NFC Game Of The Week
Tampa Bay Buccaneers at New Orleans Saints
Bucs: After the off-season they had with Bruce Arians stepping down as the head coach and into a position with the front office and the legendary Quarterback announcing he was unretiring, it was time to focus on the one thing that mattered the most and that’s football. Sunday night against the Cowboys was the best I’ve seen them look in a while. Yes, I know they won the division last year and won a playoff game as well, but they were dominant as they were in week one. For starters, the offensive line which entered with many questions did a good job for the most part protecting Tom Brady. Also, the offense was balanced and Tom connected with his receivers. Even in year 23, he still has that zip on the ball when he throws it. If you notice, the Buccaneers made sure to add to the Wide Receiver room by signing veterans Russell Gage Jr and Julio Jones. This was necessary because after Chris Godwin got hurt last year and the Antonio Brown episode took place, they were thin at the position. The defense was excellent against the Cowboys. They were disciplined, swarmed to the football, and held the Dallas offense to just a field goal. I believe Tampa has the best group of Linebackers in the league with Devin White, Shaq Barrett, and Lavonta David. On Sunday, the Bucs will travel to New Orleans for a divisional tilt.
Saints: They did get the win in a wild week one. I’ll give them that much and give credit where it’s due. I didn’t like the way they looked for most of the game. I understand the saying, it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish and they were able to erase a 16-point lead on the Atlanta Falcons (How many times have we spoken about them blowing a lead?) Anyway, Jameis Winston looked rusty in the beginning as he was expected to because he hadn’t played football in under a year after tearing his ACL last season. When the 4th quarter came around, that’s when he began to click and connect with his Wide Receivers. I’m high on the New Orleans Saints this season. People tend to forget before Jameis got hurt last year, they were 5-2 after 7 games. I’ll also say they would’ve made the playoffs if he never went down. There were flashes of Michael Thomas on Sunday. He’s struggled to remain on the field because of numerous injuries. With a healthy group on the field, this is a playoff team in my opinion. They return home for their opener on Sunday against a team they’ve done well against.
Bucs X-Factor: Julio Jones– During the game on Sunday, I said he doesn’t need to be the guy he was in Atlanta. Stay healthy, get your reps, make catches, and most importantly, earn the trust of the quarterback because he won’t get you the football unless you’re sure-handed and reliable. Julio made his Bucs debut on Sunday and caught 3 passes for 69 yards. With Chris Godwin out for a few games, Julio will have his number called upon by Tom.
Saints X-Factor: Tyrann Mathieu- He is the closest thing I’ve seen to Troy Polamalu. Tyrann is that safety that does everything you ask of him. He plays back and covers the ground in coverage, tackles in the open field and he’s always hovering around the line of scrimmage. This is a player the Bucs must circle in on and know where he is at on the field at all times. Tyrann is a menace and will find ways to wreck the opposing offense’s game plan.
Final Thoughts: Well, here we go! Since Tom signed with Tampa Bay in 2020, he’s played the Saints a total of 5 times and has a record of 1-4 against them. The Saints have always made life difficult for him. Especially with their defense because they have that formula to attack Brady which is a strong defensive line, linebackers that can take away the middle and confuse him, then the secondary in the backend that can cover. The Saints’ front 7 will attack this Tampa offensive line in ways that the Cowboys didn’t. For Tampa, run the football and throw the Saints’ defense completely off. New Orleans had trouble stopping the run against Atlanta in week one. The Saints’ offensive line can be vulnerable at times. Todd Bowles must exploit that which can force Jameis into making a mistake with the ball. Not allowing Jameis to get comfortable will be key.
Prediction: Bucs 24, Saints 19
