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

[Mississippi Saints Fan]

I respect the Bucs. Y'all have a good team, but I am just going to point out that you guys are riding a wave of momentum from whipping three sub .500 teams, who combined for 14 wins total on the season. Not necessarily taking away from your team, but we know the Saints aren't the Lions, the Falcons, or the Bears.

While a lot of discussion has been about how the Bucs have become a different team, the Saints steady defensive improvement has been overlooked. Since we last played you guys, we've given up 8 fewer points per game on average, while y'all are giving up 3 more on average. Both of our offensive PPG have decreased just slightly since then. Your offense is scoring 1 point more per game on average.

All that said, I still respect this matchup, and I'm still pretty nervous about it. We know during the playoffs, you can throw regular season stats out of the window. We know these two teams always play each other hard, and we both have two of the greatest QBs to ever play the game. It might be one of the best games in history for the average NFL fan, but I think both of our fanbases will be biting our nails until the end.

 

[Zack Lee]

Different team. Got it. Now I don’t have to turn on ESPN, thanks.

be sure to come back Monday Tom.

ps: CJGJ says stop crying.

 

[rob22278]

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.

This was the Rays second World Series.

 

[English]

“Different team “ So you drank the kool aid ?

 

[GeauxSainz]

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

 

[Saint Taysom]

What kind of garbage “troll” thread is this? ...right down to the title.

What did you think was going to come of this? Honestly?

A bunch of Saints fans, on a Saints forum, come across to your side and say, “well, you’re right!”

 

[kizzy821]

Remember when the Falcons were kinda good and we had to endure their one or two fans leading up to each game every year? I hate that part of internet sports fandom. Everybody just stay at your own damn house.

 

[CigarCitySteve]

What kind of garbage “troll” thread is this? ...right down to the title.

What did you think was going to come of this? Honestly?

A bunch of Saints fans, on a Saints forum, come across to your side and say, “well, you’re right!”

Was just trying to discuss the game. If you're not up for that, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing wrong with being a casual fan of a team. We all need those people in our lives to remind us that football isn't everything. Hell, I enjoy the Super Bowl commercials, too! Send me a DM if some of the sticky post went over your head, and I'll help you out. Nothing to be ashamed of at all. We can all learn something from each other. Hell, I'll teach you about DVOA and EPA and you can send me a gumbo recipe! It's a win-win.

 

[Icon]

Was just trying to discuss the game. If you're not up for that, it's nothing to be ashamed of. Nothing wrong with being a casual fan of a team. We all need those people in our lives to remind us that football isn't everything. Hell, I enjoy the Super Bowl commercials, too! Send me a DM if some of the sticky post went over your head, and I'll help you out. Nothing to be ashamed of at all. We can all learn something from each other. Hell, I'll teach you about DVOA and EPA and you can send me a gumbo recipe! It's a win-win.

I came for the Boyz II Men thread title and stayed for the inevitable passive aggressive potshots that I knew would eventually surface.

Got my popcorn ready

 

[FalconsHater]

Brady has 6 damn rings. He don't need another one. Just tell him to let someone else get one this season. Drew, Morestead, and Payton need the 2nd rings! WHO DAT!?

 

[CHI-TOWNSAINT]

If we’re within a TD or better at half, I’ll feel really good about our chances.

Im trying to have no expectations for this game as it pertains to the start so I can try and enjoy the first quarter.

 

[OneBigEasy!!]

Another Trojan Horse original poster. Leave your horse outside the gate.

 

[Taker597]

I see what you trying to do... Give us that reverse jinx voodoo, but I'd let you knoww.... We are losing. Brady gonna have max protect and TE chips all game and dink and dunk us death.

 

[nolaswede]

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.

Good post and I hope you stick around in the future. Best fan forum around for sure. Tampa is definitely a good team, no doubt about it, however I’m curious about your take on the refs. Since you seem like lifelong Bucs fan, do you feel like y’all have gotten more calls in you favor now that you have Brady? I’m pretty sure the Saint are the most penalized team in the league AND our opponents (somehow) ended up getting the least amount of flags. No surprise that we are worried about Sunday!

 

[PXSaber]

Isnt there a backup lineman playing for TB who every team muscled through?

I think if we can give Brady the Favre treatment of 09, he will look so bad that he may consider retirement

Sure he looks like 35 with all the super model facial treatments, but his bones are 43! Cant lie to your body! Break him until he never returns to football again