The New Orleans Saints lost their division opener, falling 23-3 to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers Sunday at Caesars Superdome. Here are three things we learned in this latest loss. 

Making the switch

You knew Kellen Moore would eventually make the switch. With the season already pretty much down the drain and Spencer Rattler not being able to get the team into the end zone, it was time. Late in the third quarter, Moore gave Tyler Shough his chance. Rattler took care of the ball the first six weeks of the season (just three turnovers), but the last two weeks weren’t kind to him. One week after committing four turnovers against the Bears, he committed two more Sunday. His day included a costly pick-six. So it’s understandable why Moore wanted to see what the No. 40 draft pick could do. It was way too small of a sample size to know what Shough (17 of 30, 128 yards) can do. We’ll get a better idea when he gets a week of practice with a game plan suited for him.

Defense did its part

You really couldn’t have asked for much more from the Saints defense. They held the Buccaneers to just 81 yards in the first half and kept them out of the end zone through the first two quarters. The most impressive sequence came in the second quarter, when the Bucs had first-and-goal from the 1. The Saints stuffed them on four straight running plays and breathed some life into the Dome. Unfortunately, the defense, led by Chase Young, didn’t get much help from its offense. If I told you before the game that the Saints would hold MVP candidate Baker Mayfield to just 152 passing yards, you would’ve liked the Saints’ chances.

Quiet on the set

The Who Dat Nation is clearly frustrated with this season for the Saints, now off to a 1-7 start. There were plenty of empty seats in the Dome on Sunday, particularly in the 600 level. You could hear boos at times when the Saints offense couldn’t move the chains or when there was a penalty flag thrown. With a long road trip to Los Angeles to face the Rams next week, it would be a surprise if the Saints aren’t 1-8 seven days from now. Sunday was just the latest reminder that the Saints are in serious rebuild mode. If you’re a Saints fan, I’d advise you to exercise some serious patience. This might take a while.