It was a tone-setter.

An attitude play.

A signal that the New Orleans Saints had no intention of settling; rather, that their visit to New Era Field was one in which they would endeavor to take control and dictate the narrative.

That's the message that was sent when the Saints, trailing 3-0 after surrendering a field goal to the Bills on the game's opening drive, lined up on fourth-and-1 from Buffalo's 30-yard line with 7:46 left in the first quarter – and called timeout before the play, because it wasn't at all a bluff.

The call was a running play, for Mark Ingram II, and the opening created by the offensive line almost was wide enough for a couple of linemen to have wedged through. Ingram knew exactly what to do with the space; he attacked the hole, made a cut from right to left once he was at the second level of the defense, and rambled for a 25-yard gain to the 5-yard line, dragging Bills safety Jordan Poyer several yards and giving the Saints first-and-goal.

After another Ingram run and a Bills pass interference penalty in the end zone, Ingram bulled into the end zone over left tackle from a yard out for the first of his three rushing touchdowns on Sunday, giving the Saints a 7-3 lead that the Bills never challenged in New Orleans' 47-10 victory.

The tone was set. The rout was on.