5 big questions for previewing Saints vs. Buccaneers
The Divisional Round will be capped with a rematch between the New Orleans Saints and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, with so much on the line for Drew Brees and Tom Brady. While the Saints won both of their regular season meetings handily, this Bucs team has changed quite a bit in the months since their last matchup.
I wanted to get the latest information on what Tampa Bay has been up to, so I swapped a series of questions and answers with Luke Easterling over at Bucs Wire. Here’s what I learned:
The Saints swept this Bucs team in the regular season. What's changed for Tampa Bay from the last time they met?
LE: The chemistry and comfort level on offense. Week 1 was clunky, Week 9 was still a lesson in breaking in fresh faces, but the Bucs seem to have found their groove on that side of the ball in recent weeks. Ever since their bye week, they've been firing on all cylinders, and getting big performances/big plays from just about everybody across the board. The offensive line has been solid, as well. This Saints team is better than any team they've faced in that stretch, though, so this will be a much different test.
Could Tom Brady's troubles with capping drives with touchdowns continue against New Orleans? Why did he struggle in that area last week?
LE: The red-zone concerns are definitely there, but this is an offense that has also been able to counter that with some big plays that have finished in the end zone. You'd obviously prefer to finish every red-zone trip with six points, but as long as the Bucs can rely on Ryan Succop to keep nailing his kicks, and the offense can keep finding the end zone from beyond the 20-yard line, they can still put up enough points to keep this a close game.
Will the loss of Alex Cappa be felt up front, or do the Bucs have enough depth to keep on trucking despite it?
LE: It absolutely will. The Bucs have been stellar up front for much of the year, but depth is not something they have a ton of up front, especially after losing A.Q. Shipley halfway through the season. Stinnie is making his first career start, and that's mostly because Ted Larsen struggled so much after Cappa left the Washington game with the injury. Look for the Bucs to help him out as much as possible with tight ends and backs.
Todd Bowles hasn't had much success against the Saints offense. What X-factor can help his defense find a spark?
LE: This is a pretty simple one to me. Bowles has to play to the strengths of his corners (big, long, physical), as well as the weaknesses of Drew Brees and the Saints' passing game, and that means playing plenty of 2-man (man coverage across the board, with two deep safeties giving help over the top) with lots of press coverage at the line of scrimmage. Tampa Bay has struggled to get pressure on Brees, and the biggest way to help the front seven get home is to disrupt the releases of the receivers, and not let them have easy separation be playing off coverage and sitting in soft zones all game long.
What's your score prediction? Can the Bucs get some payback?
LE: I've been saying all week that I'll believe it when I see it, but I'm gonna turn the tables on myself a little bit, and speak some positive vibes into the universe here. The Bucs haven't been this far in the playoffs since they won the Super Bowl back in 2002, and Brady is just a different beast in the postseason. I think if the Bucs can approach this game correctly on defense, Brady and the Tampa Bay offense is powerful enough to overcome the Saints' fantastic defense. It'll be a heavyweight bout for all four quarters, but I think Brady leads a vintage game-winning drive in the final moments to give the Bucs some revenge. Bucs 27, Saints 24.
1
1
