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Week 16 Preview: Saints vs. Buccaneers- Round 2

By Irvin Palacios

Dec 11, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) leaps for first down against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 11, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) leaps for first down against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the first half at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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Saints versus the Buccaneers, Round 2. The first round between these two was not what everyone expected. As the season comes to a close, both teams are mathematically eligible to make the playoffs.

Kickoff: Saturday, 4:25 p.m. ET, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome

TV: FOX

Week 15 Recap:

Saints pull out a shootout win over the Cardinals. Brees gets back to form throwing for 389 yards and 4 touchdowns. Cooks comes out of the game with 186 yards and two touchdowns. The Saints were able to create some big holes in this tough Arizona defense. Ultimately, this game came down to which defense was going to stop the offense and break the opposing team’s momentum. Surprisingly it was the Saints’ defense, when Vonn Bell forced a fumble which was recovered by Ken Crawley, late in the fourth quarter.

Tampa Bay went into AT&T stadium to face the Dallas Cowboys. The Buccaneers came out with a loss in a close game. Four turnovers were the nail in the coffin for the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay had a chance to take the lead in the fourth quarter, but a lack of time outs forced Winston to make aggressive plays which only lead to another turnover. The loss broke Tampa’s five game winning streak and they now head to face the Saints once again.

Last Meeting:

Saints are looking for revenge after losing to Tampa Bay just over a week ago. Since the last meeting between these two ended in an uncharacteristic defensive battle between the two teams. The Buccaneers were able to beat the Saints 16-11. Don’t expect this week to be an offensive struggle for either of these two teams.

The Saints have won three out of the last five meetings against Tampa Bay, but have only won one game out of the last 3 meetings. Despite these recent losses by the Saints, they still hold the all-time series lead 30-19.

What to Watch for:

Dec 18, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas (13) catches a touchdown against Arizona Cardinals cornerback Brandon Williams (13) in the fourth quarter at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Saints defeated the Cardinals 48-41. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 18, 2016; Glendale, AZ, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas (13) catches a touchdown against Arizona Cardinals cornerback Brandon Williams (13) in the fourth quarter at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Saints defeated the Cardinals 48-41. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Michael Thomas – Thomas did not play against the Buccaneers two weeks ago, he could be the “X” factor for the Saints offense this week. Thomas had a commendable week against a top ranked defense, in Arizona. He had seven receptions for 52 yards and one touchdown. Saints will be playing at home in the Superdome, which means weather is a non-factor in this game. Having all of the Saints’ offensive weapons available this week help the Saints score more points than in their last meeting.

Saints’ Defense – A major weakness in the Saints’ defense is their inability to get off the field on third downs. They allowed 41.5% of third down conversions this season. They were pushed to their limit last week against the Cardinals, and this being a short week, we might see the defense struggle yet again to get off the field on third downs.

Playoff Implications:

While the Saints still have a mathematical chance to get into the playoffs, the Saints should embrace their role as “spoilers” for the rest of the season. A win for the Saints would, unfortunately, clinch the NFC South for the Falcons. A win would also put Tampa Bay in the hot seat, for it forces Tampa Bay to win their last game if they have any hope for the playoffs. A loss for the Saints would eliminate them mathematically.

Prediction:

Saints win this game 35-28.

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