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A look at a key player from each AFC East team who needs to show something in offseason sessions:

New York Jets: Perhaps no AFC East player has a brighter spotlight on him this offseason than embattled Jets quarterback Mark Sanchez. Quarterback competitions are always interesting, but quarterback competitions in New York are taken to another level. Sanchez is in a five-way battle with fellow veteran David Garrard, highly touted rookie Geno Smith and backups Greg McElroy and Matt Simms. Sanchez is the incumbent looking to keep his job, which he’s had for four seasons. But Sanchez led the NFL in turnovers the past two seasons, which contributed to back-to-back non-winning seasons in New York. The Jets have treated Sanchez with kid gloves for a majority of his career and have not brought in legit competition before. But first-year general manager John Idzik did not draft Sanchez and has no ties to the 2009 first-round pick. The quarterback derby is wide open. Whoever can learn new offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg’s West Coast system faster this offseason will have the inside track in training camp.

Buffalo Bills: Veteran quarterback Kevin Kolb is in a similar spot to Sanchez. Signed as a free agent, he has a chance to win the starting job but must compete with rookie first-round pick EJ Manuel and veteran Tarvaris Jackson. Kolb has had a lot of ups and downs in stops with the Philadelphia Eagles and Arizona Cardinals. He will get his third opportunity to lead a team, this time under first-year head coach Doug Marrone. The competition is hard to predict. Kolb might be a slight favorite to win Buffalo’s starting job in Week 1 because of his experience. But if Kolb is beaten out by a rookie (Manuel) or a journeyman (Jackson) in training camp, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Bills cut ties with Kolb. A majority of Kolb’s two-year, $13 million contract is incentive based and not guaranteed.

Miami Dolphins: The Dolphins have put veteran cornerback Dimitri Patterson on the hot seat via the draft. Miami drafted two cornerbacks -- Jamar Taylor and Will Davis -- in the second and third rounds, respectively. The rookies will make the 53-man roster, but Patterson’s spot is not guaranteed. The former Cleveland Browns cornerback joined the Dolphins as a late-season waiver claim. Patterson didn’t get to show much in his two games with Miami last season and must really impress the coaching staff this offseason. Otherwise, the Dolphins could release Patterson and save on his $4.6 million salary. Agreeing to take a pay cut also would be an option for Patterson.

New England Patriots: New Patriots running back LeGarrette Blount was added this offseason to a crowded backfield. He was acquired in a draft-day trade with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in exchange for a seventh-round pick and track standout Jeff Demps. Blount joins tailbacks Stevan Ridley, Shane Vereen and return specialist Leon Washington. Blount could add power and a short-yardage threat to New England's offense, which needs both those things. But Blount fell out of favor in Tampa and has had issues in the past. The Patriots took a chance to see whether Blount could turn around his career. But New England also is never afraid to cut players who do not fit.

ESPN Boston’s Mike Reiss reached out to me this morning for a post he was doing on former Tampa Bay and current New England running back LeGarrette Blount. You can read the full product here.

But the last question Reiss asked me brought up a point that’s worthy of a post here. Reiss asked for my thoughts on the close relationship between New England coach Bill Belichick and Tampa Bay coach Greg Schiano.

The following is my answer to Reiss:

“It's pretty fascinating to watch. Coming into the NFL, Schiano talked about how much he respected Belichick and viewed him as his mentor. Turns out, that wasn't just lip service. The admiration seems to run both ways, with Belichick bringing in so many former Rutgers players. I know some of Tampa Bay's coaches were scheduled to meet with New England's staff this week. Supposedly, the purpose was to plan out joint practices during the preseason.

“But, given the relationship of the two head coaches, you have to wonder if this meeting also is a bit of 'think tank.' The AFC East and NFC South teams play each other this year. Belichick isn't going to give Schiano a blueprint of how to beat the Patriots. But it would help Belichick if Schiano and the Bucs can give the Jets, Dolphins and Bills a loss. And it would help Schiano if Belichick and the Patriots can knock off the Falcons, Saints and Panthers.’’

I then played a little quid pro quo and asked Reiss for his thoughts on the relationship between Belichick and Schiano.

