It’s that time of year again. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will host the New Orleans Saints in one of the best rivalries in the NFL today. Throw the records out and get ready for a heated football game.
For the Bucs, it’s a very important game. They are looking to stay ahead of the Carolina Panthers in the playoff hunt and can actually lock up the division if they win their next three games. In theory, that should start this weekend.
However, it’s never that easy against a division rival. I am expecting the Saints to fight and claw their way through this game and make everything difficult. To walk out with a win the Bucs will have to follow my week fourteen skeleton keys to victory.
Can’t pass on this opportunity
The Saints offense is not good. They have scored the second fewest touchdowns in the NFL and there is really nothing they can do that can stress a defense. It’s a game where Todd Bowles and company should impose their will, much like they did the last time they played.
Part of that is the play off rookie quarterback Tyler Shough. The 26 year old has thrown for just over 1,000 yards with five touchdowns and four interceptions in four starts. His inconsistency has resulted in a sputtering offense overall.
This is the perfect opportunity for Bowles to dial up the pressure. Confuse the young signal caller with exotic looks and simulated pressures and force him to make mistakes. It’s a matchup that should greatly favor the Bucs defense.
Get Up Early
We already know the Saints are a bad team and their 2-10 record reflects that. This means that they are playing from behind most of the time. It’s context that skews the counting stats for their defense.
Technically, the Saints have allowed the 6th fewest passing yards in the NFL. This might lead you to believe that their pass defense is good. Spoiler alert, they aren’t.
Because opponents are often up against the Saints, they are typically running the ball a lot more to run out the clock. This is evident in the fact that they allow the 8th most yards per passing attempt. So when teams are throwing it against them they are doing it with great success.
Don’t let hate fuel the Saints
Despite what fans in New Orleans say, this is a heated rivalry. Games are often competitive and there has been a genuine dislike for each other. I expect that to be the case this week as the Saints attempt to play spoiler.
The Buccaneers can’t let that be the case. They have to take the emotion out of this game early and crush the will of the Saints team. They are a two win team who really has nothing to play for and the Bucs need to make them feel as lost and hopeless as this roster actually is.
This is what you expect a good team to do. Impose their will on an inferior opponent and crush their will. I’m not sure if the Buccaneers are a good team right now, but this game is an important step in becoming the team we all expected them to be this year.
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