Heading into New Orleans with high hopes, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell short by a score of 34-23. As expected, given the shortened training camp and lack of preseason, the new look Buccaneers made some sloppy errors in week one. Here is a look at the numbers versus the Saints.
Final Score:
Buccaneers 23, Saints 34
Total Yards:
Buccaneers: 310, Saints: 271
Penalties:
Buccaneers: 9, Saints: 6
Time of Possession:
Buccaneers: 28:37, Saints: 31:23
Turnovers:
Buccaneers: 3, Saints: 0
Game Leaders:
– Tom Brady: 23/36, 239 Yards, 2TD, 2INT
– Drew Brees: 18/30, 160 Yards, 2TD
– Ronald Jones II: 17 ATT, 66 Yards
– Latavius Murray: 15 ATT, 48 Yards
– Chris Godwin: 6 REC, 79 Yards
– Jared Cook: 5 REC, 80 Yards
– Alvin Kamara: 2 total touchdowns
Game Recap:
New Orleans was able to cash in on Tampa Bay’s mistakes, while limiting their own. Tom Brady’s first interception looked like it may have been a communication cross-up with wide receiver Mike Evans. However, his second interception was a poor read that was picked off and returned for a score by Saints cornerback Janoris Jenkins. The third Buccaneers turnover was an awful special teams play that safety Mike Edwards and kickoff returner Jaydon Mickens should probably have just let go out of bounds. These mistakes are all very correctable. Though it stings due to the high anticipation and the heated NFC South rivalry. Look for the Buccaneers to bounce back, they have four favorable games coming up versus the Panthers, Broncos, Chargers, and Bears. It is still very early on in the season, Buccaneer fans. No need to panic or jump ship just yet.
