With a 30-20 win over the New Orleans Saints, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are on their way to the NFC Championship game and a date with the Packers at Lambeau. Tom Brady, Mike Evans and Devin White were most notable for carrying the Bucs to a win.
Heading Into The Game
Prior to the game, there was speculation that the Bucs may be without RB Ronald Jones II, but he was cleared. However, the Saints notably lacked the presence of gadget player and backup QB Taysom Hill, due to injury. Oddwise, the Saints had a prediction of a win by 2.5 points coming into the game. Around the time of kickoff, multiple reports stated that legendary Saints QB Drew Brees, would be retiring following the season or game, should they lose.
Game Stats
The game for the most part was a back and forth affair. It also saw the slow collapse of the Saints, who had trounced the Bucs during the regular season. This was not the same however, as Brees in what was likely his final game, threw three interceptions and had a meer 134 passing yards on 34 attempts with one touchdown. TE Jared Cook also turned the ball over, fumbling to make it four turnovers on the day.
Bucs QB Tom Brady also did not have his finest outing as he threw just 199 passing yards on 33 attempts with 2 touchdowns. However, this was obviously enough to get the job done. On the ground, Bucs RBs Leonard Fournette and Ronald Jones II combined for over 100 yards on the ground. This was nearly matched by Saints RB Alvin Kamara having over 100 total yards.
Game Recap
In the first quarter, the Saints thrived by way of Will Lutz, who hit two field goals following excellent returns (one negated) by returner Deonte Harris. However, the Bucs came roaring back in the second, behind a Ryan Succop field goal and a touchdown from Brady to wideout Mike Evans. But, the Saints would not vanish without a fight as in their next drive, they would unleash chaos. This was by backup QB Jameis Winston throwing a gadget TD to wideout Tre’Quan Smith. As time expired in the second, Succop tied the game back up at 13 apiece.
In the third quarter, Smith found the endzone again on a pass from Brees near the five-minute mark. Shortly thereafter, Leonard Fournette was able to hit paydirt on a six-yard pass from Brady to tie the game back up heading to the fourth. The fourth saw the downfall of New Orleans as early on, Succop hit another field goal to give the Bucs back the lead. On the Saints’ next drive, Drew Brees intended to hit Alvin Kamara for a gain. Instead, it was an interception by linebacker and widely-considered Pro Bowl snub Devin White, giving the Bucs back the lead. This lead to the Bucs scoring yet again, before Brees threw another interception, sealing the game and sending the Bucs to face the Packers.
What’s next for the Bucs?
Next Sunday, the Bucs will have a date with destiny as they square off with the #1 seed in the playoffs. This is the Green Bay Packers, led by probable league MVP Aaron Rodgers. Should they win, the Bucs go on to play the winner of Bills-Chiefs in Super Bowl 55, ironically in Tampa. The game will be on FOX next Sunday, as said previously, at 3:05 PM EST.