[ad_1]
The Bucs are set as much as win one other Tremendous Bowl this season. They’ve one of the proficient rosters within the NFL, and it’s solely honest to say damage luck is the most important impediment that may hold them from hoisting the Lombardi Trophy for the second time in three years.
Nonetheless, the street to Arizona received’t be straightforward. Tampa Bay’s schedule is stuffed with 2021 playoff groups. The Cowboys, Packers, Chiefs, Bengals, 49ers and Rams are all on the slate. However other than the Rams, the workforce the Bucs might need to see the least is the Saints, a workforce they’ll see twice.
New Orleans has crushed Tampa Bay in seven straight common season video games courting again to 2018. Since Tom Brady’s arrival in 2020, the Bucs are 0-4 in opposition to the Saints within the common season. After all, fortunes had been reversed when the 2 groups met within the playoffs two seasons in the past. Tampa Bay received 30-20 on the Superdome to clinch a spot within the NFC Championship Sport.
Playoffs apart, although, the Bucs have a Saints drawback. However why?
Former Saints Security: New Orleans Is ‘Constructed’ To Beat Tampa Bay
Bucs TE Rob Gronkowski and Saints SS Malcolm Jenkins – Picture by: USA At this time
Not too long ago retired security Malcolm Jenkins spoke on the Rich Eisen Show on Thursday, and he had lots to say in regards to the Saints’ dominance over Brady and the Bucs within the final two years. Jenkins, who spent 2009-2013 and 2020-2021 with the Saints, mentioned all of it comes right down to matchups. He mentioned it’s not essentially about Brady. Quite, it’s about what New Orleans does to remove from what the seven-time Tremendous Bowl champion quarterback does greatest.
“These two years, you had myself matched up with Gronk. That was an excellent matchup,” Jenkins mentioned. “You’ve gotten [Marshon] Lattimore on Mike Evans. That’s an incredible matchup. CJ Gardner-Johnson’s within the slot [and] was on [Antonio Brown] or [Chris] Godwin. That’s an incredible matchup. On the opposite aspect was [Paulson] Adebo or Janoris Jenkins, who can match up with any third receiver.
“Tom Brady’s entire recreation is ‘benefit from matchup points.’ There are none when the Saints play the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.”
Jenkins has some extent. Brady has been rendered ineffective in opposition to the Saints within the 4 common season matchups between the 2 groups. It hasn’t at all times been his fault, both. It’s a matter of matchups, recreation planning, takeaways and typically circumstances. Contemplate, in fact, that the final matchup featured accidents to Evans, Godwin and working again Leonard Fournette within the first half of a 9-0 recreation.
Bucs QB Tom Brady – Picture by: USA At this time
Right here’s a have a look at the breakdown of Brady’s performances over the Bucs’ final 4 common season video games in opposition to the Saints:
2020 Week 1 (NO 34, TB 23): 23-of-36 (63.9%), 239 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT
2020 Week 9 (NO 38, TB 3): 22-of-38 (57.9%), 209 yards, 0 TD, 3 INT
2021 Week 8 (NO 36, TB 27): 28-of-40 (70%), 375 yards, 4 TD, 2 INT, fumble
2021 Week 15 (NO 9, TB 0): 26-of-48 (54.2%), 214 yards, 0 TD, 1 INT, fumble
General, Brady is 99-162 (61.1%) for 1,037 yards and 6 touchdowns in these 4 video games. He threw eight interceptions and fumbled twice over these 4 matchups. The most important concern is the turnovers, which the Saints have carried out a unbelievable job of forcing. However there’s a deeper, extra philosophical query right here that Tampa Bay should reply in 2022, and it’s all about stability.
How Can The Bucs Discover A Answer In 2022?
Tampa Bay travels to New Orleans in Week 2 earlier than the 2 groups meet once more in Week 13 at Raymond James Stadium. So, what can the Bucs do to reverse the development and snap their dropping streak to the Saints this season? Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds wrote about it in one in all his SR’s Fab 5 columns last month. And, as Jenkins advised Wealthy Eisen, the formulation lies inside the Bucs’ January 2021 playoff win over the Saints.
Bucs QB Tom Brady and RB Leonard Fournette – Picture by: USA At this time
“That one 12 months the place we beat them twice and so they beat us within the playoffs, they received that recreation off of working the ball and their protection taking the ball away,” Jenkins mentioned. “That, to me, when Brady tries to win that recreation throwing it, that performs proper into the Saints’ palms. That type of play, Brady has to win that recreation together with his left hand. That’s what makes that matchup so attention-grabbing and so tough for him. As a result of what he does greatest — what works each single week — will not be going to work in opposition to the Saints.”
Over the course of 4 common season video games in opposition to New Orleans, Brady has averaged 40.5 move makes an attempt per recreation. Right here’s the dashing breakdown over these 4 video games:
2020 Week 1 (NO 34, TB 23): 26 rush makes an attempt, 86 yards (3.3 avg.)
2020 Week 9 (NO 38, TB 3): 5 rush makes an attempt, 8 yards (1.6 avg.)
2021 Week 8 (NO 36, TB 27): 14 rush makes an attempt, 71 yards (5.1 avg.)
2021 Week 15 (NO 9, TB 0): 21 rush makes an attempt, 118 yards (5.6 avg.)
That almost all latest matchup is an attention-grabbing one. The Bucs really ran the ball properly, and it’s important to marvel if they may’ve mustered up 10 factors had they not been hit with three key accidents all through the night time. However on the entire, Tampa Bay appears to favor the move greater than the run. And as Jenkins mentioned, that isn’t going to work as properly in opposition to the Saints.
Going again to the playoff matchup, the Bucs ran the ball 35 instances for 127 yards (3.6 avg.). That helped them win the time of possession battle, and it made it in order that they weren’t attempting to win the sport solely on Brady’s arm. He accomplished 18-of-33 move makes an attempt that night time for 199 yards and two touchdowns. He additionally added a dashing landing of his personal.
Operating The Soccer Is Simply One Key To Overcoming New Orleans
Bucs CB Sean Murphy-Bunting – Picture by: USA At this time
To say that the Bucs simply must run the ball extra to beat the Saints would possibly sound like an oversimplification of the matchup. Nevertheless it definitely can’t damage. When requested about their Saints drawback earlier this offseason, Tampa Bay tight finish Cameron Brate also pointed to running the football as a possible key, drawing again to that playoff recreation.
“You see the sport we received in opposition to the Saints within the playoffs in 2020. We ran the soccer. I believe that’s the primary factor it’s important to do in opposition to a protection like that,” Brate mentioned. “It’s important to have them respect the run. For no matter cause, in opposition to these groups, we couldn’t do it. We couldn’t get the run recreation going.”
It isn’t simply the run recreation for the Bucs, although. Assume again to Jenkins’ clarification of the Saints’ loss to the Bucs within the playoffs two seasons in the past. On offense, Tampa Bay ran the ball properly. And on protection, Todd Bowles’ unit took the ball away. The Bucs pressured 4 turnovers in that recreation and completed with a plus-four turnover margin.
Within the 4 common season losses to New Orleans, Tampa Bay has posted a turnover margin of minus-nine.
That’s clearly not going to get the job carried out.
The Bucs don’t want to beat the Saints to win the NFC South. They proved that in 2021. Nonetheless, the workforce simply has to recover from the hump in opposition to New Orleans this 12 months. The blueprint seems to be there. It’s nearly selecting to make use of it — after which executing it at a excessive degree.
[ad_2]
Source link
