Everybody’s a winner during the opening week of the regular season. Well, every fan, that is. For the likes of Week 1 losers the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the New Orleans Saints, the cause for celebration would have to wait for another week.
Both the Saints and the Bucs have a good shot of tallying their first ‘W’ of the season and bring last Sunday’s frustrations to an end. Read on as we take a closer look at this coming matchup between two teams from the NFC South that are much hungrier for a win after from coming home empty-handed in the opener.
There’s no turning back now from the abundance of NFL games on tap. Check out more of our Week 2 coverage with our previews for Seattle vs. Green Bay and Denver vs. Kansas City.
[sc:Football ]Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints Betting Preview and Prediction
Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans
When: Sunday, September 20, 2015 1:00 PM ET
Line: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (+10.5) at New Orleans Saints (-10.5); total: 47.5 – view all NFL lines
TV Broadcast: FOX
Betting on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Make that Mariota 2, Winston 0.
[sc:NFL240banner ]Jameis Winston’s first start in the pros turned out to be a rough one as he and his Tampa Bay Buccaneers were trampled by 2014 Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota and the Tennessee Titans, 42-14, on opening week.
The loss was reminiscent of the last game between the two prolific collegiate quarterbacks that Mariota also dominated – a 59-20 beatdown of Oregon over Winston and FSU in last year’s NCAA college football playoff semifinals.
Tampa Bay’s defeat also marked the team’s 10th-straight home loss, which has got to make head coach Lovie Smith sweat. But at least his quarterback showed glimmers of hope with his game, albeit from an otherwise lackluster outing. Winston finished the game with just 16 completions in 33 attempts for 210 yards and two touchdowns, but did throw a pick-six in his first attempt, becoming the only rookie other than Brett Favre to throw an interception that resulted to a touchdown in his first pass in the NFL.
Another takeaway from the Bucs’ loss is that Winston may have found his new favorite target while waiting for Mike Evans to return to the field. Second-year wideout Austin Seferian-Jenkins caught five passes for 110 yards and was the one on the receiving end of both of Winston’s TDs. Now if only running back Doug Martin (11 carries for 52 yards) can get his motor running in Week 2, the Bucs could expose the Saints’ own leaky defense.
Speaking of a leaky defense, that’s another thing that the Buccaneers have to work on themselves. The 42 points put up by Tennessee – the team that had the worst record last season – should be enough proof that the Tampa Bay secondary will have a long afternoon next Sunday trying to contain Drew Brees’ aerial assault.
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Betting on the New Orleans Saints
Judging from the New Orleans Saints’ offseason movements, you’d think that they would start leaning heavier on the run. But in Week 1, the team went back to its tested formula (have Drew Brees go nuts through the air) and failed to notch a win the process.
The New Orleans backfield duo of Mark Ingram and Khiry Robinson combined for just 43 yards on the ground on 17 carries in Sunday’s 31-19 loss to the Arizona Cardinals. And while the Saints’ running game sputtered, Drew Brees was still his usual self, finishing the game with 355 yards, a touchdown and a pick in 30-of-48 passing.
For the Saints to have success on offense, the running game has got to produce solid yardage and keep opposing defenses guessing, instead of always relying on Brees’ power and accuracy to win games. And at this point, the team’s offense seems to be the only thing getting the team by.
The Saints defense failed to register a sack against the Cards on Sunday. Even worse, the already thin secondary saw safety Rafael Bush, who started in place of starter Jairus Byrd, leave the game in the third quarter due to an injury to his chest. The backfield of the Saints’ defense allowed Arizona’s Carson Palmer to put up 307 yards and three TDs on the board.
New Orleans’ D has got to improve ASAP, so it’s quite a blessing that it will face a rather iffy Tampa Bay offense to make things right in Week 2.
Writer’s Prediction
The Saints (-10.5) expose Tampa Bay’s shoddier secondary en route to a 34-17 win.
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