OWINGS MILLS, Md. (AP)—Ray Lewis(notes) usually helps the Baltimore Ravens win by
yelling in the huddle, setting the defense and chasing down the guy with the
football.

Lately, the 12-time Pro Bowl middle linebacker has been forced to play the
role of cheerleader and sideline coach.

And he’s getting pretty darn tired of it.

The 36-year-old Lewis has missed Baltimore’s past two games with an injured
right toe. He was held out of practice Wednesday, but hopes to be back in action
Sunday when the Ravens (8-3) face the Cleveland Browns (4-7).

“There is not even a question, I want to be out there with my teammates,”
Lewis said. “As a leader it is hard to watch your team go out there and
compete, but I can’t be selfish. I didn’t want to push it and play if I wasn’t
100 percent.”

So, while the Ravens were battling against Cincinnati and San Francisco,
Lewis watched from the sideline. Before this injury, he started in 57 straight
games and was factor in just about every one of them.

“Even though I wasn’t physically out there the last two games, I was with
my teammates the whole time cheering them on and in their ears every time I saw
something that might help,” Lewis said. “I’m doing everything I can to get
back and help this team get where we want to go.”

The Ravens proved they can win without Lewis by defeating the Bengals and
49ers, but Baltimore is clearly better with him in the middle of the defense.

“Even pregame, he motivates us and gives us what we need,” Ravens outside
linebacker Paul Kruger(notes) said. “I think we just need to get him back as quickly
as we can. His presence is definitely missed.”

Without Lewis in the huddle, Jameel McClain(notes) has done a fine job of calling
plays and setting the defense. McClain even had eight tackles against the 49ers,
tied with Bernard Pollard(notes) for the team lead.

But he’s no Lewis, and isn’t embarrassed to say so.

“Nobody can be Ray Lewis’ replacement. Ray Lewis is someone phenomenal,”
McClain said.

Still, the Ravens have performed remarkably well with McClain in the middle,
and his performance as Lewis’ backup has not gone unnoticed by his teammates.

“I’ve always trusted Jameel,” outside linebacker Terrell Suggs(notes) said. “I
think he’s getting an opportunity to show you all exactly who he is and what he
can do. But we always knew what he can do.”

McClain has played well, but he’s not alone. The Baltimore defense is
comprised mostly of veterans who understand that injuries are part of the game,
and virtually everyone on the unit stepped up against San Francisco, including
Cory Redding(notes) (2 1/2 sacks), Suggs (three sacks) and Haloti Ngata(notes) (two sacks).

“When one of your brothers goes down, you just have to rally around him,
pick him up and let him know, `We’re still going to ride, man,”’ Redding said.
“We’re still going to go out there and do our thing, and play hard. Nothing’s
going to change. Yes, we miss you. We want you back on the field like crazy. But
you know what? We’re still fighting the mission at hand. We cannot dwell on the
situation. If someone is not in the game, you can’t say, `Oh my God, what are we
going to do?’ You have to keep your eyes on the prize, keep pressing forward.”

If all goes well for Lewis this week, he will return Sunday in a game the
Ravens need to win to stay atop the AFC North. The Browns wouldn’t be surprised
at all if No. 52 is back in uniform for the first time since Nov. 13 in Seattle.

“I’m thinking he’s going to play,” Cleveland coach Pat Shurmur said. “I
know he’s a competitor and he wants to be out there and help the team, so my
guess is he’ll play. They have talent and leadership at all levels of the
defense, but he’s obviously the leader of the linebacking corps there. I’m sure
with him in the lineup, it helps them be better. We’re anticipating he’ll be in
there.”

And if Lewis isn’t ready, the Ravens will again hand over the reins to
McClain.

“Without Ray in the huddle we still have to go about the same business as
scheduled,” Redding said. “Seeing Ray for so many years, Jameel knows what to
do. He studies, he prepares, he’s always where he’s supposed to be and makes
plays. That builds confidence among the rest of us, knowing that even though Ray
isn’t in the game, we still have Jameel to come out and lead us.”

With an assist from Lewis on the sideline.

“Ray is still pretty much out there,” Suggs said. “He’s not playing, but
we’re still getting the calls, making adjustments on what he sees. It’s still
standard operating procedure.”

Matt Vensel of The Baltimore Sun wonders if the Ravens should fear the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.

His reason?

The Ravens have a habit of losing to lesser opponents following emotional wins.

