Saints-Bucs: Stats & Facts in the 2021 NFC Divisional Round
The 2021 NFC Divisional Round contest will be played on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021 at 5:40 PM CT inside of the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Referee Shawn Hocuhuli will be in charge of the game's officiating crew.
The NFL provided a few interesting postseason statistics and facts around the game for the NFC South rivals.
- Sunday's match will be the first postseason game between the two clubs.
- In 2020, versus common opponents, the Bucs' record is 10-2, and Saints is 9-3.
- Both teams won Lombard trophies: Bucs (2002), Saints (2009)
As in the Game of Thrones, "WINTER IS COMING." Well, in the case of quarterbacks Drew Brees and Tom Brady is "OL' MAN WINTER." According to the NFL statistics, "Tampa Bay quarterback TOM BRADY (43 years, 167 days old on Sunday) and New Orleans quarterback DREW BREES (42 years, two days old on Sunday), the two most prolific passers in NFL history, meet in the NFC Divisional playoffs, it will mark the first postseason game in NFL history to feature two opposing starting quarterbacks age 40 or older and their combined age (85 years and 169 days old on Sunday) is the oldest combined age of opposing starting quarterbacks in a single game (regular-season or postseason) in league annals."
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
- SEAN PAYTON has a 9-7 playoff record as head coach of the New Orleans Saints.
- SAINTS clinched 4th-consecutive NFC South division title, the longest streak in franchise and NFC South history.
- SEAN PAYTON led the team to the Super Bowl XLIV title in the 2009 season.
- 5 players were selected to 2021 Pro Bowl roster: T TERRON ARMSTEAD, DE CAMERON JORDAN, RB ALVIN KAMARA, CB MARSHON LATTIMORE & G ANDRUS PEAT.
- SAINTS OFFENSE: ranked 5th in points per game (30.1).
- SAINTS DEFENSE: ranked 4th in total yards allowed per game (310.9) & 5th in points allowed per game (21.1).
- Drew Brees, including postseason, has 85,590 passing yards in his career. #2 behind Tom Brady (90,973 yards).
- Brees, including postseason, has 607 touchdowns in his career. #2 behind Tom Brady (656).
- Brees has 5,232 pass yards (307.8 per game) & 36 TDs vs. 12 INTs for 100 quarterback rating in 17 career postseason starts.
- Brees, who has thrown at least one touchdown pass in 17 consecutive postseason games, needs a touchdown pass on Sunday to tie Brady (18 consecutive playoff games) for the second-longest such streak in postseason history.
- WR MICHAEL THOMAS has 43 receptions for 566 yards (94.3 per game) & 4 rec. TDs in 6 career postseason games.
- DE CAMERON JORDAN is only player with 7+ sacks in each of past 9 seasons.
© Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
- BRUCE ARIANS is 2-2 in the playoffs as a head coach.
- QB TOM BRADY is postseason all-time leader in starts (42), completions (1,047), pass yards (11,769), pass TDs (75) & Super Bowl titles (6). Ranked tied-2nd in pass TDs (franchise-record 40) & 3rd in pass yards (4,633) in 2020 & became 5th QB in NFL history with 2+ seasons (2) of 40+ TD passes.
- Brady has postseason single-game franchise-record 381 pass yards & 2 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 104.3 rating in NFC Wild Card game at Washington.
- LB JASON PIERRE-PAUL has 5 TFL & 5 PD in 5 career postseason games.
- TE ROB GRONKOWSKI has 12 career postseason rec. TDs, tied-2nd most in NFL history.
- WR ANTONIO BROWN has 53 receptions for 886 yards (80.5 per game) & 5 rec. TDs in 11 career playoff games.
