Three to Focus on – Saints @ Buccaneers October 14th, 2011 | Author: Nathan Jahnke
...Whenever there is an NFC South matchup you know that you’re going to be getting a good game, as four of the top 12 quarterbacks in terms of overall PFF rating reside in the division.

1) The Saints passing attacks vs. the Buccaneers secondary

Unfortunately for the Buccaneers, their weakness on defense lines up with the Saints’ strength....

a new favorite target has emerged in tight end Jimmy Graham (+10.9). Over the past three games, Graham has been targeted 32 times with 22 catches, 361 yards and two touchdowns. No tight end is even close to him in the PFF pass rating.

2) Freeman passing free

This week, they will be going up against one of the worst pass rushing teams in New Orleans. Last week the Saints defense had just six overall pressures in the first three quarters. The only two players that pose any real threat of creating a pass rush is Will Smith (+9.9) and Sedrick Ellis (+5.8) who have identical resumes this season with two sacks, one hit and 11 pressures a piece. Since Freeman will have the time he wants to throw the ball on most plays, the Buccaneers should at least be given the opportunity to keep up with the New Orleans offense.


3) Buccaneers rushing game vs. Saints run defense
While the Saints have been winning, their run defense hasn’t exactly been successful. Free agent addition Aubrayo Franklin (+0.4 run defense) hasn’t been nearly as effective as he was in the 49ers 3-4 defense, while Sedrick Ellis (-2.3 run defense) and Shaun Rogers (-0.5 run defense) are better known for their pass rushing abilities. At linebacker, Jonathan Vilma (-6.0 run defense) has been playing as poor against the run as he has the past two seasons.

Because this is a weakness for both teams, something has to give. The Saints have faced runners like DeAngelo Williams, Maurice Jones-Drew and Matt Forte who have averaged 8.26 yards per carry, but have averaged just 10 rushes each. If a team tried to run the ball more often against the Saints, they might find more success.

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