Saints vs. Buccaneers: Complete Week 17 Preview for Tampa Bay
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will close out one of the most disappointing seasons in franchise history this week, as the division rival New Orleans Saints make the short journey south.
Sunday's game is scheduled to kick off at 1 p.m. from Raymond James Stadium and will be aired on Fox.
Tampa Bay (2-13) will try to avoid going winless at home for just the second time in franchise history and the first time since the team's inaugural season in 1976. The consolation prize should it lose, however? The No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL draft, which some fans would hold far dearer than the team's third victory of the season.
The Saints were eliminated from playoff contention last week, thanks to a disappointing 30-14 loss at the hands of the Atlanta Falcons. New Orleans will miss the postseason despite ranking No. 1 in the NFL in total yards per game on offense.
Though many might see the advantage to losing this week for Tampa Bay, head coach Lovie Smith says his thoughts couldn't be more different, per Fred Goodall of the Associated Press, via The Washington Post:
"I've kind of answered that question a few times. I think we're going to end up in good position to get some good players. So to me, that can't even come into the equation. (Against the Packers), even though we didn't play as well, guys fought right up until the end. They weren't thinking about that pick or anything like that. This week we're going to do the same thing.
"
Will the Bucs avoid closing out the 2014 season with year another home loss, or will Drew Brees and company end their year on a high note?
Here's everything you need to know heading into this week's game.
Bucs Week 16 Recap
1 of 5
Tampa Bay dropped its seventh home game this season, falling to the Green Bay Packers last week 20-3 in front of a rather cheese-friendly crowd at Raymond James Stadium.
Overcoming some early pressure and a sack-fumble by the Bucs, Aaron Rodgers settled into a rhythm, completing 31 of his 40 passes for 318 yards and a touchdown to lead the Packers to their 11th win of the season. Eddie Lacy added 99 yards on 17 carries for Green Bay, including a 44-yard touchdown run that gave the road team all the points it would need.
A valiant effort on defense by Tampa Bay was undone by a completely inept offense that barely cracked 100 total yards for the day and didn't register a first down until 22 minutes into the game. Josh McCown completed just 12 of his 26 passes for 147 yards and an interception and was sacked a season-high seven times.
Doug Martin led the Bucs with just 17 yards on 10 carries, while Vincent Jackson was their leading receiver, catching three passes for 60 yards. Tampa Bay surrendered more sacks than it managed first downs while converting just four of its 14 third-down attempts.
A 43-yard Patrick Murray field goal would keep the Bucs within a score heading into halftime, but that was as close as they would get for the rest of the game. Mason Crosby's second field goal of the game stretched the Packers' lead back to 10 points, and Jordy Nelson's one-yard touchdown catch sealed the victory late in the fourth quarter.
The loss dropped Tampa Bay's record to 2-13 on the season, while Green Bay improved to 11-4 on the year to keep pace with the Detroit Lions in the NFC North race.
News and Notes
2 of 5
Make It Three
Despite being placed on injured reserve two weeks ago, Gerald McCoy was named to his third straight Pro Bowl, tallying 8.5 sacks this year before being shelved with a knee injury.
But ask McCoy, and he'll say he's tired of the Pro Bowl being his only postseason appearance, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times:
"I put a lot of work in, man, and realistically, the individual goals are great but all the work I put in is to be the best for my team. I got drafted here to help win a championship and that's my only reason for working as hard as I do is to help bring a championship to this city. I'm really excited about the future but in doing that, if some individual accolades come along, that's great too.
"
McCoy was the only Buc to be selected after the team's disappointing 2014 campaign, as Lavonte David was snubbed yet again. It's clear McCoy appreciates the honor, but he'd much rather be playing for a bigger prize with the rest of his teammates.
Is Lovie Safe?
It's fairly rare for an NFL head coach to get canned after just one season, but with the expectations so high heading into this year, is it possible Lovie Smith is on the hot seat?
Despite one of the worst seasons in franchise history, ESPN.com's Pat Yasinskas says Smith should be safe for now:
"They can’t be pleased with Smith’s first season, especially after opening the checkbook and being very aggressive in free agency. But the Glazer brothers are smart enough to realize continuity is a must if this team is going to turn the corner. They went through Raheem Morris and Greg Schiano in a very short time.
"
If they were to fire Smith, the Glazers would be starting over again. Despite the record, Smith’s team has shown some progress, mostly on defense.
There's plenty of work to do at One Buc Place, and it'll take more than a season for Smith and general manager Jason Licht to turn things around. Even with potentially a 2-14 record, I don't see any way Smith isn't back for 2015.
Worst Season Ever?
It's no secret that Bucs fans have endured some embarrassing seasons, from losing their first 26 games over their first two years to collapsing from 9-3 to miss the playoffs in Jon Gruden's final year as head coach.
But as Joey Johnston of The Tampa Tribune points out, 2014 will have to rank in the top tier of Tampa Bay seasons that will live in infamy:
"Because of the expectations, some believe this year represents the franchise's lowest-ever moment, quite a claim when you consider Go-For-0, Go-For-Bo, the curse of Doug Williams' departure, a merry-go-round of coaches and quarterbacks, and 22 previous seasons that resulted in double-digit losses.