“The Belichick-Schiano dynamic reminds me a little bit of Belichick's previous connection with Florida coach Urban Meyer,’’ Reiss said. “Over the years, Belichick has had a few known allies -- Meyer, Nick Saban etc. -- that are 'go-to' guys for him and whose opinions and trust trump most everything else. Schiano is definitely in that category.

“My opinion is that part of it is that Belichick's son, Steven, played for Schiano at Rutgers, which obviously hits close to home, and so Belichick got a real up-close view of how things were done at Rutgers. What he saw was pretty much reflective of how he tries to run his own program. Belichick has said as much, most recently noting that the team's three Rutgers draft picks are probably as ready for the NFL as any prospect in the draft.

“I'm sure there is more to it than that, and in the end, it comes down to trust. I'm not sure Belichick would have traded for Aqib Talib last year if Schiano wasn't on the other end of the trade, giving him information that he felt was genuine and accurate. Ditto for this year's trade for running back LeGarrette Blount. I'm also surprised that the teams are probably going to hold joint practices this preseason (mid-August) because they will be playing a game that counts about one month later. I think that also speaks to how strongly Belichick feels about Schiano.’’

The sixth round is over, except for the compensatory picks that don't involve any NFC South teams, but not without a little wheeling and dealing. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a pair of trades while the round was going on.

The one of note was that they finally traded running back LeGarrette Blount, who never was a favorite of coach Greg Schiano. The Bucs shipped Blount to New England for running back Jeff Demps, a former track star who the Bucs had tried to sign last year. The Bucs also got a seventh-round pick (No. 220) in the deal. Let's take a look at what the NFC South teams did in the sixth round.

At No. 182, the Carolina Panthers took Oregon running back Kenjon Barner. The Panthers are loaded at running back. This move was about special teams. Barner has ability as a return man, an area the Panthers want to upgrade.

At No. 183, the New Orleans Saints took Tarleton State defensive end Rufus Johnson. He’s a project from a small school, but has plenty of upside.

At No. 189, with a pick acquired from Minnesota, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers took Miami running back Mike James. He’ll get a chance to compete for Blount’s former role as Doug Martin's backup.

The New England Patriots had a lot of success trading with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last season. New England acquired starting Aqib Talib midseason for a 2013 draft pick, and Talib quickly became the Patriots’ best corner.

So it wasn’t a shock when New England went back to Tampa Bay on Saturday to pull off another trade. The Patriots acquired big running back LeGarrette Blount from the Buccaneers for a seventh-round draft pick and running back Jeff Demps.

Like Talib, Blount found himself out of favor with the coaching staff in Tampa Bay last season. He rushed for a career-low 151 yards and two touchdowns in 2012. Blount combined for 1,781 yards and 11 touchdowns in his previous two seasons. Blount adds a physical element to New England's rushing attack. He can also help the Patriots in short-yardage situations.

Blount will compete for a roster spot in a deep backfield that includes starter Stevan Ridley and backups Shane Vereen, Leon Washington and James Develin.

We continue our pre-draft rankings of position-group needs with the running backs.

Remember, the earlier the ranking, the greater the need.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: The Bucs are in great shape with Doug Martin as their starting tailback and Erik Lorig as their fullback. The Bucs brought in Brian Leonard to replace D.J. Ware as the third-down back. But this team still could use a workhorse back just in case something happens to Martin. LeGarrette Blount remains on the roster for now, but it sure looks as if the coaching staff doesn’t have much faith in him and he could be traded or released.

Atlanta Falcons: Steven Jackson should be an upgrade over Michael Turner and I expect Jacquizz Rodgers to continue to emerge. But Jackson is not young. The Falcons are in a situation where they might be able to draft a running back (South Carolina’s Marcus Lattimore perhaps?) in the middle rounds and bring him along slowly.

Carolina Panthers: Carolina is overloaded with DeAngelo Williams, Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert in the backfield.

New Orleans Saints: They are even more overloaded than the Panthers with Mark Ingram, Darren Sproles, Chris Ivory and Pierre Thomas. The New York Jets reportedly have shown interest in trading for Ivory.

