The New Orleans Saints will wrap-up a three game road trip this afternoon as they take on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs offense, led by young QB Josh Freeman, will look to rebound after a disappointing performance against the surprisingly good San Francisco 49ers, who shellacked Tampa Bay last week 48 to 3. The Saints go into this game riding a 4 game winning streak, and hope to extend their lead in the NFC South. What will the Saints need to do defensively against the Buccaneers in order to leave with the win?
Pass Defense
Buccaneers QB Josh Freeman is considered by many to be an emerging star in the NFL, but the stats so far in the 2011 season do not reflect. The Tampa Bay passing game is ranked 20th in the league in yardage, and Freeman has only passed for 3 touchdowns. The emerging receiving corps, led last year by now 2nd year player Mike Williams, has really failed to make a huge impact. Kellen Winslow is a very nice target at tight end, but he isn’t consistently dominant enough to take over games.
The Saints have been doing better against the pass, currently ranked 16th in passing yards allowed. CB Patrick Robinson’s progression from Week 1 goat to now is very encouraging. The coaching staff thinks highly enough of Robinson to give him the starting nod alongside Jabari Greer, even with Tracy Porter returning to full strength from injury. His progression has definitely been helped along by the return of a consistent pass rush, an area that has been shored up with the return of DE Will Smith.
With RB LaGarrette Blount out (more on that in a bit), I would imagine that the Bucs would try to throw the ball a little bit more than usual. If the Saints get off to a quick start offensively, the Bucs might not have much of a choice. The Saints simply need to play fundamental pass defense in order to emerge victorious. No stupid penalties, keep the blown coverages to a minimum, make Freeman uncomfortable in the pocket – if the Saints can follow that formula, a win should be in order. I know it sounds simply enough, but it will be easier said than done, especially against a team that is desperate for a win.
Run Defense
As stated earlier, the Buccaneers are expected to be without top runner LaGarrette Blount, who has rushed for a steady 4.3 yards per carry this season. Without Blount, the Buccaneers will be looking for someone else to step up big. Earnest Graham is likely to be the starting running back this week for Tampa Bay.
The Saints run defense, although ranked 15th league-wide, is starting to come together. The new additions of Aubrayo Franklin and Shaun Rogers are starting to coalesce with the rest of the defensive line. The presence up front of Franklin and Rogers, along with mainstay Sedrick Ellis, allow for Gregg Williams to rotate members of the line in and out with more frequency, thus keeping every member fresh and less fatigued.
The Buccaneers are reeling with the loss of Blount. Along with Freeman, Blount is arguably Tampa Bay’s most important offensive piece. Graham, who has hurt the Saints in the past, poses a potential issue for the defense. That potential, however, will not be actualized, as the girth of the middle of the Saints defensive line will prove to be the deciding factor in this one. Additionally, the Saints offense will put up points quickly, leading to the quick abandonment of a running game that will probably have issues gaining traction anyway.
Matchup to Watch
Saints S Malcolm Jenkins vs. Buccaneers TE Kellen Winslow. If there is any skill position player on the Buccaneers that possesses a potential matchup nightmare, it has to be Winslow. Winslow’s speed and size present a multitude of issues for opposing defensive coordinators, much like the Saints’ own Jimmy Graham. Unlike Graham, however, Winslow lacks consistency, and can be taken out of games with the right coverages. Malcolm Jenkins will probably be the one to cover Winslow on passing situations. If Jenkins can shut down Winslow, he takes away a valuable weapon for Josh Freeman and the entire Tampa Bay offense.
