It's no question what the Saints do best on offense, but it'll take more than a bruising ground game to take down the heavily favored Bucs for the second time this season.
That wasn't the case in Week 14, with the Saints running the ball 44 times for 203 yards and three touchdowns split between running backs Alvin Kamara and Tony Jones Jr., and quarterback Taysom Hill.
That 30-9 victory over the lowly Jets ended a five-game winning streak. For that win to become a streak of its own, it'll likely take more involvement from Hill and his injured throwing hand.
"I think it depends on the game you’re in. There’s some games where you’re going to have to be proficient throwing it. We’re going to have to have a good throwing game this Sunday, based on the things that Tampa does so well," Payton said, speaking to how his offense has morphed due to injuries, circumstances and player strengths.
To Hill's credit, he had a far more efficient day throwing than he'd displayed in a loss to the Cowboys a week earlier. He completed 15-of-21 passes for 175 yards, and most importantly didn't throw any interceptions. He did that in spite of a mallet finger injury that forces him to wear a brace on the middle finger of his right hand. There were a few plays with questionable ball-handling, but nothing drastic.
The quarterback hasn't been coy about whether the finger issue has impacted his game. It's going to be there the rest of the season, and it's just a matter of finding a way.
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“Having good feet isn’t going to compensate a finger that’s messed up, but I think it causes you to step back, get back to the fundamentals, because you’ve got to be fundamentally sound," Hill said. "And that’s something that I’ve focused on.”
Those fundamentals will be tested early and often in a matchup with the NFC South-leading Bucs. The Saints enter as 11-point underdogs despite a victory in Week 8. That game was started by Jameis Winston and finished by Trevor Siemian, with Hill inactive as he recovered from a concussion. The two QBs combined to go 22-39 for 209 yards, 2 TDs and no interceptions.
The Saints swept both regular season matchups last year, making them 3-0 in the series since Tom Brady arrived. He's 21-5 in his other matchups during that span. The Bucs got their revenge in the divisional round of the playoffs, though, another game Hill missed due to injury.
“I think every game is so different," Hill said. "You try to find ways to win that particular game and every game is different in what it takes to win.”
While the Saints are nearly out of the race for their 5th straight NFC South title, the game offers a chance to stay on the top line in the race for the final playoff spot. New Orleans is currently one of five teams sitting at 6-7, with the Washington Football Team coming out ahead in the tiebreaker. A win would guarantee they remain at least tied in the record with the top team, and retain a slim chance at overtaking Tampa in the final week of the season. A loss would clinch the Bucs their first division crown since 2007.
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