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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers picked up a somewhat sluggish win to open their 2022 season in Week 1 against the Dallas Cowboys. But a win is a win, and the Bucs will be happy to have started off their season on the right foot. With their Week 2 matchup against the New Orleans Saints right around the corner, we will map out our Buccaneers Week 2 bold predictions and look at what could happen during this divisional matchup.
While the Buccaneers season-opener didn't come with any fireworks, the Saints season-opener certainly did. The Saints staged a late comeback against the Atlanta Falcons to ensure they wouldn't start their season off with a disappointing loss, and they will be happy to have won even though they didn't look great for long stretches of the game.
Despite the fact that Tampa Bay has more talent on paper than the Saints, they have struggled mightily against them in Tom Brady's limited time with the team. While the Bucs are favored to win, they have been favored to beat the Saints before and still managed to find a way to come up short. With that in mind, let's take a look at four bold predictions for the Buccaneers in their Week 2 matchup with the Saints.
4. Buccaneers RB Leonard Fournette will pick up over 150 total yards
Leonard Fournette proved in Week 1 that he is the Buccaneers lead running back after rumors of a timeshare emerged during training camp, and he ended up picking up 137 total yards on the ground against the Cowboys in Week 1. Fournette will be relied upon to have a similarly strong game against a dynamic Saints front seven in Week 2.
Fournette will pick up 156 total yards in the game, but he will do more work as a checkdown receiver for Brady this time around. Fournette will amass just 73 yards on 20 carries, but pick up 83 yards in the air on nine receptions. Tampa's offense won't always have success in the downfield passing game, and Fournette converts that into a good day of work for the Buccaneers out of the backfield.
3. Buccaneers LB Devin White will finish the game with 15 total tackles
Devin White was a monster for the Buccaneers in Week 1. He picked up eight tackles, two sacks, two tackles for a loss, a pass deflection, and two QB hits against the Cowboys, showcasing his all-around skillset that makes him one of the best linebackers in the NFL. White is going to have a lot of work on his hands against the Saints in Week 2, and could have another big game as a result.
White won't have as much success sacking Jameis Winston in Week 2, but he will play a big role in slowing down Alvin Kamara out of New Orleans' backfield. White will finish the game with 15 tackles, with the majority of them coming against Kamara in run defense. It won't be as explosive of an overall performance as in Week 1, but White's impact will be hard to miss for the second straight game.
2. Buccaneers WR Julio Jones will have just two catches, but they will both be touchdowns
Julio Jones could be in line for an increased workload in Week 2 with Chris Godwin likely to miss the contest with a hamstring injury. With Marshon Lattimore focusing primarily on Mike Evans, that will leave Jones with some favorable matchups, and it could result in a big day for the veteran wide receiver.
While Jones will end up with two touchdowns on the day, they will be his only two touches of the day. Brady will find Jones on a three-yard fade in the back left corner on the end zone for his first score, and then hit him for a 17-yard score on a corner route in which he easily beats Bradley Roby for a jump ball. Overall, Jones lack of yardage is indicative of Tampa's passing game struggles for the second straight week.
1. Tom Brady will throw three interceptions, including a game-sealing one late in the fourth quarter
Ever since joining the Buccaneers, Brady hasn't had much success against the Saints. And while he finds Jones for two touchdowns, those will be the only touchdowns Tampa Bay will score on the day. The Bucs will race out to a 14-0 lead, but will find themselves trailing late in the fourth quarter by a score of 21-17 with the ball in their hands.
After getting intercepted by Roby and Tyrann Mathieu earlier in the day, Brady will throw a game-sealing interception to Lattimore as he tries to hit Evans in double coverage. It will be another disappointing outing from Brady and the Buccaneers offense, and it will lead to questions of whether or not there should be concerns with Tampa's offense in Brady's 23rd season in the league.
