<span>• Saints QB Drew Brees completed 23 of 32 passes for 343 yards with three touchdown passes and one interception for a 124.9 passer rating. The contest featuring a fourth quarter comeback was Brees' biggest statistical performance in a season opener as he set highs in most categories.
• RB Reggie Bush rushed 14 times for 51 yards and recorded a team-high eight receptions for 112 yards, with a fourth quarter 42-yard touchdown grab on a screen play that put the Saints ahead for good in the contest. This was the third regular season game where Bush reached the century mark in receiving, the most times a Saints rusher has reached that plateau in club history. Bush's total of 163 yards from scrimmage is the second-highest in his career.
• LB Scott Fujita recorded eight tackles (seven solo) to finish second on the club, but his game-saving fourth quarter interception on Tampa Bay's final defensive drive, helped seal the victory for the Saints. The pick was the fourth of Fujita's career, third as a Saints and first since the 2006 campaign.
• Facing off against his former team for the first time as a Saint, K Martin Gramatica booted the 150th field goal of his career with a 34-yarder in the third quarter. Gramatica has made all six field goal attempts and all 11 extra point attempts since joining New Orleans at the end of the 2007 season.
• DE Charles Grant's second quarter sack of Buccaneers QB Jeff Garcia gives him 39.5 for his career, putting him in a tie for tenth place all-time in club records with former Saints DE/DT Bruce Clark.
• WR Devery Henderson's third quarter 84-yard touchdown reception was the longest grab of his five-year NFL career.
• DE Bobby McCray recorded a key sack of Garcia on Tampa Bay's last offensive drive on a first down play in his debut as a Saint.
• Brees and WR David Patten connected on a 39-yard touchdown on a third down play on New Orleans' first drive of the game for the Saints first score of the season.
• In his debut in a Saints uniform, TE Jeremy Shockey recorded six receptions for 54 yards.
• In his debut in a Saints uniform, LB Jonathan Vilma led the Saints with nine tackles (seven solo).
• The Saints defense was particularly effective on stopping the Buccaneers on third down, stopping them on 2-of-12 attempts (17%).
