Game Overview ::
By papy324 >>
- The most notable injuries for the Bucs are RB Bucky Irving LP with a shoulder, TE Cade Otton DNP with a knee, and TE Payne Durham DNP with a quad.
- The most notable injuries for the Saints are QB Derek Carr DNP with a hand, RB Alvin Kamara DNP with a groin, RB Kendre Miller DNP with a concussion, TE Juwan Johnson LP with a knee, WR Marquez Valdes-Scantling LP with a chest, and WR Chris Olave FP with a head.
- The Bucs will treat this like a playoff game and the Saints would rather not have to play this game.
- The Saints have been respectable against the pass and terrible against the run but it makes sense for Tampa to take it as easy on Bucky Irving.
- The Bucs primary offensive pieces all saw price increases and might have trouble reaching their ceiling in a blowout.
- The Saints are helmed by Spencer Rattler and haven’t been able to go anywhere on offense.
- Jamaal Williams is likely to get the start at RB for the Saints and he has a brutal matchup against a strong Bucs run defense.
- Juwan Johnson and Foster Moreau are both cheap and have been the only way Rattler has found any success over the past two weeks.
How tampa bay Will Try To Win ::
The 9-7 Bucs come into Week 18 with one of the simplest playoff scenarios in the league. Win and they take the division, lose and they’re vulnerable to the Falcons equaling their record and advancing on a head-to-head tiebreaker. With all three of the wild cards in the NFC already accounted for and the Falcons being big (-8) home favorites against the Panthers, this game is really the first week of the playoffs for the Bucs. A play-in game in Week 18 must be an exciting outcome for a team that was generally expected to finish third in the division early in the season. Baker Mayfield deserves a lot of the credit as he has the Bucs offense humming (7th in Passing DVOA). It’s scary to think how good this offense might have been if everyone had stayed healthy as Chris Godwin, Mike Evans, Cade Otton, and Jalen McMillan missed significant time this year. The Bucs offense line has also been excellent (4th ranked by PFF), having held their position in the top five of the rankings for most of the season. Tristan Wirfs continues to be one of the best LT tackles in football and the improvement of second year guard Cody Mauch has elevated the unit to elite pass blocking status. Offensive Coordinator Liam Coen has also looked good, after spending most of the past five years between the Rams and Kentucky. The Bucs have reason to believe the future is bright.
The Saints have been respectable against the pass (14th in DVOA) and smashed on the ground (31st in DVOA). “The Saints can’t tackle!” is something that frequently rings down my hallways on Sunday afternoons and anyone who has watched the Saints this year can tell you what a difficult time they’ve had getting running backs on the ground. The Bucs offense has been pass leaning (9th in PROE), but their PROE value is interestingly exactly 0%. That means the Bucs play calling is in line with their situation, which speaks to the intelligent approach of Coen. This matchup favors the run and with the Saints offense not expected to pose much of a threat, it would make sense to try and win on the ground, before taking a lot of risks through the air. Coen has shown that he is willing to attack in whatever manner it takes to win, so should the Saints somehow end up with a lead, he won’t hesitate to throw, but the Bucs game plan, in general, is likely to start on the ground. Expect a typical balanced Bucs attack, with them likely to run more than usual because of the matchup and game script.
You must be logged in to view collective notes about a game.
You must be logged in to add notes about a game.