Football Gumbo: Can the Saints Rebound in Tampa?

“But there’s nothing like sampling a little gumbo, a little jambalaya and then diving face-first into a shrimp boil.” - Chris Low, ESPN.com.

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Hello folks and welcome to a tasty mix of news and stories related to the Saints’ upcoming game. Like a good gumbo, it is full of all sorts of awesome ingredients and I will even occasionally add the slightly odd piece of news in the stew. Let’s dive in face-first!

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Crescent City Gumbo

• Five Key Factors in Saints-Bucs Matchup. John DeShazier of neworleanssaints.com details key factors that could play a big role in tomorrow’s Saints-Bucs game.

• Saints Seeking to Rediscover Winning Ways. Following their disappointing loss to the Falcons, Drew Brees and the Saints look to get their mojo back in Tampa. Via neworleanssaints.com.

• Michael Thomas’ Teammates Saw Greatness Coming. Thomas’ teammates at Ohio State knew he would be a superstar at the next level. By John DeShazier of neworleanssaints.com.

• Saints’ Secondary Looking to Step Up Without Lattimore. With number one cornerback Marshon Lattimore sidelined with a hamstring injury, Saints’ secondary is looking to contain Buccaneers high-powered offense.

• Focusing on Fundamentals. After penalty-fest against the Falcons (12 penalties, 90 yards), Saints focusing on fundamentals ahead of Bucs game. By Amie Just of nola.com.

• It’s Not Going to Taste Good Going Down. Saints swallowed a bitter pill after Falcons’ loss, working to fix their mistakes. By Luke Johnson of nola.com.

• New Punt Returner? With Deonte Harris out tomorrow in Tampa, who will be the Saints’ punt returner? Amie Just of nola.com has a few potential candidates.

• Saints’ Offense Needs Major Bounce Back. For the second time this season, the Saints were kept without a touchdown in a 26-9 loss against the Falcons. By Kevin Patra of NFL.com.

• Three Division Games in 12 Days. That is the challenge facing the Saints if they accept it. They play the Bucs tomorrow, the Panthers next Sunday, followed by a Thanksgiving rematch with the Falcons in Atlanta. By Mike Triplett of ESPN.com.

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A Taste From the Other Side

• Five Bucs to Watch. Carmen Vitali of buccaneers.com highlights five Bucs players who could play a pivotal role against the Saints.

• Mike Evans Relishing Saints’ Matchup. The Bucs prolific wide receiver has his eyes set on breaking another Tampa Bay receiving record ahead of Saints’ game. By Scott Smith of buccaneers.com.

• Bend But Don’t Break. Buccaneers rookie defensive backs improving ahead of Saints game. by Carmen Vitali of buccaneers.com.

• Devin White Starting to Flourish. The rookie linebacker and former LSU Tiger is quickly becoming the tone-setter in Tampa Bay’s defense. By Jenna Laine of ESPN.com.

• Nobody Goes to the Bucs’ Games. Tampa Bay is the third-lowest NFL team in attendance. The reasons? Expensive tickets and a non-competitive team. By Eduardo Encina of the Tampa Bay Times.

• The Enigmatic Jameis Winston. The Bucs have won only 24 games out of the 63 starts made by Jameis Winston. By Thomas Bassinger of the Tampa Bay Times.

• The Underrated Lavonte David. The Buccaneers’ linebacker has been a star flying under the radar in Tampa Bay. By John Romano of the Tampa Bay Times.

• Who Ya Got? The Tampa Bay Times staff picks Saints-Bucs winner.

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Wait...What?

• Who Dat Vodka Anyone? Since yesterday, a Who Dat Vodka is now available for sale. It is 80 proof and you might want to stock up if the Saints have another clunker. Via nola.com.