The New Orleans Saints were determined not to lose the time of possession battle to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the second time this season.
In Week 14, the Saints hardly had the ball as they ran just 61 offensive plays, their second fewest of the season. With limited opportunities and facing a deficit for nearly the entire game, New Orleans mostly abandoned the run game, attempting just 16 rushes.
In the rematch in Week 16, the Saints started running the ball early and often, tallying 17 rushes in the first half and 31 for the game.