RISING

Lamar Holmes, Falcons. Don’t rule out the possibility of the Falcons bringing in someone to play right tackle in the draft or as a free agent. But at the moment, Holmes appears to be the player most likely to start at right tackle. Holmes barely played as a rookie. But he was a third-round draft choice last year and the Falcons may believe it’s time to get him on the field.

Doug Martin, Buccaneers. Here’s an early fantasy tip: Draft this guy very early. He had a very strong rookie season and there’s no reason to expect a sophomore slump. In fact, Martin’s numbers should only get better with Pro Bowl guards Davin Joseph and Carl Nicks returning from injuries.

Roman Harper, Saints. New Orleans fans might not want to hear this, but all indications are the Saints are sticking with Harper at strong safety. If they weren’t it’s likely they would have released him by now or at least asked him to take a cut in pay. Only the Saints know what they have planned for Harper. But the fact that he still is around is a pretty good indication that new coordinator Rob Ryan has plans for Harper. That likely means the Saints will let Harper play to his strengths -- helping against the run and being used as a blitzer -- and not being asked to do too much in coverage.

FALLING

LeGarrette Blount, Buccaneers. There have been multiple reports that the Bucs are shopping Blount. But the fact the word is out there and that the Bucs have no apparent plans to give Blount a larger role will make it difficult to trade him. Interested teams may just wait because the Bucs may end up releasing him.

Stephen Nicholas, Falcons. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see the Falcons bring in an outside linebacker fairly early in the draft. Nicholas’ flaws got exposed in the postseason and it might be time to look for an upgrade.

Kealoha Pilares, Joe Adams and Armanti Edwards. The signings of Domenik Hixon and Ted Ginn Jr. show the Panthers can’t be very high on Pilares, Adams or Edwards as receivers or return men. If David Gettis is healthy, Pilares, Adams and Edwards might be battling for one roster spot in training camp.

There might be an ulterior motive to the earlier news about the Tampa Bay Buccaneers giving running back LeGarrette Blount a one-year contract worth $1.75 million.

The Bucs reportedly are shopping Blount for a trade.

While it might not seem to make a lot of sense to sign a player you don’t want to a contract, it’s logical in this case. Had the Bucs placed a first- or second-round tender on a player that was scheduled to become a restricted free agent, other teams wouldn’t have come near Blount. If the Bucs had placed the low tender on Blount, they wouldn’t have been eligible for compensation because Blount was undrafted.

Getting Blount signed to a reasonable contract was the best way to make him attractive to other teams. The deal didn’t include any signing bonus, so the Bucs wouldn’t have any salary-cap implications if they trade Blount.

Tampa Bay might be able to get a middle-round pick in exchange for Blount. If not, he’s not a bad backup to have around in case Doug Martin encounters any injury issues.

Very quietly, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed potential restricted free agent LeGarrette Blount to a one-year contract extension.

The team has announced the move. But a source said Blount will receive $1.25 million in base salary. He also can earn a $350,000 reporting bonus and a $150,000 workout bonus.

Blount rushed for over 1,000 yards as a rookie in 2010 and also was the starting running back in 2011. But, when coach Greg Schiano came in last year, it quickly became obvious he wasn’t enamored with Blount. Schiano immediately talked about the need for Blount to get better with ball security.

When the Bucs drafted Doug Martin in the first round, they talked about how he would be an all-purpose back. That turned out to be true as Martin instantly became the feature back and Blount faded into obscurity. Blount carried only 41 times for 151 yards.

But it’s smart for the Bucs to keep Blount around for at least one more year. He’s young, he’s healthy and he gives the Bucs someone that can step in and handle a lot of carries if Martin gets injured.

We’ve shown you the lists of potential NFC South free agents before. But let’s do it again because there have been some minor moves and the free-agency period is getting ready to start Tuesday.

Here’s the list of potential free agents for all four NFC South teams:

Atlanta Falcons. Tony Gonzalez, Brent Grimes, Sam Baker, William Moore, Will Svitek, Mike Cox, Todd McClure, Luke McCown, Christopher Owens, Mike Peterson, Garrett Reynolds, Lawrence Sidbury and Vance Walker all can become unrestricted free agents. Michael Palmer can become a restricted free agent.

