Canal Street Chronicles
The New Orleans Saints are coming off back-to-back losses and have officially been eliminated from the playoffs. While playoffs were a long shot when the season started, getting eliminated a month before they start can always be a morale killer. With just five weeks left in the season, the Saints will look to rack up as much momentum as possible before heading into the offseason, and the best place to start is against a division rival. But if the black and gold want any chance of winning, they have to win these key matchups.
You could make the argument that the Buccaneers have one of the best wide receiver corps in the league. From veterans such as Mike Evans and Chris Godwin Jr, to the breakout of rookie of the year favorite Emeka Egbuka, Baker Mayfield has plenty of weapons to target.
Chris Godwin has only played in four games this season due to injury and has yet to produce as much as we have been used to in the past. The Buccaneers have also opened the 21-day practice window for Mike Evans, making Sunday a possibility for his return. While Egbuka has slowed down from his early-season breakout, reaching 100+ yards just once over the past seven games, he has still shown the ability to make game-changing plays.
With plenty of talent at wide receiver for Tampa Bay, the Saints will need to respond with their young, banged-up secondary. Justin Reid suffered an injury in the loss to the Miami Dolphins, and standout rookie safety Jonas Sanker was absent from Thursday’s practice with a head injury. The Saints’ secondary was solid in their first matchup with the Buccaneers, holding Mayfield to 153 yards, but they will have to be at their best with the potential of Tampa Bay having a fully healthy wide receiver room.
The Saints’ pass rush was the main contributor to stopping Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers’ offense in their first matchup. While New Orleans only got to Mayfield three times for 28 yards, the never-ending pressure made life difficult for the veteran quarterback. Defensive Chase Young led the team in sacks with 1.5 and was making his season debut after suffering an injury ahead of the season opener.
The Saints’ pass rush has remained consistent throughout the season despite the losing streak and is coming off a four-sack day against Tua Tagovailoa and the Dolphins. Cameron Jordan was the highlight of the day, leaving with two sacks, while Bryan Bresee and Chase Young also logged one each. If the Saints’ defense is looking to replicate their performance from Week 8, getting the pass rush going early will be a necessity.
The offensive line struggled to protect the quarterback in their first matchup with the Buccaneers. Tyler Shough and Spencer Rattler were sacked a combined five times, with pass rusher Anthony Nelson having a career...
