3 reasons Drew Brees can beat Tom Brady for a third time
New Orleans Saints defense
The Saints’ defense has been better than we’ve possibly seen since the 1980’s Dome Patrol led by Rickey Jackson, Vaughan Johnson, Pat Swelling, and the late Sam Mills.
These Saints defenders have been fantastic against Tom Brady, causing him to throw 5 of his 12 total interceptions in just two games, including a pick-six by Janoris Jenkins in week 17.
They also held Brady and the offense to just 3 points in week 10, the lowest point total for them all regular season. Saints’ cornerback Marshon Lattimore has also held Bucs WR Mike Evans without a catch against the Saints since 2018.
In the last three meetings between the two, he’s allowed Evans zero catches on two targets in each game, making this one of the most shut down situations in the NFL. Evans is a 1,000-yard receiver this year and scored 13 touchdowns.
Trey Hendrickson, the Saints rising pass rusher with 13.5 sacks this season, sacked Brady 3 times over the two regular-season games. He missed the Saints Wildcard game against the Chicago Bears but has been cleared to play this weekend, making Brady’s life more difficult than he wants it to be.
Brady had 40 touchdowns and 12 interceptions this past season, but the Saints defense held him in check better than any team. The running game has been awful in both matchups as well for the Bucs, being held to a 9-yard rushing leader in the first game.