Bucs defensive lineman Jimmy Wilkerson all but claimed the Bucs quit in the second half while speaking on the Buccaneers Radio Network after the game.

“I just think we stopped playing consistently,” Wilkerson said. “We were consistent in the first half. We just ran out of gas. We didn’t fill our gaps properly.”

Wilkerson then discovered the elephant in the locker room.

“We practiced on getting pressure on [Saints quarterback Drew Brees],” Wilkerson said. “If we do that, we knew we had a chance.

The Saints, “they figured they didn’t need to pass. If I was in that position, I’d run the ball a lot, too. We have to hold things together and not split apart. We have to come together.”