Saints vs. Buccaneers: Complete Week 17 Preview for New Orleans
The New Orleans Saints will wrap up their 2014 season on the road this Sunday, when they take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an NFC South matchup.
New Orleans (6-9) would’ve been playing for a playoff spot this weekend had it taken care of business at home last Sunday against its divisional rivals. Unfortunately for the Saints, however, the Atlanta Falcons had a say in the matter, and the visitors handed coach Sean Payton’s squad its fifth straight home loss.
This week, the Saints will attempt to close out their season with a strong performance, and they’ll have a favorable matchup against one of the league’s bottom-feeding teams. The Bucs have limped through a 2-13 season under coach Lovie Smith, although they’ve been highly competitive in some of their losses on multiple occasions.
One of these was in Week 5 against the Saints in New Orleans, when Tampa Bay pushed the home team to overtime before falling 37-31. Saints quarterback Drew Brees tossed three interceptions that afternoon, including one that was returned for a touchdown by Buccaneers linebacker Danny Lansanah.
Despite its inadequacies this season, New Orleans heads into Sunday’s contest with the NFL’s top-ranked offense. The Saints are averaging well over 400 yards per game, and they’ll be looking to exploit a vulnerable Tampa Bay defense that’s been beset with injuries.
Defensively, Payton’s club has endured its own share of injuries this season, particularly in the secondary, while the Saints’ heralded front four has failed to live up to its preseason expectations.
Continue reading for a complete preview of this Week 17 matchup, which kicks off Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
Week 16 Recap
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The Saints went into last week’s rivalry matchup with a lot to play for, but were defeated by the Falcons, 30-14, and eliminated from playoff contention.
New Orleans jumped out to a blazing start, as Jalen Saunders ignited the home crowd with a 99-yard return on the game’s opening kickoff. After Mark Ingram powered into the end zone from a yard out, the Saints held a 7-0 advantage just 20 seconds into the contest.
It was all downhill after that, however, as the New Orleans offense struggled to find any sort of rhythm against Atlanta’s defense, which entered the game ranked last in the league. The Falcons completely shut down the Saints’ running game, while picking off Brees twice in the contest.
On the other side of the ball, Atlanta was somewhat sluggish in the first half, but once quarterback Matt Ryan started to heat up, New Orleans had no answer for him. Ryan spread the ball around to a host of dangerous wideouts, and he finished with 322 passing yards on the day.
His favorite target was wideout Julio Jones, who went over 100 yards receiving, while the Saints' hapless defensive backs struggled to keep up.
While the secondary was torched, New Orleans didn’t get any help from its pass rush, which needed to show up in this one.
Meanwhile, the Saints offensive line turned in a deplorable effort. Brees was sacked five times in the contest, and he was pressured relentlessly by Atlanta’s aggressive front seven.
The Falcons, who led 13-7 at the half, held a 20-7 fourth-quarter lead before Brees found Jimmy Graham for a scoring strike.
Three fourth-quarter turnovers, including two by Brees, doomed the Saints’ chances for a comeback, however, and Atlanta scored an important victory.
News and Notes
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Saints-Bucs Series
Since their first meeting in 1977, these two teams have met 45 times. New Orleans holds a 28-17 advantage in the series, which turned into a divisional rivalry in 2002 when the NFL placed both teams in the NFC South.
The Saints currently hold a six-game winning streak in the series, and they’ll be gunning for their third straight season sweep of the Buccaneers this Sunday.
Tampa Bay last claimed victory in the series in October 2011, when the Bucs upset a solid Saints squad, 26-20, at Raymond James Stadium.
The series has produced some close contests through the years, and it’s been marked by its intense, hard-fought games.
Thomas and Hicks to IR
The Saints will be without two key players in this one. On Friday, Payton announced that running back Pierre Thomas (ribs) and starting defensive end Akiem Hicks (ankle) have both been placed on season-ending injured reserve, according to NewOrleansSaints.com.
Thomas has been a major cog in New Orleans’ top-ranked offense this season. Although not a starter, the eighth-year back has posted some impressive numbers, as he’s heavily contributed to both the passing and rushing attacks. He finishes his season with 45 receptions, 45 rushing attempts and 600 yards of offense to go with three touchdowns.
Hicks, on the other hand, has been a disappointment in 2014. Supremely talented, the athletic 325-pounder has underwhelmed with just two sacks and 42 tackles, despite lofty preseason expectations.
Saints Named to Pro Bowl
This past Tuesday, two Saints were named to the NFL’s 2015 Pro Bowl roster.
Tight end Jimmy Graham was named to his third Pro Bowl, while guard Jahri Evans received his sixth selection.
