How To Beat The Saints

November 4th, 2017

Key to win Sunday?

On paper, there is just no way in hell the Bucs should beat the Saints tomorrow.

But games are not played on paper, as we all well know.

As a result, Matt Bowen of BSPN believes he has a game plan for the Bucs to beat the Saints. One of a few ideas Bowen offered was to use two tight ends and follow that up with a strong run game.

When the Saints bring in their nickel package? Tampa Bay should reduce the formation and run the ball. When they stay in base defense? Now Tampa can flex out Howard or use Brate to match up to a linebacker or safety. This is about maximizing personnel and increasing Howard’s role in the game plan given his enormous talent level.

The rookie Howard has three touchdowns and 221 receiving yards, but he has caught only 13 passes on 20 targets from Winston. The Bucs need more there.

That’s why I’d put both tight ends on the field and challenge the Saints to match up. Seam routes, quick stick routes to pick up the chains on third down, and throws inside of the numbers where both Howard and Brate can catch and go. This is how Tampa Bay can set the matchups and control the flow of the game.

This sounds great, again, on paper.

Joe understands some Bucs fans are not happy with winning Bucs coach Dirk Koetter for not feeding Doug Martin the rock 25 times a game. But if Martin isn’t getting the job done, and he rarely has in two calendar years, what’s the point?

25 Responses to “How To Beat The Saints”

  1. darin Says:

    Yeah Joe not a lot of anyone getting the job done. The defense is pathetic so running the ball with efficiency would at least play keep away from brees. As bad as it sounds Im almost rooting for draft position and new coaching at this point. Bad team, soft. Carrying around a small mother effing cane

  2. DB55 Says:

    I’d sub gmc out the game on every 3rd&short and goal line situation and 3rd and long. Put in Clinton and Baker and maybe they have a chance at stopping them.

  3. DB55 Says:

    As a matter of fact I’d just take him out the game after the 1st qrt he’s useless after that anyway.

  4. LakeLand Says:

    The key to beating the Saints, keep their RBs in check. And make Drew Brees beat you with his arm. He’s prone to throwing picks, when he can’t go to his RBs.

  5. DB55 Says:

    Lake

    What I would do is line up Mike Thomas on vh3 all game and just throw to Thomas all game. Then hit Ginn long cuz our safeties suck and are never in position to help over the top.

    Pay attention to short yardage plays and see how often they run to gmcs side. Tell me I’m trippin

  6. LakeLand Says:

    Yeah Michael Thomas destroyed VH3 last season.

  7. Kobe Faker Says:

    Desparate times calls for desparate measures

    We all know the bucs has to score to have a chance to win this game or be competitive

    I will sacrifice myself in behalf of all the buc sheep…

    If klueless koetter targets OJSTOCKER 6 times or more

  8. Kobe Faker Says:

    I will not post until the grudog regime arrives

  9. LakeLand Says:

    Lol Kobe Faker

    O.J.Howard may get 10 targets tomorrow

    I rather go after the Saints LBs than going after their CBs

  10. Dewey Selmon Says:

    Kobe, ur word means nothing on this board.

  11. BucTrooper Says:

    That actually sounds like a game plan. The Buccaneers have no experience in having one of those.

  12. The Buc Realist Says:

    This is a division game, and usually it never lines up as it should on paper!!!!!!! everyone thinking that the saints have this game in the bag!!!!! The Realist is not so Sure!!!!!!!!!!

    Go Bucs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  13. JimmyJack Says:

    Well the Saints have struggled at stopping the run so it’d just be flat out stupid to not try battle test them. I’m pretty sure I heard one of the radio guys say they don’t have that great of a passrush but are piling up the sack by bringing the house with a heavy blitz package……..I know the little quick routes aren’t Dirks thang but ,again, stupid to not attack their weaknesses…..epically considering driving the ball methodically will keep our Defense fresh and Drew Bress cold.

    Then comes the Defense. It would be quite refreshing to see our guys play a game and not missing assignments, leaving vast areas of field unmanned.

