SAINTS (5-7) VS. BUCCANEERS (7-5)
SUNDAY, 4:25 P.M., RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM, TAMPA uTV: FOX, DIRECTV 715
Announcers: Thom Brennaman, Charles Davis, Chris Spielman, Peter Schrager
About the Saints: They continue to find ways to stay below the .500 mark, losing Sunday at home to the Detroit Lions in a game in which they were favored by 51⁄ points. In doing so, New Orleans lost an opportunity to make up ground in the NFC South. With three of their final four games on the road, the Saints seem headed to their third consecutive losing season and fourth in the last five years. The team’s lack of consistency has never been more evident than in the last two games. In Week 12, the Saints amassed 555 yards and scored seven TDs in a 49-21 rout of the Los Angeles Rams. Sunday, they were held to 369 yards, one rushing TD and no passing scores from QB Drew Brees.
About the Buccaneers: A four-game winning streak punctuated by Sunday’s 28-21 road win at the San Diego Chargers has catapulted the Bucs into a first-place tie with the Atlanta Falcons in the NFC South. It matches their longest winning streak since Weeks 8 through 11 in 2012. Atlanta is the No. 4 seed in the NFC by virtue of a 3-1 division record, and the Bucs (2-1) hold the conference’s second wild-card berth. Two of the Bucs’ final four games are at home, where they are 2-4 compared with 5-1 on the road. The Bucs have gotten it done in all phases during their streak, and the win vs. the Chargers served as Exhibit A — one rushing touchdown, one receiving TD, a pick-six and two field goals.
Breaux will draw the assignment of trying to slow 6-6 Evans, who’s piecing together a Pro Saints running back Mark Ingram is averaging a career-best 5.3 yards a carry.
Bowl résumé with 76 catches for 1,058 yards and 10 TDs. Breaux is the team’s best and most physical corner and will give up nearly 4 inches to Evans, who was limited to three catches for 38 yards against San Diego.
The sixth-year pro from Alabama has eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark in total yards from scrimmage for the third consecutive year, amassing 1,022 yards and seven TDs
WHO WILL WIN AND WHY
through 12 games with a team-best 758 rushing yards to go with 264 receiving yards. He played against the Lions (12 touches, 53 yards) despite being limited in practice last week by an injured toe.
Brees’ streak of 60 consecutive home games with at least one touchdown pass came to a screeching halt in Sunday’s 28-13 loss to Detroit at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. He did throw three interceptions, resulting in his first game since 2007 with three interceptions and zero TD passes.
KEYS TO THE GAME
1. Get after Winston: Though Bucs QB Jameis Winston is doing a better job with ball security, he has accounted for 15 turnovers (12 interceptions, three lost fumbles). Led by DE and rookie DT
the Saints defense needs to bring pressure with a conventional four-man rush and blitz packages.
2. Next man up: The Buccaneers might be short-handed in the passing game if WR
(concussion protocol), (knee) and TE (ankle) can’t answer the bell, and RB
health could become a story after he missed the final three series against San Diego.
3. Outdoor Brees: Maybe a change of environment will help Brees get back on track after an uncharacteristically poor outing at home. The Saints are 2-3 in games played outdoors this season. WR
Brian Allee-Walsh