Bingo! 21 points directly off of 3 turnovers. The Bucs had to go 3 yards, then 40 yards, then 20 yards for those TD’s. The last turnover was the end of game possession. wrt CGM, he was targeted only four times the entire game, zero catches.

Tampa only had 189 passing yards, while the Saints had 190 total. More potent? I think not. wrt rushing, the Saints had 105 on 25 carries for a solid 4.2ypc, the Bucs had more with 127, but on 35 carries for a 3.6ypc rushing attack. I’ll take those playmakers, against the other team’s playmakers all day long, sans the turnovers.

But our “playmakers” didn’t make plays. Theirs did...especially in the RZ. Evans’s one catch was a RZ TD. Thomas couldn’t keep his feet in bounds on his red zone catch attempt. Cook fumbled and had his hands on one of the INTs. Their backup TE had more yards receiving than Cook without fumbling. Their RB group reached the end zone on Red Zone plays. The Saints didnt. If the Saints go up 14-0 with Hill and Murray helping in the red zone like they usually do instead of 6-0 then we have a totally different game. If the Saints D forces a FG instead of Letting up a TD on one of those drives then it’s a different game. It’s demonstrable that Tampa’s skill position players outplayed the Saints skill players. Especially when Harris was lost with...an injury. I’m not saying TOs didn’t hurt. But they could have been 3 and out punts and I still think the Bucs win based on the flow of the game and the performance of the players involved. Just my feeling and I respect yours.

You do realize that “if’s” are hypotheticals, and didn’t really occur. If a person’s aunt had a beard..., she might actually be that person’s uncle instead! lol. Or “could have been’s”. I was born a simple humble human being, but just think!! I “could have been” an invisible pachyderm. Sadly, I wasn’t.

I won’t beat our defense up for not stopping two red zone gifts to TB via int’s. One int winding up on our own 4 yard line, and the other on our own 20.

<btw> if you’re referring to the following play, the ball was deflected by David, before ever reaching Cook.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=C-k6oavpXzo

Lastly, disagreement =/= a lack of respect. It simply means that - seeing things differently.

My favorite selfish if starts with “if I had a Jerry Jones’ yacht at my full disposal”!

Indeed, TOs sucked in that game. No argument there. But All we can do is look at what happened providing we take out the “what ifs“. So let’s do that and see that Harris starts off red hot and was responsible for 2 big returns resulting in 9 points himself until a blocking call on the return was accepted. Then he (up to that time clearly the most dynamic player on the field) gets hurt and is lost in the first quarter for the rest of the game. Saints had to settle for FGs instead.

I could go on evaluating what happened every drive afterwards without the ifs, but my fingers are getting tired. Point is each play leads to another. Saints had chances for close TDs and they settled for FGs. Tampa had chances for close TDs and they got them. We can debate weather that was because Tampa had Better Offensive weapons available than the Saints or weather Tampa’s D performed better than the Saints D did in the Red zone. I don’t think it was Brees arm strength that did this...nor do I think it was zodiac 🤪. Nor do I think it was simply turnovers. I hear people argue that teams can fight through getting screwed by the refs. Well, then teams should be able to fight through TOs. The Saints had every chance to do so.

Tampa was a healthier, more prepared team that took advantages of the opportunities presented to them-offensively and defensively-to beat a very good Saints team, then very good Packers and Chiefs teams.

You can’t evaluate every “drive afterward” without using the “what if’s” in your scenario. The actual plays are historically accurate. The game actually did happen a certain way, and that way was a 30-20 loss with the Saints committing four turnovers. EVERYTHING else is a “what if”.

Ok, but by that logic, the fact that 4 TOs happened has no more impact than the fact Harris got hurt than the fact the game happened on Sunday.

When I said “EVERYTHING else” is a “what if”. I was very specifically referring to you stating: “I could go on evaluating what happened every drive...”. I wasn’t referring to everything else in the entire universe is a “what if”. I was very specially stating that you “...evaluating what happened every drive...” would necessitate a “what if”. Why? Because the game is already in the books.

1) Both team played on Sunday, in exactly the same conditions.

2) Both teams played the exact same game, and were given the exact same opportunity for injuries.

3) Both teams were afforded the same playtime, roughly. 31:31 for the Bucs, and 28:29 for the Saints. One team committed four turnovers in that time period.

Three completely different entities there. Trying to compare turnover margin, which is quantitatively defined, to whether a game is played on any particular day is nonsensical to me, and not anything close resembling what I was trying to say.

My friend, we’ve hijacked this thread..., it’s my hope we can let it revert back to the topic at hand? The release of E.Sanders. My apologies folks.

When I said “EVERYTHING else” is a “what if”. I was very specifically referring to you stating: “I could go on evaluating what happened every drive...”. I wasn’t referring to everything else in the entire universe is a “what if”. I was very specially stating that you “...evaluating what happened every drive...” would necessitate a “what if”. Why? Because the game is already in the books.

1) Both team played on Sunday, in exactly the same conditions.

2) Both teams played the exact same game, and were given the exact same opportunity for injuries.

3) Both teams were afforded the same playtime, roughly. 31:31 for the Bucs, and 28:29 for the Saints. One team committed four turnovers in that time period.

Three completely different entities there. Trying to compare turnover margin, which is quantitatively defined, to whether a game is played on any particular day is nonsensical to me, and not anything close resembling what I was trying to say.

My friend, we’ve hijacked this thread..., it’s my hope we can let it revert back to the topic at hand? The release of E.Sanders. My apologies folks.

Both teams entered the game with their QB dealing with a torn rotator cuff.

Both teams entered the game with a starting QB still dealing with the aftereffects of eleven rib fractures.

Both teams entered the game with their backup QB who went 3-1 during the season out due to injury.

Both teams entered the game with their second leading yards from scrimmage player out due to injury.

Oh, wait! They didn't, did they? Nevermind.