Despite some nagging injuries, Graham has played in all 15 contests for the Saints this season. His numbers have dipped a bit from last season, but he managed to haul in 79 receptions for 835 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Evans, meanwhile, has become a fixture in the Pro Bowl. His six selections are the second-most in team history for an offensive lineman (Willie Roaf has seven). He started all 15 games for New Orleans this year, but like Graham he didn’t enjoy his finest of seasons in 2014.
Injury Report
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In addition to the aforementioned injuries to Pierre Thomas and Akiem Hicks, the Saints have some other key injuries heading into this week’s contest.
According to NewOrleansSaints.com, starting left tackle Terron Armstead missed Friday’s practice and has been ruled out for Sunday’s game with a neck injury. This will be the second straight game missed by Armstead, and he’ll likely be replaced once again in the lineup by Bryce Harris.
Nose guard John Jenkins also missed practice on Friday with an abdomen injury, and he’s listed as questionable for Sunday.
Right tackle Zach Strief (neck) and safety Jamarca Sanford (hamstring) were both limited in workouts, and both are listed as probable for the game.
To say that the Saints are a banged-up football team would be a gross understatement. With a host of starters and key role players now on injured reserve, Sunday’s game appears to be a great opportunity for Payton and his staff to get a good look at some younger players.
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Matchups to Watch and X-Factor
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Saints Cornerbacks vs. Vincent Jackson and Mike Evans
In these teams’ earlier meeting this season, Bucs receiver Vincent Jackson had a field day with eight catches for 144 yards. He beat multiple New Orleans defensive backs for big gains, and he had some key first-down receptions against Saints No. 1 corner Keenan Lewis.
Absent from the Tampa Bay lineup that day was rookie wideout Mike Evans. The first-round draft pick has enjoyed a fine debut season, and at 6'5," he provides the Bucs with another sizable receiving threat on the outside.
New Orleans cornerbacks Terrence Frederick, Patrick Robinson and Brian Dixon, along with Lewis, will be hard-pressed to keep up with the explosive Tampa Bay duo. The Saints aren’t likely to shut down Jackson and Evans, but if they can limit the pair to minimal production, they’ll have an excellent shot at earning a win on Sunday.
Mark Ingram vs. Lavonte David
Although they were handcuffed by the Falcons last week, the Saints possess an explosive downfield passing attack that places constant pressure on opposing secondaries.
The New Orleans passing game is even more potent, however, when the Saints are able to get Mark Ingram rolling on the ground. The fourth-year back and former first-round pick has enjoyed his best season in a Saints uniform this year, and Payton will likely attempt to get him going early on in this one.
Standing in Ingram’s way will be Tampa Bay linebacker Lavonte David. The third-year man out of Nebraska plays the "Will" spot to near perfection in Lovie Smith’s Tampa 2 defense, and he’s cemented himself as one of the top linebackers in the game this season.
A tackling machine, David has racked up 141 stops in 2014. If he’s able to snuff out Ingram on first and second downs, the Saints offense will become one-dimensional, and the Buccaneer pass-rushers will then be able to pin their ears back and get after Brees.
Saints X-Factor of the Week: Nick Toon
The Saints have been waiting for Nick Toon to come around for some time, and it appears as though the third-year wideout may finally be blossoming into a capable receiver.
After not receiving much playing time throughout the first half of the season, Toon has been a reliable receiving option for the past five games. He’s hauled in 16 receptions for 191 yards and a touchdown, and he’s stepped up his game in a big way since 2014 first-round pick Brandin Cooks was placed on injured reserve.
With Jimmy Graham, Marques Colston and Kenny Stills likely to receive lots of attention from the Tampa Bay secondary, look for Toon to step up and make the most of his opportunities this Sunday.
Prediction
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There's no denying that the Saints have vastly underperformed this season. They've been eliminated from the playoffs, and as far as team accomplishments go, there isn't much to play for on Sunday against the Buccaneers.
The Saints can, however, play for the sake of finishing their season on a positive note with a strong performance. With numerous starters now out with season-ending injuries, New Orleans also has an opportunity to evaluate its young talent, which could be highly beneficial when it comes time for offseason personnel decisions.
As for Tampa Bay, the Buccaneers have been eliminated from playoff discussions for quite some time, and the idea of playing for pride is nothing new to them. The Saints can expect a solid effort from the home team in this one, and Brees and Co. will have to limit their turnovers in what's likely to be a tight contest.
Look for New Orleans to pull this one out with a balanced offensive attack. The Bucs will likely score some points against the Saints makeshift defense, but with Brees, Graham, Ingram and Colston all getting involved, the New Orleans offense will prove too powerful for Tampa Bay's defense to hold in check.
Prediction: Saints 24, Bucs 17
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