Editor: Joe Bryant. Game Recap Contributors: Mike Anderson, Michael Brown, Chris Burtt, J.D. Caldwell, David Dodds, Jim Enochs, Joel Faulhaber, Michael Flynn, Kevin Goldblum, Clayton Gray, Bob Harris, Fred Hebert, Jesse Hilsenrad, Drew Kendall, Jeff Lewis, Joey Matusek, Justin Oliver, Steve Prosapio, David Shick, Cody Smith, Scott Smith, Jeffrey Stout. New Orleans 26 at Tampa Bay 20 WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW New Orleans Saints: RB Deuce McAllister is for real. With the Saints looking to prove they can do without Ricky Williams, McAllister was a huge part of the offense both rushing and receiving. He was the only running back to have a carry for New Orleans. QB Aaron Brooks appears to be worth the new contract. He looked very sharp and in control of the offense. The Saints may not want to throw it 42 times every game, but Brooks looks to be capable if called upon for that. WR Joe Horn is still the primary receiver but it's clear that 1st round pick Dont� Stallworth will be a contributor. For those wondering after Stallworth's TD, yes, he really is THAT fast. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: This may be the Fantasy Football Owner's nightmare team as it's loaded with talent, but they're all sharing the touches equally. QB Brad Johnson is the only player standing out. RBs Michael Pittman and Mike Alstott are sharing time as well as the WR corps of Keyshawn Johnson, Keenan McCardell, and Joe Jurevicius. Brad Johnson certainly appears capable of running Coach Jon Gruden's offense. After the beating he took against the Saint pass rush, whether he's capable of lasting through the entire season may be another question. Johnson was sacked three times but was constantly pressured and hit. Guard Cosey Coleman was injured and first round pick from 2001 Tackle Kenyatta Walker was recently moved to the 2nd team. WR Keenan McCardell couldn't be better suited to working opposite Keyshawn Johnson -- and taking that a step further -- Joe Jurevicius gives Tampa one of the league's most dangerous top-three combos. It's tough to say though if any of the three will emerge enough to be a big producer. WHAT YOU OUGHT TO KNOW New Orleans Saints QB: Brooks looked comfortable and in control completing 24 of 42 for 260 yards and 2 TDs with 1 Interception. He spread the ball around to 8 different receivers although it's clear that he has the most faith in Joe Horn. Brooks continues to be elusive in the pocket. RB: Exactly what the Saints hoped to see from McAllister. He rushed for 109 yards on 31 carries and was the only Saint RB to carry the ball. He also caught 4 passes for 12 yards. If you're looking for a RB that won't have to share time, McAllister seems to be the man. He was steady all day with the longest run being 14 yards. At halftime, he had 57 yards on 17 carries. A very solid performance. Durability has been questioned, but with games like this, we're about to find out. WR: Joe Horn is clearly the go to guy. He totaled 8 receptions for 108 yards but missed out on any TDs. He seemed to benefit from the presence of rookie WR Dont� Stallworth on the other side. Dont� Stallworth had an uneven training camp and was limited by injuries but he looked plenty healthy ripping across the field for his 41 yard TD. He's still a rookie and will have plenty to learn but the 13th overall pick in this year's draft looks like a player. His size and speed create matchup problems TE: David Sloan caught 1 pass for 12 yards. This team has an awful lot of weapons and unfortunately, not enough passes and carries to go around. Boo Williams caught just one pass for 32 yards but he made it count with a TD. PK: John Carney was a perfect 2 for 2. Rush Defense: Very effective in holding Pittman and Alstott to 61 yards rushing total. Tough to say for certain as the Bucs passed so much but this looks to be a very solid unit. Pass Defense: Tremendous pressure applied for most of the game to Tampa's Brad Johnson. They recorded 3 sacks but that doesn't do justice to the pressure that was applied. Johnson took a beating under a fierce pass rush. Corner back Fred Thomas broke his hand in several places and will have surgery Monday. /**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/**/** Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB: Brad Johnson looked good running Jon Gruden's offense. He stood in and took hits while throwing 28 for 52 and 278 yards. That's a lot of passes. He was able to score 2 TDs while throwing no Interceptions so statistically, it was a strong outing. He spread the ball around incredibly evenly with Alstott, Pittman, Jurevicius, McCardell and Johnson all catching at least 4 passes but none of them catching more than 6. Good news for Brad Johnson, probably not so good for picking a FF receiver out of that bunch. RB: Michael Pittman ran hard and showed a burst at times but with just 12 rushes, he could never get into a rhythm. He shared carries with Alstott. When your QB throws 52 times, there's not a lot of carries to share. He caught 5 passes for 31 yards. Mike Alstott rushed 4 times for 48 yards and was his usual self. Alstott hauled in 4 passes for 48 yards. Together, these guys make a fine real life RB tandem but for now, it's ugly for Fantasy Football owners. WR: Keyshawn Johnson continued his aversion to the endzone as he was the only one of the 3 WRs not to score. He did lead the team with 76 yards though and was effective. The TDs will come. Keenan McCardell seemed very comfortable opposite Johnson and led with 6 receptions for 63 yards and a TD. You'd have to think his situation will only improve as he gets more acclimated to the surroundings. Joe Jurevicius could be of value in deeper leagues. He was a contributor with 4 catches for 37 yards and a TD. TE: Ken Dilger had 2 receptions. He wasn't a big factor yet in this offense but he's got the potential to be. The question is obviously, who will he steal passes from? PK: Martin Grammatica was exceptionally cool kicking the game tying 40 yard FG as the clock ticked down in regulation. He made a 52 yarder but did miss 2 other FG attempts. Rush Defense: Deuce McAllister just wore them down all day. It wasn't the big hitting 40 yard at a chunk type plays, but rather a continual grinding rush attack that was effective. McAllister's 109 yards were all the rushing yards gained though outside of Aaron Brooks, so it's not as bad as it might look. Pass Defense: Hard hitting safety John Lynch missed a little time with hamstring cramps but returned. They gave up 260 yards to Aaron Brooks and seemed vulnerable to the speed of Joe Horn and Dont� Stallworth.