TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Thanks to some unexpected help from a little-known rookie running back, Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints played like Super Bowl contenders again.

Brees threw for 263 yards and three touchdowns in Sunday’s 31-6 rout of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, however Chris Ivory’s 158 yards rushing set the tone for a dominating performance that lifted the Saints into a tie for first place in the NFC South.

“He’s a young back that’s got a lot of talent, still learning his way around this league,” Brees said of the undrafted free agent out of Division II Tiffin, where Ivory transferred from Washington State. “Obviously, he had a huge day.”

New Orleans rebounded from a mistake-filled road loss that dumped them into third place in the division behind Atlanta and Tampa Bay. The Falcons lost at Philadelphia, and the surprising Bucs were trounced at home for the second time in three games.

Tampa Bay (3-2) has beaten Cleveland, Carolina and Cincinnati to match its victory total