Buc fan and I fear this is the end of the road (1 Viewer)

Joined
Jan 15, 2021
Messages
8
Reaction score
88
Age
54
Location
Tampa Bay, FL
Offline
First, I don't normally post on message boards, but I often read opponents boards the week leading up to the game, and this one is the best and most active I've seen. Second, I love your damn city. Lifelong Tampa Bay resident, but I've been to New Orleans a dozen times, including last February, which was my first Mardi Gras.

I know you hate hearing it, but this is a different team than you pistol whipped in week nine. Not all of that is due to strength of opponents. The Bucs have the second ranked offense in EPA since week 10. And DVOA, which is opponent adjusted, has the Bucs as the #3 ranked offense in the league.

All that being said, NO is a bad matchup for us. Up the gut pressure is Brady's kryptonite, and with Cappa out at RG, Rankins and Umenyiora are going to be hell on Sunday. I don't expect to be able to run the ball all that well, especially if Jones is out(Not a Fournette fan), so Brady could have a rough day. I do think the Bucs and Byron Leftwich have figured out some things that help with that, mainly pre-snap motion, play action, and some max protects to counter the blitzes. The OL has been pretty good despite what you've seen in the two games with the Saints this year. I do think the Bucs offense has been humming lately, again...I know who we played, but Redskins have a damn good defense(3rd in DVOA right behind the Saints) and we rang up 500 yards and 31 points and would have had more if we didn't suck in the RZ. Brady looks really comfortable lately, and the emergence of Antonio Brown in the offense has helped a ton.

Defensively, my eyeballs tell me the Bucs have an average defense, but the advanced stats crowd likes them quite a bit. Losing Vita Vea up the middle really hurt. The Buc fans are begging Bowles to ditch the zone heavy packages this week, but I don't think it's that simple. The Bucs have to tackle way better than they have recently against the Saints. We're great against the run, but very average against the pass. Oh, and before I forget, I freaking love the Saints OL. New Orleans front office is so good at drafting.

I can't think of much more to add, other than a prediction. Gun to my head, I think it's a closer game than many of you probably do, but I think the Saints win something like 34-24 with a late score to pull away from a close game. Ya'll stay safe.
 
Well said and welcome to the forum here. Always nice to have good discussion threads like this from opposing fans. I really WANT to feel comfortable with this matchup but honestly I think we are all just as nervous as you might be. No matter what I’m just happy we finally get to see Brees vs Brady in the playoffs. Let’s enjoy it for that.
 
Forgot to mention Jameis Winston..what's the word with him on re-signing him? I was shocked Hill played when Brees was out, but maybe I shouldn't have been. I have plenty of thoughts on Winston.
Winston is basically on what appears to be a one year sabbatical with the saints this year (such a cheap deal). There’s a lot of indications that Sean wants him back but frankly I’m not so sure. They’ll have to pay him more than he’s making now, and Taysom is already under contract.
 
Fair, objective analysis. I agree that this will be a close game, no more than one score. I think we have the Bucs' number this year, and if we avoid our recent playoff woes, we're punching our ticket to the NFCCG.
 
Realistically, I don't know any but the most die-hard Saints homer who actually thinks we'll blow you out the same way we did in our 2nd matchup. Ultimately, I think the game will be decided by who gets more pressure on the opposing team's QB. Hendrickson playing is huge for us, as is one of your starting guards being out.

But by this time in any playoffs, I live in terror. Anything's possible in single elimination formats, good and bad, plus no team makes the 2nd round of the playoffs by accident, so everyone still standing is legit.

May it be decided on the field and not by weird ref calls or flukey in-game injuries to key contributors.

First, I don't normally post on message boards, but I often read opponents boards the week leading up to the game, and this one is the best and most active I've seen. Second, I love your damn city. Lifelong Tampa Bay resident, but I've been to New Orleans a dozen times, including last February, which was my first Mardi Gras.

I know you hate hearing it, but this is a different team than you pistol whipped in week nine. Not all of that is due to strength of opponents. The Bucs have the second ranked offense in EPA since week 10. And DVOA, which is opponent adjusted, has the Bucs as the #3 ranked offense in the league.

All that being said, NO is a bad matchup for us. Up the gut pressure is Brady's kryptonite, and with Cappa out at RG, Rankins and Umenyiora are going to be hell on Sunday. I don't expect to be able to run the ball all that well, especially if Jones is out(Not a Fournette fan), so Brady could have a rough day. I do think the Bucs and Byron Leftwich have figured out some things that help with that, mainly pre-snap motion, play action, and some max protects to counter the blitzes. The OL has been pretty good despite what you've seen in the two games with the Saints this year. I do think the Bucs offense has been humming lately, again...I know who we played, but Redskins have a damn good defense(3rd in DVOA right behind the Saints) and we rang up 500 yards and 31 points and would have had more if we didn't suck in the RZ. Brady looks really comfortable lately, and the emergence of Antonio Brown in the offense has helped a ton.

Defensively, my eyeballs tell me the Bucs have an average defense, but the advanced stats crowd likes them quite a bit. Losing Vita Vea up the middle really hurt. The Buc fans are begging Bowles to ditch the zone heavy packages this week, but I don't think it's that simple. The Bucs have to tackle way better than they have recently against the Saints. We're great against the run, but very average against the pass. Oh, and before I forget, I freaking love the Saints OL. New Orleans front office is so good at drafting.