Carolina Panthers. The potential unrestricted free agents are Derek Anderson, Antwan Applewhite, Gary Barnidge, Dwan Edwards, Ben Hartsock, Sherrod Martin, Captain Munnerlyn, Louis Murphy and Mike Pollak. Richie Brockel can become an exclusive-rights free agent. Andre Neblett, Nate Ness and Jason Phillips are scheduled to become restricted free agents.

New Orleans Saints. Jermon Bushrod, Jonathan Casillas, Chase Daniel, Sedrick Ellis, Devery Henderson, Ramon Humber, Elbert Mack, Turk McBride, Will Robinson, Courtney Roby and Scott Shanle can become unrestricted free agents. Brian De La Puente, Justin Drescher, Junior Galette and Chris Ivory are scheduled to become restricted free agents. Eric Olsen and Michael Higgins can become exclusive-rights free agents.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Ronde Barber, Dallas Clark, Michael Bennett, E.J. Biggers, Andrew Economos, Geno Hayes, Roy Miller, Roscoe Parrish, Sammie Stroughter and Jeremy Trueblood can become unrestricted free agents. LeGarrette Blount, Jacob Cutrera, Corvey Irvin and Daniel Te’o-Nesheim are scheduled to become restricted free agents.

Let’s give Michael Turner his props. If he’s not the best running back in the history of the Atlanta Falcons, he certainly is close to that.

Turner is a major reason why the Falcons made the playoffs in four of the past five seasons. He gave the Falcons four wonderful seasons and one mediocre one.

That last part is why the Falcons need to make the cold, hard business decision and give Turner his walking papers sometime between now and the start of free agency. Yeah, it may sound cruel for a guy that’s played so well and been a good teammate, but it clearly is time for a change.

Heck, you can just look back at last season and make a very strong argument that it’s past time for a change. Turner was visibly slower in 2012, and that came in a season when the Falcons limited his playing time.

Turner turned 31 on Wednesday, and I think it’s safe to say he’s not going to get any faster or better. Turner helped get the Falcons to the cusp of being a Super Bowl team, but they’re not going to turn things into a Jerome Bettis farewell tour if they let Turner stick around for the final year of his contract. They'll just stand still, or lose ground.

It’s time for the Falcons to pull the plug for many reasons.

Let’s start where you always should start with this type of situation. Let’s start with the money.

Turner is scheduled to count $8.9 million against the 2013 salary cap. Releasing him would instantly free up $6.4 million.

That would be significant money for a team that’s barely under the salary cap and needs to make efforts to prevent cornerback Brent Grimes, left tackle Sam Baker and strong safety William Moore from walking away as free agents.

Could the Falcons restructure Turner’s contract and make it more cap friendly? Sure, but there’s not much point in that.

That’s where the football part comes in. Atlanta doesn’t run the same offense it did in Turner’s first four seasons. When offensive coordinator Dirk Koetter arrived last offseason, he made the Falcons a pass-first team.

That’s why fans that are screaming for the Falcons to go out and get Steven Jackson, Ahmad Bradshaw or Reggie Bush are missing the mark by a mile -- or at least visions of a 1,000-yard season. They all come with wear and tear, and they all would come with hefty price tags.

In case you haven’t noticed, it’s no longer practical in the NFL to pay huge money to running backs. That’s especially true when you have an offense that’s built around quarterback Matt Ryan and receivers Julio Jones and Roddy White.

The Falcons no longer need a running back that’s going to give them 20 to 25 carries a game and rush for 1,300 yards a season.

What Atlanta needs is someone to work in tandem with Jacquizz Rodgers, who was paired with Turner last season. Rodgers showed he can do a little bit of everything and can do it pretty well. Rodgers might be able to take on an even bigger role next season.

But Rodgers needs someone to share the backfield duties, and I’m not sure third-stringer Jason Snelling will ever be ready to take on a bigger role than he has had.

The best thing the Falcons can do is let Turner walk away (he can contribute somewhere else for a year or two) and go out and get a fresh set of legs for the backfield.

There’s an easy and inexpensive way to do that. It’s called the NFL draft.

Running back is a position where it’s easy to make an instant impact. Just look at what Doug Martin did in Tampa Bay last season. And you don’t have to be a first-round pick like Martin to have sudden success. Look again to Tampa Bay where LeGarrette Blount, who wasn’t even drafted, had a 1,000-yard season in 2010.

