The New Orleans Saints are entering their first divisional matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, or what’s left of the team. The Saints have suffered a few key injuries, but it’s nothing compared to the Buccaneers. New Orleans has a chance to take advantage and pull off a massive upset. This is a pristine chance to start building momentum.
The initial injury report had 17 Buccaneers listed. This list includes Baker Mayfield (LP, knee), Lavontae David (DNP, knee/rib), Emeka Egbuka (DNP, hamstring), Chris Godwin (DNP, fibula), Bucky Irving (foot/shoulder), Antoine Winfield Jr. (DNP, toe), and many more. They will be extremely shorthanded if they don’t recover by Sunday.
This doesn’t even include the players on injured reserve. Matters become far worse when Mike Evans, Cody Mauch, Calijah Kancy, and Luke Goedeke (plus more) are factored in.
The Saints must take advantage of a hampered Buccaneers team
The 5-2 Buccaneers are coming to New Orleans on Sunday to face the 1-6 Saints. This is a golden opportunity to pull off a huge upset and turn the tides of the season. It won’t be an easy win regardless of the injuries, but the Saints have the talent to do it.
The outcome of the game hinges on Spencer Rattler. Questions about his future will be thrown around depending on his performance. Will we see weeks one through six Rattler or him in week seven? The calls for Tyler Shough will become a lot louder if he doesn’t bounce back.
Regardless of the outcome, the national media will solely talk about the injuries. They will try to diminish the result if the Saints win. However, that doesn’t matter. Any win for Kellen Moore or Rattler is huge. The main goal right now should be to build momentum. A win will do that, even if it’s against some backups.
The story of the week will be the Saints vs. the backup Buccaneers, which isn’t wrong. Tampa Bay has been devastated by injuries. But regardless of who plays, a win is crucial for the Saints. It’s an amazing opportunity to start building momentum for the rest of the year.