I can't think of much more to add, other than a prediction. Gun to my head, I think it's a closer game than many of you probably do, but I think the Saints win something like 34-24 with a late score to pull away from a close game. Ya'll stay safe.
 
First, I don't normally post on message boards, but I often read opponents boards the week leading up to the game, and this one is the best and most active I've seen. Second, I love your damn city. Lifelong Tampa Bay resident, but I've been to New Orleans a dozen times, including last February, which was my first Mardi Gras.

I know you hate hearing it, but this is a different team than you pistol whipped in week nine. Not all of that is due to strength of opponents. The Bucs have the second ranked offense in EPA since week 10. And DVOA, which is opponent adjusted, has the Bucs as the #3 ranked offense in the league.

All that being said, NO is a bad matchup for us. Up the gut pressure is Brady's kryptonite, and with Cappa out at RG, Rankins and Umenyiora are going to be hell on Sunday. I don't expect to be able to run the ball all that well, especially if Jones is out(Not a Fournette fan), so Brady could have a rough day. I do think the Bucs and Byron Leftwich have figured out some things that help with that, mainly pre-snap motion, play action, and some max protects to counter the blitzes. The OL has been pretty good despite what you've seen in the two games with the Saints this year. I do think the Bucs offense has been humming lately, again...I know who we played, but Redskins have a damn good defense(3rd in DVOA right behind the Saints) and we rang up 500 yards and 31 points and would have had more if we didn't suck in the RZ. Brady looks really comfortable lately, and the emergence of Antonio Brown in the offense has helped a ton.

Defensively, my eyeballs tell me the Bucs have an average defense, but the advanced stats crowd likes them quite a bit. Losing Vita Vea up the middle really hurt. The Buc fans are begging Bowles to ditch the zone heavy packages this week, but I don't think it's that simple. The Bucs have to tackle way better than they have recently against the Saints. We're great against the run, but very average against the pass. Oh, and before I forget, I freaking love the Saints OL. New Orleans front office is so good at drafting.

I can't think of much more to add, other than a prediction. Gun to my head, I think it's a closer game than many of you probably do, but I think the Saints win something like 34-24 with a late score to pull away from a close game. Ya'll stay safe.
Not really Saints/Buccaneers game day or NFL football-related, but honestly if you're a Tampa/St. Petersburg-area sports fan or observer, this past year has probably been one of the best years ever for your area's professional sports teams. Bucs make the playoffs for the first time in 13 years and win their first playoff game since Super Bowl XXXVII, Tampa Bay Rays advance to their first WS and actually looked and played pretty competitively in regards to going up against a more I talented, better.equipped, and more experienced eventual World Series champs LA Dodgers, and the Lightning won their franchise's second Stanley Cup trophy.

It was a great year overall, for most local Central Fla. sports fans who are fans of these teams and follow them avidly.
 
...All that being said, NO is a bad matchup for us. Up the gut pressure is Brady's kryptonite, and with Cappa out at RG, Rankins and Umenyiora are going to be hell on Sunday...

Uhh, Umenyiora has been out of the league for several years and has never played for the Saints (as far as I know).

Guessing you meant Onyemata?

All good though! Appreciate the civility of your post.
 
I have no idea who will win but, I bet I'll know within the first 5 minutes of the game.

Saints show up playing their best ball we win this no problem, Saints show up lackadaisical/flat, like the Saints are known to do sometimes, it will be much tougher but we could still win.

Bucs best against Saints best= Saints win.

Bucs best against slow start/flat Saints= 50/50

Bucs slow start/flat game against any Saints team= Saints win

Saints are the superior team but anything can happen
 
Not really Saints/Buccaneers game day or NFL football-related, but honestly if you're a Tampa/St. Petersburg-area sports fan or observer, this past year has probably been one of the best years ever for your area's professional sports teams. Bucs make the playoffs for the first time in 13 years and win their first playoff game since Super Bowl XXXVII, Tampa Bay Rays advance to their first WS and actually looked and played pretty competitively in regards to going up against a more I talented, better.equipped, and more experienced eventual World Series champs LA Dodgers, and the Lightning won their franchise's second Stanley Cup trophy.

It was a great year overall, for most local Central Fla. sports fans who are fans of these teams and follow them avidly.
Not really Saints/Buccaneers game day or NFL football-related, but honestly if you're a Tampa/St. Petersburg-area sports fan or observer, this past year has probably been one of the best years ever for your area's professional sports teams. Bucs make the playoffs for the first time in 13 years and win their first playoff game since Super Bowl XXXVII, Tampa Bay Rays advance to their first WS and actually looked and played pretty competitively in regards to going up against a more I talented, better.equipped, and more experienced eventual World Series champs LA Dodgers, and the Lightning won their franchise's second Stanley Cup trophy.

It was a great year overall, for most local Central Fla. sports fans who are fans of these teams and follow them avidly.


It was an amazing year for us. Just typical Tampa sports fan's luck that we couldn't go to any of these games.
 
Uhh, Umenyiora has been out of the league for several years and has never played for the Saints (as far as I know).

Guessing you meant Onyemata?

All good though! Appreciate the civility of your post.
Shouldn't have said anything. If the Bucs had someone assigned to block Umenyiora, Onyemata would've been running free in the back field on every snap.
 

Create an account or login to comment

You must be a member in order to leave a comment

Create account

Create an account on our community. It's easy!

Log in

Already have an account? Log in here.

Users who are viewing this thread

    Back
    Top Bottom