The New Orleans Saints and Bucs face off on New Year's Eve in a game that means a lot for both sides.
A Bucs win would clinch their third consecutive NFC South title, and what is effectively a bye in Week 18 to rest up for a home playoff game. A Saints win would keep the season alive for one more week along with longshot hopes at a playoff bid. So how can that happen for the Saints? As Deuce McAllister explained on WWL this week, it'll come down to executing the small details, which has been easier said than down for New Orleans this year.
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“You’ve got to take care of the football, that’s the old adage," McAllister said. "You’ve got to take care of the football, when you look at it, just because the Bucs, when you look at it, they love to take the football away. They’ve been playing with a ton of confidence."
That was certainly a key when the Saints and Bucs met up in Week 4. New Orleans managed just one takeaway in the game when Isaac Yiadom picked off a ball near the goal line late in the first half. The Saints gave it back immediately with a fumble by Adam Prentice on the next play, sending the game to the break as a 14-3 advantage for the Bucs.
The Saints have done a solid job of taking care of the ball this season with just 16 total turnovers, but the Bucs have been particularly opportunistic lately. They logged four takeaways in a 30-12 beatdown of the Jags in Week 16.
"They’re flying to the football, they’re flying around the football," McAllister continued. "All 11 players are trying to get involved defensively, so it starts with first and foremost taking care of the football."
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Some other key factors?
Protecting the quarterback
"You’ve been able to to a pretty good job with … Ryan Ramczyk out, but you’re going to face a very, very active defensive front for Tampa Bay and they can beat you in a lot of different ways as far as with the interior guys, they’ve got Vita Vea and then Calijah Kancey, well he didn’t play the first game," McAllister said. "So he’s a very, very — he’s very different from Vita Vea, he’s a lot quicker, I mean, but he is still a big man and then they can rush you off the edge. So they’ve got interior guys that can rush, but their ends, they can really get after you as well. … They’re going to bring 5-man pressure as well, and so you talk about being able to stop that.”
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Make the tackle
“You’ve got to tackle in the open field. Our tackling has been very, very sloppy. If you can tackle in the open field and make the Bucs have to have 10-12 play drives and not just explosive plays, you give yourself a chance."
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Speed up Baker
“You’ve got to speed him up and so you want him to move off the number, or his target, his normal drop, you want him to move off of that, but you have to speed up his clock, and so by speeding up his clock, you’ve got to be able to get pressure, and if it’s simulated pressure, whether it’s up the middle, whether it’s off the side, one, it’s moving him off of his drop spot, where it’s timing where he’s throwing the ball off of timing, OK, he’s moved off the spot. Now, once you’ve done that, can any of my defensive linemen win? Whether it’s a 1-on-1, whether it’s a pressure, whatever the case may be in that situation, has somebody won then? And then there’s going to be some contested throws, 50-50 throws, opportunities that he gives his receivers, backs and/or tight ends to make, and can the Saints come up with a play? Can you come up with a play to knock the football down? Can you come up with a play to get the interception? That’s what it will be.”
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Make plays on the ball
"There’s going to be some contested throws, 50-50 throws, opportunities that he gives his receivers, backs and/or tight ends to make, and can the Saints come up with a play? Can you come up with a play to knock the football down? Can you come up with a play to get the interception? That’s what it will be.”
The Saints (7-8) travel to face the Bucs (8-7) in Week 17 at Raymond James Stadium. A win would keep the Saints' hopes at an NFC South title -- and possibly a wild card -- alive through Week 18, A Bucs win would hand Tampa its third consecutive division title.
