New Orleans Saints Forums - blackandgold.com - The Advocate First Look: Without Jameis Winston, Buccaneers start season behind Ryan Fitzpatrick

BY JOEL A. ERICKSON | JERICKSON@THEADVOCATE.COM SEP 4, 2018 - 1:13 PM

WHEN: Noon

WHERE: Mercedes-Benz Superdome

TV: Fox

RADIO: WWL-AM, 870; WWL-FM, 105.3 in New Orleans; KMDL-FM, 97.3 in Lafayette; WDGL-FM, 98.1 in Baton Rouge; en español: WGSO-AM, 990; WVDU-FM, 97.9

RECORDS: New Orleans 11-5; Tampa Bay 5-11

COACHES: Saints, Sean Payton, 11th season, 105-71; Buccaneers, Dirk Koetter, second season, 14-18

BUCCANEERS BREAKDOWN

LAST SEASON: A season that opened with a whole bunch of hype surrounding Tampa Bay crashed and burned despite a win over New Orleans in the season finale. With the notable exception of Jameis Winston's absence and a revamped defensive line, this Buccaneers team is similar to the one the Saints faced last season.

OFFENSE: With Winston out for three games due to suspension, veteran Ryan Fitzpatrick will try to bring some of the old "Fitzmagic" into the Superdome and get Tampa Bay started. Unlike a lot of teams, a change from starter to backup does not change the Buccaneers' profile much; Fitzpatrick at age 35 profiles a lot like Winston. Both are dangerous, talented passers who can light up a secondary on the right day, but are also prone to turnovers and mistakes. Fitzpatrick will have great weapons around him. Mike Evans is coming off of a down year (71 catches, 1,001 yards), but the 6-foot-5 receiver is still one of the NFL's most talented, and his matchup with Marshon Lattimore is must-see given the cheap shot Evans delivered in the first meeting between the two teams last year. Wide receiver Adam Humphries (61 catches in 2017) and tight end Cameron Brate (48 catches) are excellent third-down targets, and the trio of wide receiver DeSean Jackson, wide receiver Chris Godwin and tight end O.J. Howard are all big-play threats who averaged more than 13 yards per catch last season. At running back, veteran Peyton Barber (108 carries, 423 yards last year) held off rookie Ronald Jones III to win the starting job, and although both will play, Barber will get the bulk of the carries and the bulk of the short-yardage opportunities. Tampa Bay's offensive line struggled against the Saints at times last season, and left tackle Donovan Smith is in doubt after suffering a sprained knee during training camp.

DEFENSE: In Tampa Bay's ongoing quest to revamp its pass rush, the Buccaneers went for big names this offseason, trading for Jason Pierre-Paul and signing two former Eagles, defensive end Vinny Curry and defensive tackle Beau Allen. Pierre-Paul, obviously, is the headliner, a player who still has a ton of explosiveness off the ball at 29 years old and picked up 8.5 sacks in New York last season. Former second-round pick Noah Spence appears to have fallen out of favor in Tampa Bay, but he still remains dangerous off the edge, and the Buccaneers still have one of the game's most dominant interior players in the form of defensive tackle Gerald McCoy. With so much talent up front, the Saints' offensive line will have a good test right off the bat. Behind those linemen, Tampa Bay's linebackers remain as rangy as ever with Lavonte David and Kwon Alexander, although Alexander's former LSU teammate, Kendell Beckwith, is out after being injured in a car accident in April. Back in the secondary, veteran corner Brent Grimes and safety Chris Conte leads a group that has been up-and-down in the past.

SPECIAL TEAMS: A team constantly plagued by issues in the kicking game, Tampa Bay tried to address them in the offseason by bringing in former Cardinals and Jets kicker Chandler Catanzaro, and punter Bryan Anger is also a steady veteran.