Official NFL Release
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (4-1) AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (3-2)
SERIES
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SAINTS |
BUCCANEERS |
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SERIES LEADER |
22-16 |
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STREAKS |
3 of past 5 |
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COACHES VS. OPP. |
Payton: 5-5 |
Morris: 2-2 |
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LAST WEEK |
W 30-27 at Panthers |
L 48-3 at 49ers |
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LAST GAME |
1/2/11: Buccaneers 23 at Saints 13. Tampa Bay QB Josh Freeman completes 21 of 26 pass attempts (80.8 percent) for 255 yards & 2 TDs as Buccaneers earn division win. |
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LAST GAME AT SITE |
10/17/10: Saints 31, Buccaneers 6. New Orleans QB Drew Brees passes for 263 yards & 3 TDs for 109.2 rating as Saints score game's 1st 24 points en route to victory. |
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BROADCAST |
FOX (4:15 PM ET): Ron Pitts, Jim Mora, Drea Avent (Field reporter). Westwood One Radio: Howard David, Tony Boselli. SIRIUS: 94 (NO), 136 (TB). XM: 234 (TB). |
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STATS
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PASSING |
Brees: 152-219-1,769 (1C)-12 (3C)-5-102.3 (T3C) |
Freeman: 114-178-1,156-3-6-74.1 |
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RUSHING |
M. Ingram (R): 62-216-3.5-2 |
Blount: 77-328-4.3-3 |
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RECEIVING |
Graham (TE): 32 (T1C)-496 (2C)-15.5-3 |
Graham (RB): 23-143-6.2-0 |
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OFFENSE |
452.0 (1C) |
336.6 |
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TAKE/GIVE |
-3 |
-1 |
|
DEFENSE |
354.6 |
378.0 |
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SACKS |
Harper: 3.5 |
3 tied: 2 |
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INTs |
P. Robinson: 2 |
Barber, Talib: 1 |
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PUNTING |
Morstead: 47.9 (3C) |
Koenen: 45.7 |
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KICKING |
Kasay: 51 (T1L) (15/15 PAT; 12/14 FG) |
Barth: 33 (9/9 PAT; 8/9 FG) |
NOTES
SAINTS: In past 2 at TB, QB DREW BREES is 2-0 & has completed 40 of 61 (65.6 pct.) for 450 yards with 6 TDs vs. 1 INT for 113.4 rating. Is 9-3 (.750) in past 12 starts vs. division. Has 20+ completions in NFL-record 25 consecutive games...RB-PR-KR DARREN SPROLES is only player in NFL with rush, rec. & ret. TD. Ties for NFL lead with 13 catches on 3rd down. RB MARKINGRAM leads NFL rookies with 216 rush yards. RB PIERRE THOMAS has 9 TDs (5 rush, 4 rec.) in past 10 division contests...TE JIMMY GRAHAM had 8 catches for 129 yards last week & is 1st Saints TE with 100+ rec. yards in 3 consecutive games. Leads NFL TEs with 32 catches & 496 yards. Has 7 TDs in past 8. WR MARQUES COLSTON aims for 5th in row vs. TB with 5+ catches. WR DEVERY HENDERSON has 5 rec. TDs vs. TB & averages 50 yards per TD catch. WR ROBERT MEACHEM has 20 career rec. TDs & 13 have gone for 25+ yards. Has 4 TDs in past 4 vs. TB. WR LANCE MOORE has TD in 2 of past 3 meetings...Since entering NFL in 2006, S ROMAN HARPER has 13 sacks, most by DB. Had 2 FFs in last game at TB. DE WILL SMITH has sack in 3 of past 4 vs. TB...
BUCCANEERS: QB JOSH FREEMAN aims for 3rd division win in row. Completed 21 of 26 (80.8 pct.) for 255 yards with 2 TDs vs. 0 INTs for 133.2 rating in last game vs. NO. In career, when he starts & has 100+ rating, Bucs are 7-1...In past 6 home games with 15+ att., RB LE GARRETTE BLOUNT has rushed for 676 yards (122.7 per game) & 4 TDs. Bucs have won 7 of 8 games when Blount has 18+ att...WR MIKE WILLIAMS had TD in last meeting. Has 5 TDs in past 8. WR PRESTON PARKER leads team with 236 rec. yards. TE KELLEN WINSLOW has catch in 81 games in row. CB RONDE BARBER has started 188 consecutive games, most by CB in NFL history. Only player in NFL annals with 25+ sacks (26) & 40+ INTs (41). Has recorded career-high 3 INTs in game 2 times, both vs. NO. DE ADRIAN CLAYBORN & LB MASON FOSTER tie for 2nd among NFC rookies with 2 sacks. TB leads NFL holding foes to 18.2 avg. drive start on KOs.
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (4-1) at TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (3-2) (Sunday, FOX, 4:15 PM ET)
First place in the NFC South will be on the line when the 4-1 Saints visit the 3-2 Buccaneers. The teams have split the season series each of the past three years and the road team has won four meetings in a row.
The Saints won their fourth game in a row with a 30-27 win at Carolina. Quarterback DREW BREES completed 32 of 45 passes (71.1 percent) for 359 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Saints. He now has thrown a TD pass in 32 consecutive games - equivalent to two full regular seasons - and that is the third-longest streak in NFL history. He also extended his NFL-record streak of consecutive games with at least 20 completions to 25 games in a row. Brees has passed for at least 350 yards in each of the past three contests and can become the first player in NFL history with 350+ passing yards in four consecutive games.
"We're going to get a Tampa Bay team that's hungry," says New Orleans head coach SEAN PAYTON. "When you play a team that comes off a tough game like they are, you understand that they're going to be focused and ready to get past it."
Tampa Bay is seeking its third consecutive win at home and looks to rebound after a Week 5 loss at San Francisco.
"This is the National Football League," says Buccaneers head coach RAHEEM MORRIS. "The schedule is tough every single year and every single game. We have to embrace the fact that we get to play tough teams. That's fun football and we have to get better this week. We have to get ready to play a tough football game against the New Orleans Saints."