Tampa Bay Buccaneers @ New Orleans Saints: Game Preview

by Dave Cariello on Dec 23, 2009 6:00 AM CST

TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (2-12) AT NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (13-1)

SERIES

	BUCCANEERS	SAINTS
SERIES LEADER		21-14
STREAKS	3 of past 5	2 of past 3
COACHES VS. OPP.	Morris: 0-1	Payton: 4-3
LAST WEEK	W 24-7 at Seahawks	L 24-17 vs. Cowboys
LAST GAME	11/22/09: Saints 38 at Buccaneers 7. New Orleans QB Drew Brees throws for 3 TDs, including 2 in 1st half to WR Robert Meachem, as Saints win franchise-record 10th straight.
LAST GAME AT SITE	9/7/08: Saints 24, Buccaneers 20. Brees throws for 343 yards & 3 TDs, including game-winning 42-yarder to RB Reggie Bush in 4th quarter.
BROADCAST	FOX (12:00 PM CT): Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Tony Siragusa (Field reporter). SIRIUS: 158 (TB), 125 (NO). XM: 102 (NO).

STATS

PASSING	Freeman (R): 122-228-1,412-9-14-60.1	Brees: 331-477-4,130 (1C)-33 (T1L)-11-109.4 (1L)
RUSHING	Williams: 167-652-3.9-3	P. Thomas: 141-733-5.2-5
RECEIVING	Winslow (TE): 68-752-11.1-5	Colston: 61-994-16.3-9
OFFENSE	282.5	419.6 (1L)
TAKE/GIVE	-5	+13 (3L)
DEFENSE	362.8	354.1
SACKS	S. White: 6.5	Smith: 12 (3L)
INTs	Talib: 5	Sharper: 8 (T1C)
PUNTING	Paulescu: 45.0	Morstead (R): 43.3
KICKING	Barth: 42 (9/9 PAT; 11/16 FG)	Hartley: 28 (7/8 PAT; 7/8 FG)

NOTES

BUCCANEERS: Rookie QB JOSH FREEMAN passed for 2 TDs & rushed for 2 pt. conversion last week. Had 95.8 rating last week, 2nd highest of career...RB CADILLAC WILLIAMS had 22-yard rec. TD last week. Had 88 scrimmage yards on 13 touches last week for 6.8-yard avg. Has 3 rush TDs in past 3 meetings. WR DERRICK WARD had rec. TD last week. Had season-high 67 rush yards...TE KELLEN WINSLOW had team-high 6 catches & 93 yards last week. Has 68 receptions, most by TE in team history. Since 2006, Winslow ranks 3rd among TEs with 282 catches. WR ANTONIO BRYANT has 2 TDs in past 4 vs. NO & averages 43.5 yards per TD... CB RONDE BARBER has posted 3 INTs in game 2 times, both vs. NO. Is only player in NFL history with 25+ sacks (25) & 35+ INTs (37). S TANARD JACKSON had INT last week & has set career-highs this season with 4 INTs & 2 INT-TDs. LB GENO HAYES had sack, FR & INT last week. Aims for 3rd in row with INT...

SAINTS: Can clinch No. 1 seed in NFC with win...Lead NFL with 34.5 scoring avg...QB DREW BREES has completed 61 of 88 (69.3 pct.) for 693 yards with 6 TDs vs. 1 INT for 110.7 rating in past 3 at home vs. TB. Has 121.4 rating at home this year with 2,224 yards (317.7 per game), 19 TDs & 4 INTs. Has passed for 4,000+ yards (4,130) in 4 consecutive seasons...RB REGGIE BUSH had 8 catches for 112 yards & TD (42 yards) in last home meeting. RB PIERRE THOMAS rushed 11 times for 92 yards (8.4 avg.) in last meeting. RB MIKE BELL tied career-high with 2 rush TDs in last game vs. TB...WR MARQUES COLSTON has 11 rec. TDs in past 11 Dec. games. WR ROBERT MEACHEM had career-high 2 rec. TDs in last meeting. WR DEVERY HENDERSON has 5 rec. TDs vs. TB & averages 50 yards per TD. TE DAVID THOMAS had career-high 8 catches (77 yards) last week. Had TD catch in last meeting...LB JONATHAN VILMA has INT, 2 FFs & FR in past 2 meetings. Has INT in 3 of past 5. DE WILL SMITH has 9.5 sacks in past 8. S DARREN SHARPER has 57 INTs, 1,309 yards & 9 INT-TDs since 2000, most in NFL.

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Comments

at least one victory from saturday night :) who daaat!!

by sernycrusher on Dec 23, 2009 7:36 AM CST reply actions

is that you?

With the uwd? Sweet!

I wore the same santa hat to the game.

Wanna say something? Sign up! It's free!

by Dave Cariello on Dec 23, 2009 10:06 AM CST via mobile up reply actions

yea

considered it the highlight of the night

yea i saw you wearing it, i sit behind you

pretty funny story actually

(me) “who dat!”
(uwd) “who dat!”
(me) “may i have a pic, do you have a sec?”
(uwd) " sure….come on…hurry…come on….come on…hurry…

i dont know if he had to pee or what bc the pic took all of 4 1/2 seconds

i said “thanks bill, you have inspired us all” which may not be all that true according to the poll on the page. still dont understand that one

saw him later in the game, he sat in sec 144

by sernycrusher on Dec 23, 2009 3:00 PM CST up reply actions

Who would'a thunk it

Could this game against the Bucs be a defining moment for the Saints this year?

by KilnBill on Dec 23, 2009 8:05 AM CST reply actions

Yes.

We have to have the resiliency to put the Bucs down in this game—and convincingly—or my FAITH will be tested.

by xen-cuts on Dec 23, 2009 9:46 AM CST up reply actions

And it is on TV in Memphis!

Woohoo!

by TonyChachere on Dec 23, 2009 9:15 AM CST reply actions

Importance of this game!

This game will tell it all! How well do we bounce back from the horrible beating we took on Saturday. They should be refocused and need to come into that dome a very angry team. The first 6 or 7 weeks, they played angry. They beat the hell outta teams when they’re angry! Another words a good title for the Saints: “You wouldnt like us when we’re angry”

I had a dream last nite that Courtney Roby had a kickoff return for a TD against the bucs! And Devery Henderson had a huge game! And the team as whole was dominating.

Let’s hope my dream says something!

by Jricky70 on Dec 23, 2009 8:11 PM CST reply actions

Lets hope the offensive line showes up

If the offensive line does not protect Drew they will loose again, now everyone knows attack Drew is the key to winning, providing they have a defense that can

by Deckape 69 on Dec 24, 2009 9:28 AM CST reply actions