Vensel writes how the Browns have a chance to pull off the upset because the defense is the biggest reason why they have been able to hang around in tight games against teams like the Oakland Raiders, Cincinnati Bengals and San Francisco 49ers.

One bright spot for the Browns, who have lost four of their past five games, was the return of “Madden” cover boy Peyton Hillis on Sunday. Hillis had been sidelined for a month and a half with a hamstring injury. In his first game back, he rushed for 65 yards on 19 carries in a 23-20 loss to the Bengals.

Vensel writes how Hillis’ running style could present a challenge for the Ravens defense if linebackers Ray Lewis and Dannell Ellerbe remain on the sidelines this weekend.

More Baltimore Ravens

The Ravens hope to improve offensive line play (Baltimore Sun).

Lee Evans will see more action for the Ravens (Baltimore Sun).

The Ravens need to be patient with Ray Lewis (Baltimore Sun).

It has been more than two weeks since Baltimore Ravens middle linebacker Ray Lewis has played a game because of an injured right toe, but no one needed the break more than the team’s 36-year-old defensive leader.

“The rest part is big,” Ravens coach John Harbaugh said Monday. “I’m hopeful. I think he’s got a real good chance (to play Sunday). We’ll just have to see how it goes.”

But Harbaugh made a point not to make any assurances of Lewis returning to face the Cleveland Browns this weekend.

“Ray is probably the guy that’s the furthest away (from returning), if you’re looking at all the guys,” Harbaugh told the team’s official website. “But then again, you never know. Ray has a sprained toe, a turf toe kind of thing, so those are a little more unpredictable.”

The Ravens (8-3) surprisingly have flourished without Lewis. The defense experienced its ups and downs during a 31-24 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals, but Baltimore had nine sacks and yielded just two field goals in turning back the San Francisco 49ers 16-6 on Thanksgiving.

“They were two huge wins in five days. You can’t say enough about it,” Ravens linebacker Jarret Johnson said. “It’s a tough thing to do. We played a really good game against the Niners, but we’re moving on. We need to get win No. 9, and we’re going to try and get it this week.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Some rivalries take decades to form. For the Cleveland Browns, the Baltimore Ravens, and the circumstances surrounding the two teams’ existence, the rivalry was instantaneous.

This Sunday, that rivalry is renewed as the Ravens visit Cleveland looking to solidify a playoff spot. The Browns would love to play the role of spoiler, a position they’ve often found themselves in recently. Here’s a look back at some of the more memorable games in this short but intense rivalry.

September 26, 1999 – Ravens 17, Browns 10

In this first-ever meeting between the two teams, the Browns played their most competitive game in their brief existence. Ultimately it was two rushing touchdowns by Ravens QB Stoney Case that proved to be the difference in this defensive struggle. Browns RB Terry Kirby provided most of the Browns offense with 126 total yards rushing and receiving.

October 21, 2001 – Browns 24, Ravens 14

It took more than two seasons for the Browns to find a way to beat the Ravens, but when it happened in front of a frenzied hometown Cleveland crowd, it was worth the wait. Three turnovers by the Ravens propelled the Browns to a much-needed win.

Browns QB Tim Couch did just enough against a stingy Baltimore defense, throwing for two touchdowns. When it was over, fans could finally put some demons to rest with the knowledge that their new Browns could actually win against the old Browns.

November 18, 2001 – Browns 27, Ravens 17

What’s better than beating the Ravens once in a season? How about a clean sweep? The Browns took care of business in Baltimore after their first win a month earlier. Again, it was turnovers that proved to be crucial.

Ravens QB Elvis Grbac threw four interceptions – three to Browns CB Anthony Henry and a fourth to Devin Bush that was returned for a touchdown. Tim Couch had a forgettable day as well, throwing three picks, but a late fourth-quarter touchdown sealed the victory.

September 14, 2003 – Ravens 33, Browns 13

This one was memorable for all the wrong reasons. Ravens RB Jamal Lewis ripped off touchdown runs of 63 and 82 yards on his way to a single-game NFL record of 295 rushing yards. Luckily, Adrian Peterson let the Browns off the hook when he broke Lewis’ record in 2007.

Lewis always burned the Browns, averaging 127 yards per game in his career against Cleveland. The Browns strategy for stopping him? They signed him away from Baltimore before the 2007 season, when he helped the Browns rack up their most wins in a season – 10 – since they returned in 1999.