    Now if we do all that then we just have to overcome the lil hurdle of dealing with both lines getting dominated physically.

    If all else fails we can always hope the Saints just don’t show up ready to play and hand us the game……….. but I’d keep the liquor on hand. That may be the wisest way to look at this game from a fans perspective.

  14. Defense Rules Says:

    Realist, you got me thinking. What would it take for Bucs to beat the Saints tomorrow in New Orleans? So I looked back at the last 5 games we played them in the Superdome. Saints beat us 4 times starting in 2012; we beat them once (2015) there. But that one victory is interesting. It was the only 1 of the 5 games where Bucs out-rushed them (we ran it 35 times for 139 yds in that game … Martin had 21 runs for 78 yds & Sims had 8 runs for 38 yds – Jameis ran 6 times for 23 yds). Only game where we won the turnover battle (by 1). Saints won every other stat that game … but lost. Drew Brees had a fair day, for him (24-for-38 for 255 yds) while Jameis passed quite little, for him (14-for-21 for 207 yds). Hmmm, maybe Matt Bowen is on to something. But please, don’t tell Joe that we’ll need Martin to run more & Jameis to pass less to beat the Saints. Not enough craft beer in Tampa to settle him down if Martin runs well & Bucs win because of it.

  15. Tampabaybucfan Says:

    Still calling him “winning” coach Dirk Koetter……I don’t think that’s stupidity but it could be stubbornness sarcasm or silliness.

    I think Koetter would be embarrassed.

  16. SmokeymountainBucfan Says:

    it Will never happen. Dork wants to air it out. Damn sure won’t be able to run it with #22 anyways He will be suspended again soon… watch and see he’s not right, different cat than he used to be

  17. Ray Rice Says:

    Aunt Geraldine will come out to play and be amped up. Unfortunately, after the first run play when he gets trucked he will fold like a lawn chair as usual. Baskin Robbins for everyone! What a guy!

    https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=KEgb31ekTYI

  18. Owlykat Says:

    If you all remember back to my comments after our draft when most were giddy about “Genius” Licht’s picks, I warned that the GMs in all our other teams in our Division had better drafts than we did and I was concerned that would give them the upward hand over us in our Division, and now here we sit last in our Division. I have also pointed out how useless Glennon is ever since he was drafted but was rebuffed by the Glennon Mob here. Where are they now after they hoped he’d get his chance to start and show what a franchise QB he is. He is sitting on the bench til his guaranteed money runs out and he gets cut and out of the league for good. So the only way the Bucs can win tomorrow is by sacking their QB often, and since Licht didn’t get us DEs in the draft or free agency and didn’t improve either of our OL or DL, the Bucs are just playing for high draft choices in 2018, and if smart will fire Licht the Loser at the end of this year.

  19. Eric Says:

    Martin at his best is a tiny bit above average.

  20. Eric Says:

    Martin at his best is a tiny bit above average.

  21. passthebuc Says:

    Seam routes require timing and accuracy. Something JW does not have. The way he stares down his receivers, the quick seam routes will end up in tipped interceptions.

  22. DallasBuc Says:

    The ones not getting the job done are the overrated bums on this putrid, soft Licht crafted oline led by sacred cow Donovan Smith.
    We go nowhere as an organization with Licht effing up all the decisions

  23. Cobraboy Says:

    Saints, 34-10

  24. unbelievable Says:

    DB- c’mon we’ve already been down this road man.

    GMC’s sacks by quarter for his career are basically split evenly between the 1st, 2nd, and 4th quarters. I believe only 10% of his sacks came during the 3rd quarter.

    So this narrative about only showing up in the 1st quarter is just false. He has about 30% of his sacks / tackles in the 1st quarter through his career…

  25. Mike Johnson Says:

    Beat the Saints? You kiddin me? Give me some of that Kush you smokin there Joe!! I’ll wash your car for 6 straight months if we beat the Saints. today Ain’t happening. Not this Sunday.