Predictions Summary Projections by Position Projection Team Boxes

table td.bg-light-yellow {
background: #ffffcc; }

Prediction: NO 24, TB 13 (Line: NO by 4)

This is a replay of week 5 when the Saints won 37-31. This is also a chance for the Buccaneers to nail down that #1 overall pick in the NFL draft.

This has been a nightmare season for the Saints who played brilliantly at times and yet flopped hard in many other games. The defense that Rob Ryan resurrected from the ashes into a formidable unit is burning brightly once again though in fairness had more injuries than it could handle. Brandin Cooks looked promising prior to his exit in week 12 and the rushing game was rediscovered. It was hiding behind Mark Ingram all this time. But an uneven year and a down year for Drew Brees comes to a merciful end with what should be a win.

QUARTERBACK : It wasn’t so much a bad season for Drew Brees as it just wasn’t the elite stats we have been used to seeing. Brees already totaled 32 touchdowns and 4671 yards but he had five games with a single score including just last week in Atlanta. Brees passed for 371 yards and two scores when the Bucs visited in week five.

RUNNING BACK : Overall this has been a great year for Mark Ingram with eight touchdowns and four games over 100 rushing yards. The Saints opted to let him get heavier use and the result was the best rushing stats by an individual back in many years. Ingram was out when the Saints played the Bucs and Khiry Robinson filled in and gained 89 yards and a score on 21 runs for his best game of the year. Pierre Thomas has been stuck around 50 or so total yards in most weeks but left the game last week with a foot injury. I will assume he returns at least in a limited capacity but Khiry Robinson would take his place if needed.

WIDE RECEIVER : Brandin Cooks was just starting to score and turn in nice yardage when he left in week 12. Cooks caught nine passes for 56 yards against the Bucs and will return in 2015 to be the shifty slot receiver. Kenny Stills stepped up in his absence and turns in over 60 yards in almost every game including 162 yards in Pittsburgh. Marques Colston ended with just three catches for 63 yards in week five but scored in three of the last five weeks. His yardage tends to remain moderate each week and he topped out at 82 yards over the last nine games.

TIGHT END : For a tight end, Jimmy Graham again resides in the elite few difference makers in his position and he’s scored ten times on the year but his yardage is off the pace of last year and he turned in four games with sub-30 yards and no scores. Graham only caught two passes for 36 yards in the first meeting with Bucs and scored in just two of the last five games.

MATCH TO THE DEFENSE: Nothing to play for and it is a road game but the weather should be good and the defense very bad. There are no players they need to take a longer look at so the standard should apply here. Brees, Ingram, Graham and Colston deserve the most consideration.

The Buccaneers are just one loss away from winning the Mariota Sweepstakes though the needs are deep and wide on this team. HC Lovie Smith’s first season may have improved the defense incrementally but the offense never had any traction and the rushing effort became the worse despite using the same runners from the previous season. Smith may not even make to his second season but the Buccaneers need some stability and continuity. The Buccaneers somehow scored 31 points in New Orleans but in the ten successive games only once had more than 17 points. The only real progress made to the offense was discovering that Mike Evans is a magnet for touchdowns.

QUARTERBACK : Mike Glennon was the starter in week five and threw for 249 yards and two scores in New Orleans. Josh McCown only scored four times over the last five games while breaking 200 yards only once. The offense has not scored more than 17 points for the last five weeks.

RUNNING BACK : Doug Martin was a bitter disappointment this year and has just two scores and 386 rushing yards on the season. This is the same back who gained 1454 yards and 22 touchdowns as a rookie plus caught 49 passes for 472 yards. Martin broke 50 yards in a game only twice. Charles Sims was the next hopeful who proved even less effective than Martin. Both runners were productive in their pasts but the offensive line and play calling doomed their year. The Buccaneers did have problems with the offensive coordinator who was ill this year and since released.

WIDE RECEIVER : Louis Murphy is also on injured reserve now. Mike Evans winds down a rookie season that already has 11 touchdowns and three 100 yard games including 209 yards in Washington. Evans was out in the first meeting with the Saints and has been on a five game stretch where he never topped 50 yards. He scored four times in that span but his catches and yardage have really declined. Vincent Jackson hasn’t scored since week four but he’s been pretty solid with yardage and recorded three games with more than 100 yards including eight catches for 144 yards in New Orleans.

TIGHT END : No fantasy value. Austin Seferian-Jenkins scored twice all year and never made an impact. He’s been placed on injured reserve and will hope to have a year two breakout.

MATCH TO THE DEFENSE: Hard to say what to expect here because the rushing offense has all but disappeared and Mike Evans just turns in moderate yardage and maybe a touchdown. Evans and Jackson are the only two considerations here and last game of a very bad season makes them hard to predict.

table td.bg-light-yellow {
background: #ffffcc; }