Player of the Game from the Saints-Buccaneers showdown

If someone were to tell you the 4th quarter of a highly contested game would come down to quarterbacks Tom Brady and Trevor Siemian then obviously it would be advantage Brady right? Well, not so fast. The reason Siemian was in the game in the first place cannot be understated. He was forced into the game in the first half after New Orleans Saints starting quarterback Jameis Winston went out with a significant knee injury. He did not return in this one and will likely be out for an extended period of time as he recovers. With Taysom Hill still out with a concussion injury, Siemian was thrust into action when he most certainly didn’t think he would. While his numbers weren’t great, 16/29 for 159 yards and touchdown throw, he didn’t turn the ball over and he led the Saints on 5 scoring drives, including the go ahead field goal with under 2 minutes left in the game.

Siemian certainly was not alone in accolades for the Saints in this one. The Saints once again turned Tom Brady into a turnover machine when facing them as he threw 2 interceptions, including the game sealing pick 6, and forced a fumble out of him. Through 3 regular season games against the Saints as a member of the Buccaneers, Brady has 8 turnovers including 7 interceptions. Major kudos for this has to go to defensive coordinator Dennis Allen who schemes a great game and the players making all the plays on the field. This unit has been solid all year however, as they are a Top 5 unit in the league so giving a game ball to the entire defense seems a bit cliché. Giving it to Trevor Siemian was definitely a welcome treat on this Halloween night.

Major props has to be given to Siemian not only to be ready when his number was called, but also not get lost in the moment. This was a huge divisional game between the 2 best teams in the division, in a game that may prove pivotal to potential seeding later on in the season. Not to mention on the other side of the field is the greatest quarterback to ever live. Siemian is just a journeyman who hasn’t played since 2019. Now he is thrust into duty in the team’s biggest game to date and he’s playing against a guy who has more touchdown passes than Siemian has completions in his entire NFL career. Safe to say he handled the pressure about as well as he could, by not cracking under the face of it. That’s all anyone could have asked of the man they use to call T-Money Sizzle in Denver. This sizzle had a little steak to go with it Sunday afternoon.

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