Blount might have been a one-hit wonder, but the point is you don’t need to use a first- or second-round pick to get a running back that can help immediately.

Guys such as Oklahoma State’s Joseph Randle, Rutgers’ Jawan Jamison, Stanford’s Stepfan Taylor, Florida’s Mike Gillislee, Michigan State’s Le’Veon Bell, Nevada’s Stefphon Jefferson, Wisconsin’s Montee Ball and UCLA’s Jonathan Franklin will likely be available anytime from the late second round on, a place where salaries aren't that high.

They all have their merits, and each has his flaws. But the Falcons don’t need a perfect running back.

They just need someone that can complement what Rodgers brings to help them take the next step forward, because they’ve gone as far as they can with Turner.

Let’s finish our look at the potential NFC South free agents with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Safety Ronde Barber, tight end Dallas Clark, defensive end Michael Bennett, cornerback E.J. Biggers, long-snapper Andrew Economos, linebacker Geno Hayes, defensive tackle Roy Miller, receiver/return man Roscoe Parrish, receiver Sammie Stroughter and tackle Jeremy Trueblood can become unrestricted free agents. Running back LeGarrette Blount, linebacker Jacob Cutrera, defensive tackle Corvey Irvin and defensive end Daniel Te'o-Nesheim can become restricted free agents.

The good news is the Bucs have enough salary-cap room to bring back any of their own free agents that they want and there likely are several they want to keep.

Let’s start with Barber. He switched from cornerback to safety last season and continued to play at a relatively high level. The common assumption is that the Bucs want Barber back for another season. But it’s unknown at this point if Barber wants to continue playing. If he decides to retire, he needs to let the Bucs know in the next few weeks so they can begin moving in a different direction.

Bennett might be the key player on Tampa Bay’s list of free agents. In his fourth season, Bennett emerged as a decent pass-rusher (nine sacks), despite not having the injured Adrian Clayborn opposite him for most of the season. Tampa Bay has the nucleus for what could become a very good defensive line and that means it is important to re-sign Bennett and Miller.

Clark came in as a free agent last season and gave the team some help at tight end. But he wasn’t the player he was in his prime in Indianapolis and I could see the Bucs looking to bring in another tight end.

Although the Bucs are expected to overhaul the cornerback position, Biggers is one guy they may keep. In an ideal world, Biggers isn’t a guy the Bucs want in a starting role. But he can be decent as a third or fourth cornerback.

Stroughter and Trueblood are underachievers who are likely to walk as free agents.

We’ve done a fair amount of speculating about potential trades in recent days because the NFL’s deadline for trades was scheduled to come at 1 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

Well, if there was a flurry of activity coming in the NFC South, I don’t think Tuesday will be the day. The NFL has just announced the trade deadline has been pushed back 48 hours because of Hurricane Sandy. The NFL office is closed through at least Tuesday due to the storm.

It’s still possible a trade could be agreed to on Monday or Tuesday, but it’s now much more likely that Wednesday or Thursday will be the days we might see some activity. Teams usually like to wait until as close to the deadline as possible, just in case price tags rise at the last minute.

A trio of underused NFC South running backs have been mentioned in speculative reports about possible trades. It’s somewhat logical to speculate that Carolina’s DeAngelo Williams, Tampa Bay’s LeGarrette Blount and New Orleans’ Chris Ivory could be available at the right price.

Williams, Blount and Ivory all have talent that could make them attractive to other teams, if the price is right. But I suspect other teams might be hesitant to take on Williams’ contract. Blount and Ivory could bring a late-round draft pick in return, but the Bucs and Saints might not want to part with running back depth unless they can get a little more in return.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Somewhere, Joe Vitt was watching the New Orleans Saints defeat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 35-28, on Sunday.

Vitt has been an assistant coach in the NFL since 1979. He’s a sharp guy and has been Sean Payton’s right-hand man since 2006.

When Vitt meets the Saints at Louis Armstrong International Airport on Sunday night and becomes their interim head coach again (he held the position in the preseason before serving a six-game suspension), he should greet the team with a simple message.

