Saints Defense vs. Buccaneers Offense Preview
The 5-2 New Orleans Saints and 6-2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers meet this Sunday in Tampa, with the winner grabbing sole possession of first place in the NFC South. New Orleans defeated Tampa Bay on opening week in the Superdome by a score of 34-23. In that game, the Saints defense registered three sacks and two interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.
New Orleans ranks 8th in total defense, allowing an average of 328 yards per game, but the 28.1 points/game scored against them ranks just 23rd. They are also ranked 22nd in 3rd down defense, and dead last in red-zone defense, allowing opponents to score a touchdown on 83% of their chances inside the 20-yard line and to convert 48% of their 3rd down opportunities. Only six teams have collected less than the 6 turnovers that the Saints forced, with three of those coming in the first week against the Buccaneers.
Sep 13, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Janoris Jenkins (20) defends Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Chris Godwin (14) during the second half at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
New Orleans will face a Tampa Bay offense that ranks 14th in the league with an average of 368 yards per outing, but their 31 points per game is fourth best in the NFL. The Buccaneers have turned the ball over 8 times this season, but have just one in the last three games. They are middle of the pack (17th) in 3rd down conversions but deadly efficient near the goal line, scoring a touchdown on 77% of their trips inside the red zone.
Today we have a look at how the New Orleans defense matches up against the offensive star power of the Tampa Bay offense.
THE PASSING GAME
Nov 5, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore breaks up a touchdown pass thrown to Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Scott Clause/The Daily Advertiser via USA TODAY NETWORK
The Saints rank 17th against the pass, surrendering 238 yards per game, but the 19 touchdown passes thrown against them is the most in the NFL. New Orleans has struggled on the back end, giving up an alarming number of big plays and penalties in the secondary, even against an awful Chicago offense last week.
Miscommunication, bad angles in coverage, and general poor decisions and poor play have haunted a talented group of defensive backs. Cornerbacks Marshon Lattimore and Janoris Jenkins are each capable of shutting down an opponent's best wideout, but both have been erratic this season. New Orleans has gotten poor play from safeties Marcus Williams and Malcolm Jenkins, but improved play from Chauncey Gardner-Johnson. The Saints struggled against tight ends earlier in the year but have fared better since using LBs Demario Davis and Alex Anzalone in coverage against the position.
Sep 13, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) sacks Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) during the second quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY
New Orleans has sacked opposing passers 19 times this year and has pressured quarterbacks consistently. Defensive end Trey Hendrickson leads the team with 5.5 takedowns and 11 QB hits, and Pro Bowler Cam Jordan, Marcus Davenport, and Carl Granderson have added a combined five sacks and 17 pressures from the edge. Coordinator Dennis Allen will aggressively pressure opposing backfields with blitzes and both Demario Davis (2 sacks, 6 pressures) and Malcolm Jenkins (2 sacks) have been extremely effective in that capacity.
Sep 13, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) is pressured by New Orleans Saints defensive tackle David Onyemata (93) during the fourth quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY
Star defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins left last week's win over the Bears with a knee injury, leaving his status for this game in doubt. The Saints have been able to collapse the pass pocket and apply interior pressure with a deep group of tackles beyond Rankins, causing one-on-one blocking on the edge and opening up lanes for blitzers. David Onyemata, who has 3 sacks and 7 pressures, has developed into a Pro Bowl caliber player. Shy Tuttle, Malcom Brown, and undrafted rookie Malcolm Roach don't have any sacks, but all three have gotten effective pressure.
Sep 13, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) throws against the New Orleans Saints during the second half at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY
Tampa Bay has the league's 8th ranked passing attack, averaging 266 yards per game. Quarterback Tom Brady has grasped the offensive system of coach Bruce Arians quickly and has completed 66% of his passes with 20 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions. Better protection from the offensive line than in recent years, and Brady's quick release has caused sack totals to go down to just ten in eight games. Opponents have gotten some interior pressure on the 43-Yr old Brady at times and LT Donovan Smith has been inconsistent throughout his career, but rookie RT Tristan Wirfs looks like a potential star.
