Jonathan Vilma wasn’t supposed to play today. Vilma’s fate was sealed by the Commissioner during the summer. Like his head coach, Vilma was to be suspended for the entire season. But, as the world of the bounty scandal turns, a court order allowed Vima to be active for the Saints game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Vilma practiced during the week and the Saints made it official late Saturday afternoon when they activated Vima from the PUP list.
Today, Vilma played his first game of the season for the Saints playing mostly in nickel situations. Vilma didn’t record a tackle but did make the score sheet with a pass defended that he almost intercepted.
“It was one of those where I tried to not let my emotions get the best of me,” Vilma said. “I didn’t want to put myself in a situation where I was hurting the team by being over excited. It was really a lot to prepare for, so I would much rather focus on the preparation going into the game. Then when I was out there I let my emotions go.”
Drew Brees erased an early 14-0 deficit by throwing 4 touchdown passes in the first half to lead the Saints to a 35-28 victory over the Buccaneers. 
“I am proud of the team for how they kept battling because that’s what we always talk about,” said Saints Offensive Line Running Game Coach Aaron Kromer. “We know we have a good football team and we know we are improving each day.”
Brees passed for 377 yards and completed a touchdown pass to 4 different Saints receivers. Lance Moore had 9 catches for 121 yards and Marques Colston continued his hot play grabbing 7 catches for 73 yards and a touchdown.
Late in the third quarter Saints defensive back Malcolm Jenkins made the hustle play of the season. With the Saints ahead 28-21, and the Buccaneers pinned back at their own 4 yard line, Josh Freeman connected with Vincent Jackson for what appeared to be a 96 yard touchdown pass. Jenkins trailed Jackson by a significant amount when Jackson caught the ball but he never game up on the play and tripped Jackson at the 1 yard line. The Saints defense stopped the Buccaneers four times on the goal line and took the ball back still leading by 7.
90 yards and 5 minutes later Pierre Thomas rushed for a 5 yard touchdown to give the Saints a 14 point lead.
Freeman passed for a career high 420 yards and had 3 touchdown passes in a losing effort for the Buccaneers. Freeman appeared to lead the Buccaneers to within an extra-point of tying the game on it’s last play when he connected with Mike Williams in the back of the end zone. The play was called back because Williams stepped out of the back of the end zone and was the first player to touch the ball.
Vilma didn’t play much against the run, but he did have an impact when the defense was defending the pass. He pressured Freeman on an incompletion that was nearly intercepted by Roman Harper, and got his hands on another pass that he tipped first with his right hand and then his left before it fell incomplete.
“I thought I did a good job,” Vilma said. “I didn’t have any mental errors or mental mistakes. I was able to prepare for the Mike and Will and our nickel package as well. That part is not the hard part. Being able to block things out, especially during the week, is easy. We put in 10-, 12-hour days so it’s easy to get lost in football and the other team and worrying about how to defend them.”
Vilma’s return could wind up being relatively brief. The hearing on the appeal of his season-long suspension is scheduled for Oct. 30. That does gaurentee that Vilma will be in the lineup when the Saints play the Broncos next week on Sunday Night Football.
Former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue has been appointed as arbitrator for Vilma’s appeal.
After the game, Saints interim coach Joe Vitt was allowed to return to the team having fulfilled his six game suspension for his involvement in the bounty scandal. Vitt will coach the team next week and Aaron Kromer will return to his job as the team’s offensive line coach.
Notes:
- Brees extended his NFL record of consecutive games with a touchdown pass to 49
- It was Brees’ 62nd game with at least 300 yards passing tying Brett Favre for third on the all time list
- Last Brees stat, Brees had his 18th game with at least 4 touchdown passes brining him to within 5 of Favre who holds the record with 23
- Saints wide receiver Joe Morgan has only 3 catches this season but 2 of them are for touchdowns
- The Saints again struggled to rush the ball effectively averaging only 3.1 yards a carry
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