The Saints need to get back to the same formula they followed the past three seasons when they won a ton of games and made the playoffs three straight times. They need to grab onto Drew Brees’ coattails (and the quarterback has to be better than ever) because there are no miracles coming out of a defense that entered the day ranked No. 32 in the NFL and will probably stay there when the next rankings come out.

That’s the formula the Saints (2-4) used Sunday after quickly falling behind the Buccaneers (2-4).

“We played Saints ball, like we should,’’ running back Pierre Thomas said.

With 5:55 left in the first quarter, the Buccaneers already had a 14-0 lead. That’s when Brees took over the game. The Saints got the ball four more times in the first half. They scored touchdowns on all four drives.

Brees finished the first half with 313 yards, which had him on pace to break Norm Van Brocklin’s 1951 record for passing yards in a game (554).

“We stayed very calm and together,’’ Brees said. “We were just methodical.’’

Methodical is what the New Orleans offense was the last three years. It hadn’t really been that way this season, with some exceptions coming in the victory against San Diego prior to the bye week.

Against the Bucs, Brees looked like the Brees of old. Even without injured tight end Jimmy Graham, Brees completed passes to seven different players and threw touchdowns to four different teammates.

“When you think about who it is, it doesn’t surprise me,’’ said receiver Lance Moore, who led the Saints with nine catches for 121 yards.

It shouldn’t surprise anyone. Brees has carried this team in the past, and if the Saints are going to climb out of the hole they dug with an 0-4 start, he’s going to have to keep doing even more than ever.

Forget all the talk about how the running game is important and how the defense is catching onto coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s scheme. The truth is, if the Saints are going to have any shot at getting back to the playoffs, they need to let Brees throw the heck out of the ball, and they need to score a ton of points.

Spagnuolo’s defense isn’t going to make any dramatic improvements until the offseason -- when the Saints have a chance to add some personnel that’s better suited to his scheme. For now, they’re stuck with a few good individual players and a bunch of others who don’t fit what Spagnuolo’s defense is about.

That’s why Tampa Bay’s Josh Freeman was able to throw for 420 yards and three touchdowns and why the Bucs finished with 513 yards of total offense. That’s why Vincent Jackson had 216 receiving yards.

Speaking of Jackson, he was involved in the one bright moment for the New Orleans defense. Jackson caught a ball that appeared to be tipped by cornerback Patrick Robinson, who fell down, with 4:59 remaining in the third quarter. That left Jackson without a New Orleans defender near him. He gained 95 yards on the play. It was the 96^th yard that was crucial.

Free safety Malcolm Jenkins, who was the deep man in Cover Two on the other side of the field, somehow ran down Jackson, who clearly ran out of steam as he got closer to the end zone.

The Saints then followed with what they repeatedly referred to as a “goal-line stand’’ in the locker room.

“Malcolm Jenkins running down Vincent Jackson to put us on the goal line and then the goal-line stand were about five huge plays right there and it decided the game,’’ said linebacker Jonathan Vilma, who made his debut after spending six weeks on the physically unable to perform list with a knee issue.

But let’s be totally honest here. Although Vilma’s return no doubt provided some emotional lift, whatever he has left physically isn’t going to make New Orleans’ defense much better. The goal-line stand wasn’t the kind of thing you saw from the Steel Curtain or the Purple People Eaters of the 1970s.

In large part, the goal-line stand came about because it looked like Tony Dungy and Mike Shula were back wearing the Bucs’ headsets. With a first-and-goal at the 1-yard line, the Bucs ran LeGarrette Blount straight ahead -- on three consecutive plays.

If Blount is in the backfield and the rest of the offense is lined up tight on the goal line, everyone in the stadium knows what’s coming and any defense -- even the Saints' -- can stop it. The Saints stuffed Blount on all three plays and then forced a scrambling Freeman to run out of bounds for a 4-yard loss on fourth down.

Brees promptly followed that up with a 12-play, 95-yard touchdown drive to put the Saints ahead 35-21. Still, the Bucs came back and scored another touchdown and almost tied it on the final play of the game, but officials ruled receiver Mike Williams stepped out of the end zone before coming back in to catch a Freeman pass.

