The Saints remain last in the NFL in total defense and rushing yards allowed, but they are making some progress according to updated NFL stats.
The bleeding has stopped a little as the Saints, who remain on pace to set an NFL single-season record for total yards allowed, have given up fewer than 400 yards in three consecutive games.
The New York Giants finished with 394 total yards in a 52-27 win over the Saints on Sunday, but the Saints, who surrendered more than 400 yards in each of their first 10 games, dropped their average to 436.9 yards a game.
With 5,680 yards allowed so far, the Saints will have to give up no more than 1,112 yards in the final three games — or 370.6 per game — to avoid breaking the record of 6,793 yards by the 1981 Baltimore Colts.
Here are the pertinent numbers for Sunday’s matchup with the Tampa Bay Bucs in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome (NFL rank in parentheses):
SAINTS
Offense: Total yards, 394.2 (3); rushing, 96.1 (26); passing, 298.1 (2); scoring, 26.8 (6).
Defense: Total yards, 436.9 (32); rushing, 152.4 (32); passing, 284.5 (30); scoring, 29.2 (30).
Turnover differential: minus-4 (20); 19 takeaways/23 giveaways.
BUCS
Offense: Total yards, 356.8 (14); rushing, 118.9 (13); passing, 237.9 (13); scoring, 27.2 (5).
Defense: Total yards, 389.8 (29); rushing, 78.2 (1); passing, 311.6 (32); scoring, 23.7 (20).
Turnover differential: plus-12 (t5); 24 takeaways/12 giveaways.
