The New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers are gearing up for their Week 11 kickoff, and it’s a game that carries plenty of potential for game-changing plays and standout performances. Here are our bold predictions for Sunday’s game.
Jameis Winston throws two picks, and gives up two fumbles
Winston is a turnover machine, and that was never more evident than his last game against the Saints in which he had an interception overturned by committing a delay-of-game penalty. He will throw passes against the Saints secondary that they should have a shot at taking away, and he will hold the ball loosely and far enough away from his body at times to where the Saints defensive line can try to grab it. New Orleans just has to do their part and take those possessions away when they’re available.
Michael Thomas gains more than 200 receiving yards
Thomas put up the second-most receiving yards of his career (182) the last time he played Tampa Bay, and that was with Teddy Bridgewater throwing to him against a stronger Buccaneers secondary than the one he’ll see on Sunday. Now that Drew Brees is back in the lineup, Thomas has caught 24 of 25 passes to gain 264 yards, which bodes well for him against an undermanned Tampa Bay defense. The Buccaneers cut their leader in snaps played at cornerback (Vernon Hargreaves III) earlier this week, and they’ll also be without a top cover corner in M.J. Stewart. The remaining starter, Carlton Davis, is questionable to play with a hip injury.
Marcus Davenport and Sheldon Rankins each pick up a sack
Davenport hasn’t recorded a sack since the last time the Saints played the Buccaneers, and it was his best game of the year. He sacked Winston twice in that game and forced a fumble out of the Buccaneers quarterback. Things have been quiet from his side of the defensive line since that game. Rankins also hasn’t sacked a quarterback since that game, an outing in which he also dropped Winston for a loss of yards. The Saints have invested a lot in each of these two players and this is a great time for them to both get back on track.
The Saints fly out of Tampa Bay with a win
This shouldn’t be a controversial take, but consider the facts. The Saints haven’t swept the Buccaneers since they drafted Winston back in 2015, even if they’re in the lead during recent series history (with a 5-4 record) back to that year. Tampa Bay has gone 2-2 when hosting the Saints during that time, and they’ve played New Orleans very close in each of their last two visits (including a loss in the 2017 regular season finale). These games always seem to be played down to the wire, and the Saints can’t afford to take the Buccaneers as lightly as they did Atlanta.