September 12, 2004 – Browns 20, Ravens 3

Season-opening victories have been rare for the Browns since they returned as an expansion team. In fact, this 20-3 win over the Ravens marks the only time the Browns have won their first game of the season since they returned in 1999.

The defense carried the day in this one, sacking Ravens QB Kyle Boller three times and intercepting him twice. Browns QB Jeff Garcia threw for a TD and rushed for another while Browns fans rejoiced in their first and only season-opening victory since the team’s return.

November 18, 2007 – Browns 33, Ravens 30 OT

During the 2007 season, the Browns racked up 10 wins, including two against the Ravens. Perhaps none was more memorable than this overtime victory in Baltimore when kicker Phil Dawson saved the day with a game-tying and game-winning field goal.

The game was a close affair, with the lead changing hands four times. Josh Cribbs racked up over 300 return yards in the game, and safety Brodney Pool returned an interception 100 yards for a score. But it was Dawson’s late-game heroics that proved to be the difference.

Needing a 51-yard field goal to send the game to overtime, Dawson’s attempt was initially ruled no good. But after reviewing the kick, it was determined that the ball actually went through the uprights, bounced off the center support, and came back onto the field. The call was reversed, and the game went to OT, when Dawson was able to nail the game-winner.

The kick marked the last time Cleveland would manage a victory over the Ravens. They’ve lost six straight against Baltimore since this unforgettable win.

OWINGS MILLS – With the emotions of a victorious Harbaugh bowl and a rare sweep of the Pittsburgh Steelers already behind them, the Baltimore Ravens are bracing for a familiar, recurring challenge for the remainder of the season.

How will they handle success after three previous losses to losing teams immediately following big wins?

To earn the elusive home-field advantage granted to the top seed in the AFC, the Ravens will have to take care of business against teams they’re expected to beat.

Only one of the Ravens’ upcoming five opponents sports a winning record, and Baltimore travels to play those emerging Cincinnati Bengals in the season finale after defeating them last week at home.

For the next month, the Ravens (8-3) will square off with teams with losing records starting with the Cleveland Browns next Sunday followed by the winless Indianapolis Colts, the slumping San Diego Chargers and the Browns again.

“It’s an opportunity going forward, it positions us really well,” Harbaugh said. “Now, we have to conquer a game in Cleveland, one that’s been plaguing us all year. You’ve all written about it extensively. It’s a big challenge we have, but we have an opportunity now to get healthy. And that’s what we have to take advantage of in the next couple of days.”

The Ravens are competing with the Steelers to remain atop the AFC North division, and the title would grant them at least one home playoff game.

If the Ravens can finish with a superior record to the New England Patriots and the Steelers, it would ensure playing all of their playoff games at M&T Bank Stadium.

That could provide an easier path to the Super Bowl considering the Ravens have won 16 of their last 17 home games, including a 6-0 mark this season and nine consecutive wins dating back to last year.

“Obviously playing here, we’re pretty tough to beat because we’ve got a great atmosphere the fans created,” quarterback Joe Flacco said. “We haven’t had one since I’ve been here. It would really be beneficial to get one.”

The home-field advantage conversation grew new life after the Ravens’ 16-6 win over the San Francisco 49ers on Thanksgiving.

“Well, it’s probably too early because you have five games left,” Harbaugh said. “But it’s December football, and that’s when you start thinking about things like that. The only thing we need to be focused on is getting healthy, first of all, and the Cleveland Browns.

“That’s something we’ve struggled with on the road, and we have to go conquer that. That’s going to be a really tough task. I know all of our guys are going to focus on that and take care of first things first.”

In order to do so, they’ll need to handle a Cleveland team they swept last year.

With embarrassing losses to the Jacksonville Jaguars and Seattle Seahawks and a setback against the Tennessee Titans, the Ravens have proven that they’re vulnerable against teams they were favored to beat.

That has raised questions about whether the Ravens overlooked teams that were regarded as inferior to them.

“We’ve always had focus,” Pro Bowl outside linebacker Terrell Suggs said. “Sometimes the game or the game plan gets away from us and we’ve given away a few games. As long we always keep the game plan in our grasp and do what we do best, play Ravens football, feed every defense a lot of Rice, I think we’ve got a good chance of making a good run at this thing. When we get away from ourselves, that’s when you never know what’s going to happen.”

