New Orleans
Saints

That the one-win Rams were one Hail Mary completion away from a huge upset on the final play sent a message that resonated throughout the Saints' locker room Sunday and Monday. And, they raised some red flags going into Sunday's game with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1-8) in Raymond James Stadium.

The main culprit for the Saints has been turnovers, with the defense's inability to stop the run -- even though they've given up a lot of the yards to three of the game's top backs in Michael Turner, DeAngelo Williams and Steven Jackson -- coming in a close second.

But stopping the turnovers is a top priority for Saints coach Sean Payton and his team this week if they hope to avoid a second straight upset by the Bucs in Raymond James Stadium. In their last home game two weeks ago, they shocked the Green Bay Packers, 38-28.

While the Bucs' defense is not as strong as it has been the last 12 years or so, they still have 16 takeaways this season with 13 interceptions and three fumble recoveries -- which is a major concern for the Saints.

They've given the ball up 13 times in the last four games with seven interceptions and six fumbles and have a total of 19 giveaways in their nine games. They committed three turnovers against the Rams.

As a result of the turnovers Sunday, they ran just 56 plays -- 10 fewer snaps than the Saints had been averaging. That's a considerable number of plays lost for an offense that's as explosive as the Saints and something Payton plans to eliminate fast.

"We'll work on this, we'll continue to work on those aspects," he said. "We'll work on some specific drills with not just the quarterbacks, but the runners, the receivers -- anybody that's involved in touching the football.

"We have to, starting with the coaches, do a better job of not just preaching it but really working on it."

Payton and his team know that it's important to get the turnovers cleaned up because the Saints, starting with the Rams, are playing four road games in a five-week stretch.

"We've been turning the ball over the last few games," said wide receiver Marques Colston. "More often than not that's going to get you beat, but we have been able to pull some close games out here lately. It's something that if we don't get corrected it's going to come back and bite us in the butt."

SERIES HISTORY: 35th regular-season meeting. The Saints lead, 20-14. The teams split the last six games since Sean Payton was hired by New Orleans in 2006. The Saints have won four of seven games played in Raymond James Stadium since the teams joined the NFC South in 2002.

The Saints also won nine games in a row from 1990 to 1991. They took the final two games of the 1990 season then opened the '91 campaign by reeling off seven straight victories.

--The narrow victory over the Rams also did something that had been done only eight previous times in franchise history: clinch a winning season.

They also had winning seasons in 1987 (12-3), 1988 (10-6), 1989 (9-7), 1991 (11-5), 1992 (12-4), 2000 (10-6), 2002 (9-7) and 2006 (10-6).

--The Saints failed to score in the first quarter against the Rams for the second consecutive week, but they got points in the other three. That means they've scored in 31 of 36 quarters played this season.

The only times they have not scored were in the third quarter of games against Buffalo, the New York Jets and Atlanta, and the opening period against Carolina and St. Louis.

--The Saints committed three turnovers against the Rams, giving them 13 in their last four games.

Drew Brees tossed two interceptions, one of which glanced off the hands of tight end Jeremy Shockey, and wide receiver Marques Colston also fumbled out of the end zone. Colston tried to dive over the goal line after a short catch, but free safety Oshiomogho Atogwe jarred the ball loose.

"They were able to take the ball away from us a few times, which is a problem we need to fix quickly," said Brees.

--Drew Brees leads all players in the voting for this year's Pro Bowl, the NFL announced Tuesday. Brees, who has been selected to the Pro Bowl in two of his first three seasons with the Saints, has already amassed 539,228 votes.

Brees leads Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning (532,355) by just more than 6,700 votes and Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (529,319) by almost 10,000 votes.

Saints free safety Darren Sharper, who has seven interceptions, leads the NFC voting at his position with 184,993 votes. Voting will continue at www.NFL.com through Dec. 21.

--Sean Payton, a record-setting quarterback at Eastern Illinois University from 1983-86, was recently named to the Missouri Valley Conference's Silver Anniversary football team.

A two-time All-Gateway Conference first-team selection, Payton was the league's Offensive Player of the Year in 1986 after leading Eastern to the Division I-AA quarterfinals. The Gateway Conference later became the Missouri Valley Conference.

