Quote:
Originally Posted by Superturtle
Don't know what it is but the Saints have completely shut down the Packers and Bucs this season. Hopefully they can sneak into the playoffs and do the same thing there.
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Saints have a good defense that matches up well against the Bucs given they have someone that has usually given Mike Evans problems but Packers game was first game of the season with Rodgers having short preseason so tougher to draw conclusions from that game.
In first Bucs-Saints game of the season, Brady threw for 4 touchdowns/2 ints and 375 yards with Gronk barely playing in the game at all due to injury. So, not shutdown in that game but Bucs defense wasn't as good then.
This game Tampa was obviously shutdown even though without the key Brady fumble and a missed FG and Gronk missing some makable catches, they would have at least kept it close.
In this game Tampa ended up playing without arguably their 4 or even 5 best receivers if one considers Fournette a receiver. But not just Fournette out but one of his backups. Now to be fair to the Saints, they were also without key players including their starting QB who is out for the season. And even when Bucs had Evans/Godwin in this game, they didn't complete drives.
If Bucs are without 2 of their key skill position players(Godwin, Antonio Brown, Evans, Gronk), they become very beatable by any team with a good defense. Tampa has a "top heavy" roster.
The Saints do a good job with being physical on defense/playing tight coverages. Sometimes they hold/pass interfere but they usually don't in an egregious fashion so they may not have that reputation.