Suggs was referencing how the Ravens abandoned the running game and star running back Ray Rice in losses to Seattle, Jacksonville and Tennessee when they fell behind.

However, the Ravens were stubborn with the run against the 49ers’ top-ranked run defense even though Rice finished with just 59 yards on 21 carries. That kept the defense honest and created manageable third-down situations.

The Ravens haven’t played a home playoff game since the 2006 season when they lost to the Indianapolis Colts in the AFC divisional round following a first-round bye.

“That’s key,” Suggs said. “You know when you get home-field advantage you have a good chance of making it to the big dance. I think we have the best fans in the world. We win all of our home games and that’s because it’s loud and because our fans give us the energy, and we want to play well for them.

“We haven’t had a home playoff game since coach has been here. We just want to take it one game at a time, but that’s definitely an overall goal: win the division, get it at home-field.”

Under Harbaugh, the Ravens have gone 8-4 in December games dating back to the 2008 season.

“It’s a long season, and you all know November and December football is tricky,” Suggs said. “You can’t afford to give any away. You have to win the games you’re supposed to win, and try to steal the ones that you aren’t.

“We’re going to enjoy this win and after the long weekend we’re going to come back and get ready for Cleveland. November and December football is very important, and we’re just going to focus on the next point.”

The Pittsburgh Steelers (7-3) got just what they needed to jump back into first place in the AFC North. They beat the Cincinnati Bengals (6-3) on their home field (again) and then watched the Baltimore Ravens (6-3) fall apart (again). Heading into a much-needed bye week, the Steelers are looking down at the rest of the AFC North, holding a half game lead on the two contenders. (The 3-6 Cleveland Browns are out of this race.)

Fending off hungry tigers

The Bengals came into the game as one of the good surprises of the first half of the season. With a tenacious defense and the “Rookie Connection” of QB Andy Dalton(notes) and WR A.J. Green(notes), the Bengals had done enough to win five straight. At 6-2, even their often-disappointed fans might have felt a glimmer of hope. But the Bengals had not played either the Steelers or the Ravens.

The Steelers showed no ill effects from the last second loss at home against the Ravens. The offense took the ball into the end zone on the their first two possessions, displaying their wide array of weapons. Although a tipped ball interception and a revival of the Rookie Connection got the Bengals back into the game, the Steelers did not fold or crumble. They just kept to business. In the third quarter, the Bengals tied the game at 17 when Dalton made a great, under-pressure TD throw to Jermaine Gresham(notes). But the Steelers drove 81 yards on their next possession, and Rashard Mendenhall(notes) scored his second TD of the day, a 9 yard romp that showed a tired defense. The Bengals had four chances to score in the fourth quarter, but punted twice and threw two interceptions. After the last interception, the Steelers earned two first downs and ran out the clock. No last second heroics allowed. The Bengals were not laughable, but they were not in the Steelers’ class either.

Ravens fall flat

The Baltimore Ravens are too psychologically weak to be champions. They crumbled again a week after winning an emotional game against their arch-rivals, the Steelers. In week two, they were whipped by the physical, but mediocre Tennessee Titans. This time, they lost to the lousy Seattle Seahawks. The Ravens signature defense looked average again, letting Marshawn Lynch(notes) run through them for 167 all-purpose yards. Instead of stepping up to control the AFC North, the Ravens let the Steelers back in. The Ravens will now have to fight to keep pace with the Steelers. They own the head-to-head tie-breaker against the Steelers, but they just used up their margin for error.

Now the schedule gets interesting! The AFC North race will be featured even as the Steelers take their Thanksgiving bye week. The Bengals travel to M&T Bank Stadium to face the humiliated Ravens on Sunday, November 20. The winner will keep pace with the Steelers (the Ravens would lead by virtue of their tie-breaker; the Bengals would be behind the Steelers). But the Ravens/Bengals loser will fall off the pace and face a tough uphill battle to make the playoffs. The Steelers don’t play until after Thanksgiving. For now, I will sit back, be thankful for first place, and enjoy the desperate struggle between the Ravens and Bengals. I hope they beat the stuffing out of each other.

Sean Durity is a Terrible Towel twirling Steelers fan living in Atlanta. He grew up cheering the 1970s dynasty and appreciates the organization’s excellence even more as an adult.

More from this contributor:

Preview of the three game gauntlet the Steelers just completed

My pre-training camp predictions had the Steelers at 8-2 at this point. 7-3 is pretty close!