BY THE NUMBERS: 9 -- Players on the Saints' 53-man active roster who were once on their practice squad. Five other members of the current team were also on practice squads of other NFL teams.

QUOTE TO NOTE: "When guys go down, you've got to have somebody else come in and play at a high level. Having that and seeing it at the end of the game and winning with several injuries, guys came in and made a lot of plays. That says a lot about this defense." -- Saints FS Usama Young, on hanging on for a 28-23 win at St. Louis.

Right cornerback Tracy Porter is definitely out of this week's game and probably several more after spraining the medial collateral ligament in his left knee last Sunday. Left cornerback Jabari Greer could miss his second straight game with a left groin injury.

Greer did not practice again Thursday and will be questionable at best when the final injury report is turned in Friday. If he can't go and McAlister, who hasn't played in a game since last October, isn't ready only Randall Gay, Malcolm Jenkins and Leigh Torrence would be available.

They could be helped, however, if free safety Darren Sharper can play against the Bucs after missing last week's game at St. Louis with a sprained right knee. That could free up Usama Young to swing over to cornerback and help if needed.

PLAYER NOTES

--RCB Tracy Porter will likely be sidelined for several weeks as he rehabs a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee, which he sustained in Sunday's game with the St. Louis Rams.

--LCB Jabari Greer, who missed last week's game with a left groin injury, did not practice Thursday and his status for Sunday's game at Tampa Bay was not known.

--RB Reggie Bush, who experienced swelling and soreness in his left knee after last Sunday's game, didn't practice Thursday and coach Sean Payton said his progress would be monitored Friday.

--WR Lance Moore was held out of practice again Thursday because of his sprained left ankle and will likely miss his third straight game Sunday.

--C Jonathan Goodwin, who did not practice Wednesday with ankle soreness, worked on a limited basis Thursday and should play against the Bucs.

--DT Sedrick Ellis, who has missed the last three games with a sprained right knee, worked limited again Thursday but it's still not known if he'll be ready to go Sunday.

--FS Darren Sharper was limited in Thursday's practice for the second straight day as he tries to come back from a sprained left knee that kept him out of last Sunday's game.

--TE David Thomas worked fully Thursday after sitting out Wednesday's practice to rest a sore knee.

GAME PLAN: Only one team has given up more rushing yards this season than the 167.3 yards a game allowed by the Bucs. That's the Buffalo Bills, who were gashed for 222 yards by the Saints in a Week 3 loss. The Saints rank fifth in rushing at 151.1 yards a game on the strength of a three-pronged attack featuring Pierre Thomas, Mike Bell and Reggie Bush, so that would seem to be the way to go -- at least initially with Drew Brees throwing one more interception than touchdown in the last four outings. Defensively, the Saints have had trouble stopping the run lately, but the Bucs have had trouble running it so that could play into the Saints' hands.

MATCHUPS TO WATCH: Saints SS Roman Harper vs. Browns TE Kellen Winslow. Harper is enjoying his best season as a pro with a team-leading 85 tackles, one sack, seven quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles. Harper has also broken up four passes, and his coverage skills will be tested against Winslow, who leads the Bucs with 42 catches for 454 yards and five TDs.

Saints WR Devery Henderson vs. Bucs LCB Aqib Talib. Henderson isn't flashy, but he is having a solid season with 26 catches for 451 yards and a 17.3 average. He's also become more consistent with fewer drops than he has had in the past, so making a few plays against a Bucs defense that allows just 211.9 passing yards a game will be a key for the Saints.

Saints front seven vs. Bucs QB Josh Freeman. The Saints, who have 19 sacks, will definitely try to bring some heat against a rookie making just his third pro start. They caused lots of problems for first-round picks Matthew Stafford and Mark Sanchez earlier this season and will likely try to do the same against Freeman with their pass rush causing him to make a lot of decisions while on the move.

INJURY IMPACT: LCB Jabari Greer did not work again Thursday because of a left groin injury and his status for Sunday's game against Tampa Bay was unknown.

--LCB Randall Gay will likely take Jabari Greer's spot in the lineup for the second straight week if he can't go against the Bucs.

--RCB Tracy Porter will not play against the Bucs because of a sprained left medial collateral ligament.

--RCB Malcolm Jenkins, the Saints' first-round draft pick this spring, will likely start in Tracy Porter's place.