Saints absorb fourth straight loss in lopsided fashion to Buccaneers

For one quarter Sunday in the Caesars Superdome, the New Orleans Saints were a perfect storm of complementary football: A punt return touchdown and two field goals on special teams, three interceptions on defense and a pair of touchdowns on offense to help erase a 17-0 deficit.

But the other three quarters of storm were nowhere near the same area code.

The Saints’ 51-27 loss to NFC South Division rival Tampa Bay was their fourth straight after opening the season with two wins, and it was the most humbling by a landslide.

New Orleans entered the game minus five starters (quarterback Derek Carr, tight end Taysom Hill, linebacker Pete Werner, safety Will Harris and right guard Cesar Ruiz) and lost receiver Chris Olave and safety Tyrann Mathieu during the game, but the only consolation salvaged was it was one game, and another one quickly will be played Thursday.

OFFENSE: The reasonable expectation was that the offense wouldn’t be totally efficient because rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler was making his first NFL start, the offensive line was starting its fourth center in as many games and the Buccaneers almost certainly would complicate matters with defensive schemes designed to confuse the unit. Much of that was true, as the Saints totaled 303 yards and Rattler was sacked five times and threw two interceptions. He completed 22 of 40 passes for 243 yards in his NFL baptism, and showed the mobility (four carries, 27 yards) that will help him and his team. But he completed 11 of 23 passes for 103 yards and both interceptions in the second half; losing Olave to a concussion on the Saints’ first offensive possession was a huge blow to the unit.