SOURCES

Steelers at Bengals recap, espn.go.com

Ravens at Seahawks recap, espn.go.com

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

Baltimore Ravens 29, Houston Texans 14

BALTIMORE, Maryland — A couple of long passes, Billy Cundiff’s right leg and an efficient performance by the Baltimore defense was enough to give the Ravens another double-digit win at home.

Joe Flacco threw for 305 yards and ran for a score, Cundiff kicked five field goals, and Baltimore pulled away to a 29-14 victory over the short-handed Houston Texans.

The Ravens (4-1) did enough on defense to earn their third straight win and remain in first place in the AFC North. The Pittsburgh Steelers and Cincinnati Bengals are both 4-2 and the Cleveland Browns are 2-3.

Baltimore’s run of nine straight games with a takeaway ended, but the Ravens held Houston scoreless over the final 21 minutes and limited standout running back Arian Foster to 49 yards on 15 attempts.

Flacco had two turnovers, but he also had completions of 51 yards and 56 yards to put Cundiff in position to score. Cundiff connected from 43, 48, 25, 33 and 40 yards to tie a Ravens record for field goals in a game.

Flacco completed 20 of 33 passes and Anquan Boldin had eight catches for 132 yards.

Even though the Texans (3-3) were without wide receiver Andre Johnson and linebacker Mario Williams, they led briefly in the third quarter. Houston trailed only 19-14 until the Ravens went on a 66-yard drive that ended with a 4-yard touchdown run by Ricky Williams with 4:01 left.

Ray Rice ran 23 times for 101 yards to help Baltimore win at home for the 13th time in 14 games. The Ravens are 3-0 at M&T Bank Stadium this season, beating Pittsburgh, the New York Jets and Houston by a combined 98-38.

Matt Schaub went 21 for 37 for 220 yards for the Texans, 0-5 against Baltimore since entering the NFL in 2002.

Rice began the third quarter with an 18-yard run after gaining only 16 yards on eight carries in the first half. That sparked a 47-yard drive to a 48-yard field goal and a 13-7 lead.

Houston moved in front for the only time with a six-play, 80-yard drive. Schaub had completions of 20 yards to Kevin Walter and 16 yards to Foster before throwing a perfect 32-yard touchdown pass to Jacoby Jones, who got behind safety Ed Reed in the end zone.

Baltimore went back ahead on the following series, using a 51-yard pass from Flacco to rookie Torrey Smith to set up a 25-yard field goal and a 16-14 advantage.

After a Houston punt, Flacco found Boldin open down the left sideline for a 56-yard gain, and Cundiff kicked his fourth field goal.

The Texans’ next series ended when safety Bernard Pollard, a former Houston starter, broke up a third-down pass to Foster at the Baltimore 30.

Flacco lost a fumble and threw an interception in the first half, but he also scored a touchdown to help the Ravens take a 10-7 lead.

The Ravens moved 97 yards in 16 plays on their first possession and went up 7-0 on a 1-yard run by Flacco, who went 7 for 8 for 82 yards on the drive. It was the first touchdown against Houston in the opening quarter this season.

Midway through the second quarter, Texans coach Gary Kubiak kept his offense on the field on a fourth-and-1 at the Baltimore 20. Foster was stopped for no gain, but Houston got the ball back when Tim Jamison sacked Flacco, forced a fumble and recovered it at the 17.

Three plays later, Texans guard Wade Smith recovered a fumble by Ben Tate in the end zone.

Late in the half, Cundiff kicked a 43-yard field goal.

New England Patriots 20, Dallas Cowboys 16

FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts — Tom Brady got the offense going just in time to lead the New England Patriots to the winning touchdown in the final minute of a 20-16 win over the Dallas Cowboys.

Brady threw an 8-yard scoring pass to Aaron Hernandez with 22 seconds left and the Patriots’ top-ranked offense overcame the Cowboys’ stingy defense.

Dan Bailey’s 26-yard field goal had broken a 13-13 tie with 5:13 left. Each team ran one series before the Patriots got the ball after a punt with 2:30 remaining. Brady then completed eight of nine passes for 78 yards on an 80-play drive capped by his pass to Hernandez in the middle of the end zone.

New England (5-1) won despite its first two lost fumbles of the season and Brady’s two interceptions. He finished the game 27 of 41 for 289 yards with two touchdowns.