Nov 5, 2017; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Marshon Lattimore (23) tackles Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) during the first half of a game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY
Star wideout Chris Godwin has missed the last four games after hand surgery and seems doubtful for this game, but the Buccaneers have plenty of dangerous playmakers without him. Pro Bowl WR Mike Evans leads the team with 30 receptions for 373 yards and 7 touchdowns. He’s caught 65% of his targets, has eclipsed the 100-Yd barrier twice this season, and has at least five receptions in four games. Second-year wideout Scottie Miller has become one of Brady's favorite targets and leads the Bucs in receiving yards with 400 on 25 receptions, scoring twice. Veteran All-Pro WR Antonio Brown will see his first action with Tampa Bay after being signed as a free agent. Brown has seven seasons of over 1,000 yards, six with over 100 catches, knows Arians well from their time together in Pittsburgh, and has a good relationship with Brady.
Sep 13, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints cornerback Janoris Jenkins (20) against Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Rob Gronkowski (87) during the second half at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY
Tight end Rob Gronkowski has been playing at the All-Pro level he displayed for so many years with Brady in New England. Gronkowski has 26 receptions for 321 yards this season and has caught 3 touchdowns in the last three games. Cameron Brate gives the Buccaneers a valuable 1-2 punch at tight end and has caught all of his 10 receptions for 93 yards in the last five weeks. Brady also uses his running backs often as check-down options, distributing 52 receptions to four different backs for a combined 307 yards.
THE RUNNING GAME
Sep 13, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) and linebacker Alex Anzalone (47) and safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson (22) tackle Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones II (27) during the second half at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY
New Orleans ranks third in the league at defending the run, allowing 90 yards per game and 3.6 per attempt. It has been 50 games since the Saints have allowed a 100-Yd rusher and they have held five opponents under 100 yards rushing as a team this season.
New Orleans gets an excellent push at the point of attack from their defensive tackles, often getting penetration into the backfield to alter opposing backs. Linebackers Demario Davis and Alex Anzalone fly to the ball carrier for key stops, and the defense swarms to the play with outstanding effort against the run from their edge players and defensive backs. The Saints are among the league leaders with 38 tackles for loss.
Sep 13, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Ronald Jones II (27) runs against the New Orleans Saints during the first quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY
Tampa Bay's ground game averages 103 yards per game and 4.0 per carry, ranking 23rd in the NFL. They attack defenses with a two-back system of Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones, with rookie Ke'Shawn Vaughn and veteran LeSean McCoy providing quality depth. Jones leads the team with 527 yards and 4 touchdowns, with Fournette adding 225 yards and 2 scores despite missing two games. Jones had three consecutive 100-Yd rushing games last month, but has just a combined 57 yards in the last two contests. Fournette had a 100-Yd outing in Week Two and has picked up 102 combined rushing yards in his last two outings. The Buccaneers have failed to rush for 100 yards as a team in each of the last two games.
New Orleans harassed Tom Brady throughout the game in a 34-23 Week 1 victory, registering 8 pressures, sacking him 3 times, and intercepting him twice. They also stifled Tampa's running game, which picked up 86 yards but averaged just 3.3 yards per carry. Marshon Lattimore had an outstanding game against Mike Evans, holding him to just one catch for 2 yards. Gronkowski's impact was also limited, but he was still getting acclimated to the offense.
Lattimore has played like a Hall of Famer in seven meetings against Evans, holding him to less than 70 yards receiving four times and one or fewer catches three times. He must again play at that level for the defense to have success, but the New Orleans secondary must also contain Antonio Brown and Scott Miller along with tight ends Gronkowski and Brate.
Sep 13, 2020; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive end Trey Hendrickson (91) celebrates after sacking Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) during the second quarter at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
Credit: USA Today Sports
Getting pressure on Brady is crucial, even if they don't sack him. End Cameron Jordan has 14 sacks, 28 QB hits, and 15 tackles for loss in 19 career games against the Buccaneers. Blitzing Brady often is a recipe for disaster, especially with a struggling secondary. So the Saints will look to create disruption inside with their defensive tackles, hoping that will create one-on-one matchups outside for Jordan, Davenport, and Hendrickson. That strategy forced Brady into vital mistakes in an opening day victory between these teams and looks to again be the defensive key to success in this critical divisional rematch.
