Going into week 14, the New Orleans Saints are on yet another losing streak, which seems to be the most consistent thing about this team’s season.
This week’s game will be against the division rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and if it goes the way it did in their first meeting this season, it won’t be pretty for New Orleans. The difference this time is the Saints’ starting QB, and that will be a significant factor.
Saints vs. Buccaneers Preview
Like last year, the Buccaneers are at the top of the division, and the Saints are second, but there is a bit of a difference on Tampa Bay’s side. This has not been a dominant season from the former divisional winners, and there is a real chance that the title does not go to them this season.
QB Baker Mayfield has regressed from his potential MVP form seen earlier in the season, and injuries are plaguing this team.
Their rankings on both sides of the ball are not great. Per PFSN’s Defensive Impact Metric, the Buccaneers are near average on defense, ranked 17th overall, while the PFSN’s Offensive Impact Metric shows Tampa Bay is much worse, ranked 26th overall.
These rankings will not be sufficient for the Buccaneers to remain competitive for a Super Bowl, and they may even lose the division to the Carolina Panthers. Looking at this from the Saints’ perspective, New Orleans can actually win this game, but two things need to happen.
First, the offense needs to find some consistency. DC Brandon Staley has been coaching the defense very well, and they have performed great in recent weeks; however, the offense has struggled. If the Saints can somehow repeat their second-half performance last week, they could pull off the upset.
With the offense being consistent, the Saints cannot lose the turnover battle. The last time these two met, New Orleans made way too many mistakes and gave the ball right back to the Buccaneers four times. This can’t happen if the Saints want to get the upset.
Final Prediction
As I mentioned earlier, this is likely to be a winnable game for the Saints, but that does not guarantee a victory. The inconsistent offense, which has been shown in spurts, is not something to expect at this point, but it must improve if the Saints want to win. The likely expectation is that the offense will struggle, resulting in New Orleans’ loss.
Final score: Buccaneers win 28-17