The Tampa Bay Buccaneers visit the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. The first of the two NFC South contests between these two teams could be memorable for who is missing from the contest rather than who is playing. The Saints are without running back Mark Ingram, due to a four-game suspension; the Bucs' starting quarterback, Jamies Winston, is out on a three-game suspension.
The Bucs look to improve after going 5-11 last season which was a step back from the 9-7 mark in 2016. Veteran quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick will be under center for Tampa Bay. He has the weapons to throw to as long as he stays upright. Tampa looks to have a better running game than last season which was ranked 27th in the league.
How To Watch
Where: New Orleans, Louisiana
Start time: Sunday, Sept. 9, 1 p.m. ET
TV Network: FOX
Stream Online: Watch live with fuboTV
The Saints are coming off an 11-5 record last season and have 18-year veteran Drew Brees calling the plays on the field. He threw less last season but completed 72 percent of his passes with 23 touchdowns and a career-low 8 interceptions. While Ingram sits out, Brees will be handing off to Alvin Kamara, the NFL's offensive rookie of the year. Last season, Kamara averaged 6.1 yards per carry for the Saints. He is also a formidable pass catcher out of the backfield giving Brees another offensive weapon. They'll have to contend with a revamped Tampa Bay defensive line that added Jason Pierre-Paul from the New York Giants to go along with Beau Allen and Vinny Curry from the Philadelphia Eagles.