Dallas (2-3) ended a five-game road winning streak after a bye despite coming back from a 13-3 deficit midway through the second quarter. Tony Romo was 27 of 41 for 317 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

Until the final drive, Cowboys defensive coordinator Rob Ryan was headed for his second straight strong game against the Patriots.

He held that job with Cleveland when the Browns beat the Patriots 34-14 last Nov. 7. Since then, the Patriots had scored at least 30 points in 13 consecutive games. That streak ended Sunday, but New England still won.

The regular-season win was Brady’s 20th straight at home and the Patriots 31st in a row at Gillette Stadium.

They took a 3-0 lead on their first possession on a 31-yard field goal by Stephen Gostkowski. It began when Kyle Arrington intercepted a pass that Dez Bryant failed to reach for on a medium-range slant pattern.

The Cowboys tied it on Bailey’s 48-yard field goal after Terence Newman intercepted a pass by Brady that was tipped by defensive end Kenyon Coleman.

New England turned the ball over again on the kickoff after the field goal when Gerald Sensabaugh recovered a fumble by Matthew Slater, the first fumble lost by the Patriots this season. But Dallas gave the ball right back five plays later when Tashard Choice fumbled and Gerard Warren recovered.

The Patriots capitalized with a 26-yard field goal by Gostkowski with 12:07 left in the half for a 6-3 lead. They made it 13-3 on their next possession on a 5-yard touchdown pass from Brady to Wes Welker. Officials ruled initially that Welker had gone out of bounds as he reached the ball out toward the goal line but that was overturned on video review.

That put Brady into eight place in NFL history with 276 touchdown passes, one more than Vinny Testaverde.

Dallas cut the lead to 13-10 at halftime, marching 93 yards on 11 plays to score on Romo’s 1-yard touchdown pass to Witten, the star tight end’s first catch of the game, with 33 seconds left.

The Cowboys tied it on Bailey’s 22-yard field goal with 5:50 remaining in the third quarter.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers 26, New Orleans Saints 20

TAMPA, Florida — The New Orleans Saints lost a game to Tampa Bay and their coach to injury.

Josh Freeman threw for 303 yards and two touchdowns, Earnest Graham rushed for 109 yards in place of injured starter LeGarrette Blount, and Tampa Bay outlasted New Orleans for a 26-20 win.

The win pulled the Bucs (4-2) into a first-place tie with the Saints in the NFC South and snapped New Orleans’ four-game winning streak.

A bad tone was set on the first drive for the Saints when Payton toppled to the ground during a collision with New Orleans tight end Jimmy Graham in the first quarter. Payton got his left leg caught under Graham as he was tackled on the sideline, suffering a torn ligament and a broken bone.

The Saints had a chance to take the lead late, but quarterback Drew Brees was intercepted in the end zone on a fourth-down pass. Brees became the first passer ever with four consecutive 350-yard games, but also threw three interceptions.

New Orleans had four turnovers in the game. Tampa’s defense also held the Saints under 30 points for only the second time this season and shut down New Orleans’ rushing attack.

The Bucs led 23-13 heading into the fourth period until Mark Ingram’s 12-yard run capped a seven-play, 82-yard drive and pulled the Saints to within a field goal.

Tampa pushed it back to 26-20 with a field goal of its own with 7:54 left, opening the door for Saints. But facing a fourth-and-2 on the 4, Brees’ pass was intercepted in the end zone by safety Quincy Black. The Bucs then put the ball in Graham’s hands and were able to run out the clock.

After the collision with Graham, Payton stayed on the ground for several minutes receiving medical attention before being moved to the end of the bench. He coached from there until late in the half when he was carted to the locker room. It was announced at halftime that Payton tore the MCL in the leg and also sustained a fractured tibia. He was not on the sideline the remainder of the game.

The Saints’ first drive of the game also ended with Ingram’s fumble that was scooped up by Tampa’s Da’Quan Bowers and led to a field goal three plays later.

Brees’ touchdown pass to Marques Colston on their next possession briefly put the Saints up 7-3, but there was little to smile about after that as the Bucs reeled off 17 points.

Minus a few misfired throws early, Freeman was spot-on throughout, connecting with Arrelious Benn over the middle for a 65-yard score and later with Preston Parker in traffic from 18 yards.

Brees was intercepted twice in the half, including one off a deflection by Bucs safety Tanard Jackson. He was playing in his first game since being reinstated by NFL after being suspended more than a year for violating league’s substance abuse policy.