NFL WEEK 9 CAPSULES
NEW ORLEANS (5-2) AT TAMPA BAY (6-2)
Sunday, 8:20p.m., NBC
OPENING LINE: Bucs by 4½
SERIES: Saints, 36-21
LAST MEETING: Saints, 34-23, Sept. 13
SAINTS OFFENSE: OVERALL (10), RUSH (14), PASS (9).
SAINTS DEFENSE: OVERALL (8), RUSH (3), PASS (17).
BUCCANEERS OFFENSE: OVERALL (14),
RUSH (23), PASS (12).
BUCCANEERS DEFENSE: OVERALL (3), RUSH (1), PASS (14).
FANTASY TIP: Saints RB Alvin Kamara has 801scrimmage yards and eight TDs in seven games against Tampa Bay.
ETC.: Saints have won four straight in NFC South rivalry, including an 11-point victory in season opener. ... Teams led by Tom Brady and Drew Brees are meeting for the seventh time, with Brees holding a 4-2edge. ... Brady is the NFL career regular-season TD pass leader with 561, one more than Brees. They also rank one-two in career passing yards, with Brees throwing for 79,314and Brady 76,760. ... During Saints’ four-game winning streak, Brees is 112for 149(75.2%) for 1,138yards and seven TDs with two interceptions. ... Kamara leads NFL with 987yards from scrimmage, including 163(96receiving, 67rushing) against the Bears last week. He leads the Saints in both yards rushing (431) and yards receiving (556). ... Saints WR Michael Thomas (ankle/hamstring) hasn’t played since suffering a high ankle sprain vs. the Bucs in Week 1. He has 69 receptions for 848yards and four TDs in eight career games against Tampa Bay. ... Saints intercepted Brady twice, with CB Janoris Jenkins returning one of them for a TD in the season opener. ... Brady has thrown 15TD passes versus one interception over his last six games. He has a streak of 189consecutive pass attempts without a pick, nine shy of the Bucs record set by Jeff Garcia in 2007. ... WR Antonio Brown is making his Bucs debut after serving an eight-game suspension for violating the NFL’s personal conduct policy.