snap from Max Unger and beat the defense to the punch with a quick leap never ceases to amaze me. It was the fourth rushing touchdown of the season for Brees, a new career high.

3. The pass rush continued to dominate
The Saints took over the game in the second half in large part because their defensive line took over the line of scrimmage. As usual, Cam Jordan led the charge. The veteran end sacked Jameis Winston twice and induced a pair of holding calls on Bucs linemen. Jordan finished with two sacks, two quarterback hits, two tackles for loss and a pass defenses. Jordan now has 12 sacks, one shy of his career-best total from a year ago. Sheldon Rankins added a sack in the fourth quarter to increase his season total to eight, easily a career-best mark.

4. Better late than never for the rushing attack
The Saints tried to establish the run early but couldn’t get much going. They finished the first half with only 3 rushing yards in nine carries. You know it’s bad when fullback Zach Line is your leading rusher in the half and its on a 4-yard carry. This against a Tampa Bay rushing defense that had allowed an average of 160 yards on the ground to their previous three opponents. But whatever Sean Payton said to his team at halftime certainly seemed to work. The Saints rushed for 98 yards in the second half and controlled the game on the ground behind the one-two punch of Mark Ingram (13 carries, 52 yards) and Alvin Kamara (12 carries, 51 yards). Ingram's 17-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter sealed the deal and tied with him with Deuce McAllister atop the club's career touchdown rushing list with 49. He couldn't have asked for a more emphatic way to accomplish the milestone, breaking a handful of tackles and bulldozing over two defenders en route to the end zone. A fitting exclamation point to a dominant second half.

5. The Saints overcame their own mistakes
Brees committed just one turnover in the first 10 games of the season but he’s started to fall victim to the turnover bug in recent weeks. His interception before halftime led to a Tampa Bay touchdown and he lost a fumble on a strip-sack on the Saints’ first series of the second half, but the Bucs failed to capitalize when Cairo Santos missed a 40-yard field-goal attempt. The interception was Brees' third in the past three games, a discouraging trend to say the least.

6. Michael Thomas carried the receiving load -- again
It's beginning to sound like a broken record but Michael Thomas was Brees' go-to man in nearly every critical situation. Time and time again, he found the soft spot in the Buccaneers' zone defense to convert third downs and move the chains. He finished with game-high totals of 11 catches in 13 targets for 98 yards. The rest of the Saints' receiving corps combined for just three receptions for 41 yards. Even with opposing defenses concentrating their coverages on him, Thomas somehow continues to produce. He is well on his way to a second Pro Bowl season.