It just shows the best the Saints can hope for out of their defense is the same thing they got the last couple of years. Maybe one big play or one big stop a game.

Everything else is up to Brees.

TAMPA, Fla. -- Thoughts on the New Orleans Saints’ 35-28 victory against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium:

What it means: The Saints are 2-4, but there still is a glimmer of hope for their season. They now have won two straight games. They also will get assistant head coach Joe Vitt back from his six-game suspension. Interim head coach Aaron Kromer did a decent job in a tough situation, but Vitt’s experience might provide a boost for the Saints. The Bucs fell to 2-4, despite jumping out to an early 14-0 lead. The Bucs could have improved to 3-3 and perhaps turned a corner in their development with a win, but this was proof that the Bucs haven’t arrived yet and that their pass defense, particularly their pass rush, has a long way to go.

Brees’ big day: New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees threw for 377 yards and four touchdowns. At halftime, Brees had 313 passing yards and was on pace to break Norm Van Brocklin’s 1951 regular-season record of 554 yards in a game.

Worst move of the day: With 14:54 left in the fourth quarter and New Orleans leading 28-21, the Saints lined up to attempt a 51-yard field goal. But the drive was given new life when Tampa Bay was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for trying to simulate the snap count. The Saints went on to score a touchdown. Simulating the snap count? Maybe that kind of thing works in college, but it doesn't fly in the NFL.

Opportunity lost: The Bucs caught a break with about six minutes left in the third quarter when New Orleans cornerback Patrick Robinson tipped a Josh Freeman pass, but Tampa Bay’s Vincent Jackson was able to catch it. Robinson fell down and there were no defenders near him. He gained 95 yards, but safety Malcolm Jenkins brought him down at the 1-yard line. The Bucs weren’t able to punch it in on four plays.

Second-worst move of the day: Speaking of what Tampa Bay did in the immediate aftermath of Jackson’s big catch, the Bucs handed the ball to LeGarrette Blount on three straight plays, and he couldn’t get into the end zone against the league’s worst defense. I realize Blount’s a big, power back and you should give him at least one crack at the end zone. But you know what the unofficial coaching handbook says about doing the same thing three times in a row? It’s against it. At some point in those three plays, you need to at least look like you might throw a pass and spread the defense out. The Bucs finally did that on fourth down, but Freeman ended up scrambling out of bounds for a 4-yard loss.

What’s next: The Bucs face a quick turnaround. They’ll play Thursday night at Minnesota. The Saints also will play their next game in prime time. They’ll be at Denver next Sunday night.

Thoughts on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 24-22 loss to the Washington Redskins at Raymond James Stadium:

What it means: The Bucs put out another solid effort, but all it added up to was their third straight loss, all against NFC East opponents. The Bucs are 1-3 and tied with Carolina for second place in the NFC South. They could have moved to 2-2 and sole possession of second place if they had been able to hold on after taking a late lead. But that didn’t happen. This team is doing some good things under Greg Schiano, but the Bucs have yet to put it all together. That’s not unusual with a new coach. It took the Bucs half a season to start grasping things back when Tony Dungy took over and he wound up leading the team through its longest period of consistent success. At least these Bucs are looking better than the Bucs in the first half of Dungy’s first season.

Defense collapses: Tampa Bay’s defense has been the bright spot through most of the first four games. But the defense let the Bucs down when it mattered most on Sunday. After Connor Barth gave the Bucs a 22-21 lead with under two minutes left, Robert Griffin III and the Washington offense were able to march straight down the field to set up Billy Cundiff’s game-winning field goal. The defense didn’t have a great day overall. Griffin threw for 323 yards and Alfred Morris rushed for 113 yards.

Hope for the offense: There finally were some bright spots out of the Tampa Bay offense. Josh Freeman threw for 299 yards and had a particularly good second half to put the Bucs back in the game. Vincent Jackson had six catches for 100 yards. The Bucs also diversified their running game, getting LeGarrette Blount a bit more involved. Blount got six carries and had 17 yards and a touchdown. Doug Martin, who had been getting the vast majority of the carries, had eight carries for 33 yards.

What’s next: The Bucs have a bye next week. Their next game is Oct. 14, at home with Kansas City.