Secondary exposed in Buccaneers divisional loss to Saints

The Buccaneers were manhandled in a game where the scoreboard does not paint the entire picture, losing 31-24 to the New Orleans Saints.

Riding the high of a 55-40 shootout win over the Los Angeles Rams a week ago, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came into today’s divisional matchup against the New Orleans Saints with high hopes. However they left the Superdome with a 31-24 beatdown as the score does not indicate the whooping the Bucs endured.

Entering the game today against the Saints, the Buccaneers were ranked 16th overall in pass defense and sixth overall according to Football Outsiders. However today, they allowed 314 yards and four touchdowns from the arm of Bridgewater as wide receiver Michael Thomas toasted the secondary for 11 catches, 182 yards and two scores on the day as he continues to torture the Buccaneers.

It did not help that arguably the best cornerback on the pewter and red defense was ejected for a helmet-to-helmet hit in the first half of action. Former first round pick Vernon Hargreaves continues to look like a bust, continually toasted by Thomas on the day.

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The Bucs’ rush was also non-existent as the Saints’ offensive line controlled the trenches all day long. After Shaquil Barrett won NFC Defensive Player of the Month for September, he finished the game without even touching Bridewater; on multiple occasions he was forced deep in the backfield away from the quarterback in one-on-one matchups.

On the day, the Buccaneers did not tally even one sack or tackle behind the line of scrimmage as Bridgewater was given all day to throw. The good news, however, is that last year’s sack leader Jason Pierre-Paul is expected back in just three weeks.

After holding Pro Bowlers Christian McCaffrey, Saquon Barkley, and Todd Gurley to under 70 yards combined, Saints running back Alvin Kamara tallied 62 yards on the ground, and another 42 yards out of the backfield on the pewter and red defense.

Offensively the Buccaneers were just as bad, and it starts with the offensive line who allowed quarterback Jameis Winston to be sacked six times. Winston will not be winning NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance today as he finished with not only pressure in his face all day, but also 204 yards passing and two scores (78 yards and a score in garbage time), completing just 55 percent of his passes.

Neither Ronald Jones nor Peyton Barber could get going on the ground for the Bucs, combining for a total of 67 yards on 17 carries. Jones added two catches for 21 yards on the day, while Barber found his way to the endzone on a goal line carry.

On the receiving end, superstar wide receiver Mike Evans was held without a catch on just three targets. He was not the only high-powered weapon held in check as tight end O.J. Howard managed just one catch for ten yards on the day. Evans’ counterpart Chris Godwin led the team in receiving today with seven catches for 125 yards and two touchdowns as he continues on his breakout campaign in 2019.

Next week the Buccaneers head into the third week of their six week road trip, set to take on the Carolina Panthers overseas in London. Beating the Panthers once this season already, the Buccaneers will look to bounce back as they travel thousands of miles for a “home game.”