New Orleans Saints vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Breaking Down Saints' Game Plan

The New Orleans Saints were eliminated from playoff contention last weekend, but they still have a game remaining on their 2014 slate and will be looking to finish the season on a positive note this Sunday against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

After starting out with lofty expectations, New Orleans (6-9) has endured a difficult season. Last Sunday, the Saints were knocked out of the race for the NFC South title—and the playoff spot that goes with it—by the Atlanta Falcons.

Atlanta’s decisive 30-14 victory was New Orleans’ fifth straight loss at home, and this week’s trip to Tampa Bay is probably one of the few times in coach Sean Payton’s tenure that his squad will be looking forward to hitting the road.

While the Saints’ 2014 campaign has been disappointing, the Buccaneers’ season has been far worse.

Coach Lovie Smith’s squad only has two victories to its credit, although the Bucs came very close to taking down the Saints in Week 5 in New Orleans before losing 37-31 in overtime.

Thanks to their divisional rivalry, these two clubs are already quite familiar with one another; there isn’t much from a schematic standpoint that should throw either coaching staff for a loop.

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As they attempt to close their season out with a win, Payton and the Saints staff will likely build their offensive game plan around attacking the Buccaneers’ Tampa 2 defense at its weakest point. The Tampa Bay secondary has been torched all season, and the Buccaneers pass defense ranks 26th in the league.

New Orleans’ best option is to aggressively attack the middle of the Buccaneers secondary. Quarterback Drew Brees threw for 371 yards in the Saints’ Week 5 win over Tampa, and there should be opportunities for him to poke holes in the Buccaneers zone with seam routes.

Here, against the Bucs earlier this season, the Saints split Jimmy Graham out wide to the right with Marques Colston on the line of scrimmage next to the left tackle. Wideout Brandin Cooks is split out wide to the far left:

Credit: NFL.com Game Rewind

Kenny Stills, meanwhile, went in motion to the left and lined up to the outside of Colston before the snap, thus crowding the left side and giving Tampa Bay safety Major Wright a lot to think about.

When the ball is snapped, Stills and Colston, both covered by linebackers, run seam routes. Wright, who’s in a deep zone, briefly commits to covering Stills when the Saints wideout appears to gain separation. Brees now has the Bucs safety right where he wants him, as Colston gains a step on Tampa Bay linebacker Dane Fletcher:

Credit: NFL.com Game Rewind

Meanwhile, the other Tampa Bay safety, Mark Barron, is focused on helping out with Graham, who was split out wide on the other side of the field at the bottom of the screen. Barron, like Wright, shades his coverage away from the middle for just a short amount of time:

Credit: NFL.com Game Rewind

With both safeties out of position to help, Brees delivers a timely, accurate strike over the top to Colston for a big 36-yard gain. The Saints signal-caller also has adequate time in the pocket, which hasn’t often been the case throughout the last several weeks:

Credit: NFL.com Game Rewind

Credit: NFL.com Game Rewind

This play is well-designed and flawlessly executed. If the New Orleans offense can pull off some similar plays on Sunday and Mark Ingram can get rolling on the ground, the Saints should be able to put some points on the board.

Defensively, New Orleans has been exposed in almost every way imaginable this season. Last week, the Saints pass rush was nonexistent, while their corners were unable to slow down Atlanta wideout Julio Jones.

While the Buccaneers don’t have a receiver quite the caliber of Jones, they do have a pair of physically imposing targets on the outside. Veteran Vincent Jackson and rookie Mike Evans both stand 6’5”, and while Evans missed the previous encounter between these two teams, Jackson had a huge afternoon against the New Orleans secondary.

While cornerback Keenan Lewis is capable of holding his own against either Tampa Bay receiver, the Saints could be in trouble if defensive coordinator Rob Ryan elects to go with too much single coverage. The safe plan would be for New Orleans to go with a two-deep zone.

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Don’t be shocked, however, if Ryan abandons conventional wisdom in this one and turns his players loose with an aggressive blitz package.

Given that the Saints come in ranked 31st in the league in total defense, the possibility exists that Ryan might not be back in New Orleans next season. With no chance at the playoffs, there’s really no reason for him not to let his players pin their ears back and get after Tampa Bay quarterback Josh McCown.

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There’s also the Saints’ lack of ability to generate pressure with their front four to consider. New Orleans can’t rely on Cam Jordan and Co. getting to McCown with any consistency, and if Ryan wants to put pressure on the Tampa Bay signal-caller, he may as well do what he does best, which is bring the heat.

Look for Ryan to try to inject some energy into his defense by dialing up some unpredictable, exotic blitzes while letting the Saints corners take their chances on the outside with Jackson and Evans. 

The Saints don’t have much to play for in this one, but this Sunday’s contest gives them an opportunity to wash out some of the bitterness of last week’s loss.

If New Orleans can reel off some big plays against the Buccaneers defense while finding ways to generate pressure on McCown, then the Saints could very well end their 2014 season on a positive note.