3 Saints for the Buccaneers to watch out for in the playoffs
By Rob Leeds
The Buccaneers are already very familiar with the New Orleans Saints, and these players need to be the main focus in the next rematch.
The Buccaneers are looking for revenge and redemption this week in their second playoff game of the season. Tampa Bay was able to put down a scrappy Washington Football team, but the New Orleans Saints will be an entirely different beast.
New Orleans has already embarrassed the Buccaneers twice this season, but a win in this game verifies that the Bucs are living up to their potential. Tampa Bay already has some demons to exorcize after the prior losses, and this stage is the perfect place to prove that the team is growing.
If the Buccaneers want to put the Saints away comfortably, they’ll need to watch out for the following players.
Player #1
Trey Hendrickson has been a terror against the Buccaneers so far this season. While most of the Saints players haven’t jumped off the stat sheet this year, Hendrickson has been one of the best performers on this front.
Hendrickson is the Saints’ current sack leader and has wreaked havoc on the Buccaneer offensive line so far this season, specifically Donovan Smith. Hendrickson has accounted for three sacks in the past two matchups against the Buccaneers, and he will look to replicate that success on the big stage.
Donovan Smith is coming off the best game of his career, but he will have to maintain that success against Hendrickson. Tristan Wirfs will still draw the difficult matchup of Cameron Jordan, but this added focus will leave Smith on an island against a player that has mostly had his way in prior weeks.