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With the New Orleans Saints hosting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 2, the main concern will be whether injuries will determine the outcome or not. Keep in mind that many of the Saints are banged up and currently listed as questionable for Week 2. Will others step up in their stead? We'll make our Saints Week 2 predictions ahead of the New Orleans-Tampa Bay game.
After winning their first two games, the Buccaneers and Saints will meet again on Sunday at the Caesars Sportsbook Superdome. Last season, New Orleans swept the two-game series against the Buccaneers. That was astounding considering they were missing Michael Thomas and lost Jameis Winston to a season-ending injury in the first game.
The Saints are coming off a hard-fought 27-26 road victory against their NFC South rivals, the Atlanta Falcons. The Falcons, who had a 16-point lead at the start of the fourth quarter, punched New Orleans in the mouth. New Orleans rallied, scoring 17 unanswered points on a pair of Michael Thomas touchdown receptions. Take note that the Saints will be without Alvin Kamara, who is nursing a rib ailment. Others like Mark Ingram II, Tre'Quan Smith, and starting CB Paulson Adebo have also been listed as questionable.
With those in mind, here are our 4 bold predictions for the Saints in their Week 2 game vs. the Buccaneers.
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4. Saints will struggle against Leonard Fournette
Buccaneers RB Leonard Fournette was a notable performer in their Week 1 victory over the Cowboys. He ran for 127 yards on 21 touches. It was encouraging to see him get off to a quick start, considering the Buccaneers will rely heavily on him this season. He'll aim to continue this momentum into Sunday's game against New Orleans, who struggled to stop the run in Week 1.
Fortunately, the Saints won't have to worry about Brady taking off against them, but the Saints' overall run woes remain a concern. Last season, the Saints did an outstanding job of keeping Fournette under 40 yards in both meetings. Fournette, on the other hand, might be due for another big game in a new season. In all likelihood, the Saints d-line will struggle to stop Fournette in Week 2.
3. The Saints' passing attack will deliver
In 2021, New Orleans' passing game was one of the weakest in the NFL, especially after Jameis Winston was injured. That is no longer the case since Winston has returned with superior weaponry. Michael Thomas returned to the squad last week with two touchdown catches, while free-agent signee Jarvis Landry has immediately looked at ease. He caught seven passes for 114 yards last week. Chris Olave, in his debut NFL game, also didn't appear out of place.
At the end of the day, the Saints have a stronger passing offense than the Dallas Cowboys had last week. With Tampa Bay likely without Chris Godwin due to injury, the Bucs may struggle to match the New Orleans offense. Take note as well that Tom Brady passed for only 212 yards last week.
2. The Saints are dangerous even when behind big
The Saints showed a lot of heart on Sunday, rallying from a 26-10 fourth-quarter deficit to win on the road. Are the Falcons at par with the Buccaneers? Not even close, but the hard-fought victory has given New Orleans greater confidence and comeback chutzpah, which will certainly come in useful against a stronger Tampa Bay eleven.
It's also worth noting that this game is being played in New Orleans, where the Saints have a 9-3 record in their past 12 games with the Buccaneers. With the home crowd behind them, the Saints' heart might be the deciding factor this week. The Bucs may start strong and have a great ground game, but even when down big, these Saints cannot be counted out.
1. The Saints will shackle the GOAT
Tom Brady is 0-4 versus New Orleans in the regular season since joining the Buccaneers. That's owing in large part to the mayhem New Orleans' defensive front causes. The Saints have 13 sacks in those four games combined, while Brady averages only 259.3 yards a game with a total of six touchdowns and ten turnovers.
PJ with the P6 against the Bucs last season! @PjWilliams_26
Tune in Sunday, September 18th | 12PM CST
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/vrG74e0lRE— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) September 15, 2022
Following Ali Marpet's retirement and a spate of ailments, this is Brady's weakest offensive line as a Buccaneer. Tampa Bay's offense struggled in Week 1 against Dallas, and New Orleans has a plan to harass Brady once more. The Saints should present a ton of problems and tough looks for Brady this weekend.