It's actually an embarrassing debate, because several seasons can lay claim to being the worst-ever in Bucs' history. But even with everything that has gone wrong for Smith's Bucs, it's difficult to top Leeman Bennett's 2-14 Bucs in 1986. That crew probably trumps the inaugural winless effort of 1976, chiefly because it was an expansion team, largely void of expectations.
"
The hope and high expectations of the offseason are what make this year so difficult to swallow for Tampa Bay fans, but there are still plenty of positives to roll into next year. This year was bad, but it wasn't the worst these fans have seen over the years, and they have plenty to build on for 2015.
Injury Report
3 of 5
| Player | Position | Injury Status |
| Mason Foster | LB | Did Not Participate |
| Dashon Goldson | S | Did Not Participate |
| Isaiah Frey | CB | Did Not Participate |
| Bobby Rainey | RB | Full Participant |
| Robert Herron | WR | Did Not Participate |
| Solomon Patton | WR | Full Participation |
*All injury statuses courtesy of Buccaneers.com, based on estimated availability for Thursday's practice (team did not practice due to Christmas holiday)
It's not a long injury list this week, but two defensive starters could miss the final game of the season, which won't help Tampa Bay's chances of slowing down the NFL's top-ranked offense.
Foster (Achilles) tried to make a comeback last week, but it didn't last long. If he can't go again this week, he'll likely be replaced by Dane Fletcher, who struggled against both the run and pass in Tampa Bay's loss to the Packers. Danny Lansanah could see some snaps in the middle as well, should Foster have to sit out.
Goldson (shoulder) could leave the Bucs pretty thin on the back end, as Major Wright is already on injured reserve. Keith Tandy would likely get the start opposite Bradley McDougald if Goldson sits this week, but look for the Bucs to possibly promote Shelton Johnson from the practice squad for depth.
Frey (ankle) and Herron (hip) looked poised to miss this week's game as well, though Friday's practice will tell us a lot about their availability. Rainey (wrist) and Patton (foot) both look like they'll be at full strength this week, so it will be interesting to see who gets first crack at the return duties.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
X-Factor and Matchups to Watch
4 of 5
Bucs Offensive Line vs. Saints Front Seven
Tampa Bay can't run the ball with any consistency and can't give Josh McCown enough time to even think about going through his reads. The offensive line has struggled all year, and injuries proved last week that this team simply doesn't have the depth up front to compete.
Junior Galette and Cameron Jordan have tallied a combined 15 sacks for New Orleans this season, while Tampa Bay allowed a season-high seven sacks against the Packers last week. The Bucs also averaged just over one yard per carry in last week's loss.
It sounds like a broken record at this point, but if the Bucs can't control the line of scrimmage when they have the ball, it's going to be another long day for Tampa Bay fans.
Bucs Pass Rush vs. Drew Brees
Brees has had his issues this season, but he's still captained the league's No. 1 offense this year, averaging over 416 total yards per game.
The Bucs got after Aaron Rodgers early last week and looked like they were setting the right tone for the rest of the game, but they couldn't sustain it, eventually wearing down their secondary and letting Rodgers pick them apart.
If the Bucs want any chance of coming away with a victory in this game, they'll have to get after Brees early and often.
Keenan Lewis vs. Mike Evans
Evans has been every bit the playmaker Tampa Bay hoped he would be, hauling in 11 touchdown passes and needing just a few yards to go over 1,000 in his first NFL season.
But he'll face a tough matchup this week against Lewis, a bigger corner who will do everything he can to match Evans' physicality. Evans hasn't been racking up catches and yards over the past few weeks, but he still seems to find the end zone anyway. Lewis will be the Saints' best bet at shutting him down in the red zone.
Bucs X-Factor of the Week: DE Michael Johnson
Johnson was the spearhead of Tampa Bay's early punch last week against the Packers, drilling Rodgers after a pass and then causing a sack-fumble just minutes later.
But along with the rest of Tampa Bay's front four, Johnson's ability to pressure Rodgers and impact his rhythm disappeared soon after, which allowed the Green Bay quarterback to have his way with the Bucs secondary.
If the Bucs want to keep Brees uncomfortable this week, Johnson will have to lead the charge off the edge once again, and he'll have to bring it for more than just the opening drive this time around.
Prediction
5 of 5
Tampa Bay has the most on the line this week, but only in the form of securing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 draft with a loss. But as I've said all along, don't expect anyone on the Bucs roster to roll over and end the season winless at home.
That being said, last week proved Tampa Bay simply can't hang with one of the league's top offenses if it can't sustain the pass rush or muster any kind of offense whatsoever. It's hard to think things will be much different this week, and it's likely the Bucs will use this game to get a long look at some younger players for next season.
It might not be pretty for either side, but I don't see the Bucs hanging with Drew Brees in another shootout like they did earlier this season. Even if they improve from last week's horrible offensive performance, it won't be enough to beat the Saints.
Prediction: Saints 24, Bucs 13
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
