The Tampa Bay Buccaneers clawed their way to their first win against the Pittsburgh Steelers last week, but to get their season back on track, the Buccaneers will have to win their first divisional game by beating the Saints in New Orleans.
It's a little surprising that neither team has been very good this season, particularly on defense. Lovie Smith's arrival did little to improve the Bucs defense so far. The pass defense is simply awful, and the hallmark turnovers of a Lovie Smith defense have yet to materialize.
The Saints aren't much better, sharing the same 1-3 record as the Bucs. The defense shows no improvement from last season, despite the addition of Pro Bowl safety Jairus Byrd. To make matters worse for New Orleans, the Saints announced Friday that Byrd is out for the rest of the season with a torn lateral meniscus.
Both teams enter Sunday in a vulnerable state, though the Bucs have some momentum behind them after their comeback win over the Pittsburgh Steelers last Sunday. The Saints on the other hand are reeling from a big loss to the Dallas Cowboys.
However, history is on New Orleans' side. The Bucs haven't beaten the Saints since 2010. In the Bucs' past three trips to the Superdome, the Bucs lost by a combined score of 110-33 per Buccaneers.com's Scott Smith.
While the Saints offense isn't as potent as of late, quarterback Drew Brees is still one of the NFL's elite passers, and tight end Jimmy Graham could gash the Bucs in the pass game if they don't get physical with him. The key for the Bucs defense will be the battle in the trenches and will rely on big games from Gerald McCoy and Michael Johnson.
On offense Mike Glennon should start again and could have some success against the Saints' soft pass defense. Vincent Jackson scored the winning touchdown last week, but he may find himself limited by Saints cornerback Keenan Lewis.
A win in New Orleans would signal a true turnaround in Tampa especially given its recent history. The Bucs have to capitalize on a bad Saints team to keep the momentum rolling in Smith's reclamation of Tampa Bay.
//from Bleacher Report http://ift.tt/ZDmcof
via IFTTT October 03, 2014 at 02:18PM
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