Jonathan Vilma returns as Saints win second straight

TAMPA, Fla. -- A chipper Jonathan Vilma gave New Orleans' struggling defense an emotional lift, and Drew Brees did the rest for the suddenly resurgent Saints.

Vilma played Sunday for the first time since a one-season suspension for his role in the Saints' bounty program, finishing with one quarterback hit but no tackles in a 35-28 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

"It's awesome to have him back," receiver Lance Moore said. "To go through the things that he's gone through individually, then to just kind of break through and get a chance to get out there, be with his teammates -- he spoke to us last night, got us all fired up, and we had to come out here and play well."

Though it's debatable how much Vilma impacted the game, the Saints stopped two threats near the end zone in the second half, including the game's final drive to preserve New Orleans' second straight win. Brees continued his stellar play for the Saints (2-4), who try to turn their season around after an 0-4 start.

Brees (377 yards passing, four touchdowns) extended his NFL record for consecutive games with at least one TD pass to 49, and led long scoring drives on four straight possessions to turn a 14-point deficit into a 28-21 halftime lead.

Vilma was very businesslike, answering questions while getting dressed in the New Orleans locker room. He said he wasn't sure how many snaps he played, but that he felt fine and believed he was in good enough condition to play an entire game. The veteran linebacker said he had always believed he'd get an opportunity to play this season.

"Most people didn't, but it was a long, drawn-out process, and for good or bad, it ended up this way and I was able to be back on the field with my teammates. That was a great feeling," Vilma said. "I talked to the team last night. I don't really want to get into it. I think my talk . . . hopefully it worked since we won today."

The New Orleans' defense yielded 513 yards as Josh Freeman threw for a career-high 420 yards and three touchdowns for the Bucs (2-4). Vincent Jackson had seven receptions for 216 yards.

Moore had nine receptions for 121 yards for the Saints, who finished with 458 yards total offense.