TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

'The Guy Is Dangerous'

Tribune photo by JAY CONNER

Drew Brees is the only quarterback this year to throw for more than 300 yards against the Bucs.

ADVERTISEMENT

By ROY CUMMINGS

rcummings@tampatrib.com

Published: November 29, 2008

Updated: 11/30/2008 12:14 am

AMPA - If you scroll down far enough on his MySpace page, you'll find New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is a big fan of the "Scary Movie" series.

"I like them all," he says of the horror film parodies.

We shouldn't be surprised. After all, Brees has produced a few horror films of his own. His victim's plight, though, is seldom a laughing matter.

Take his Texas Chainsaw-like massacre last week of the Green Bay Packers. Before Brees carved them up, the Packers were ranked third in the league in pass defense. Now they're ranked sixth.

"The guy is dangerous," said Bucs defensive tackle Chris Hovan, whose team has already been victimized once this year by Brees and the murderous Saints offense.

That was in the season opener, when Brees became the only quarterback this year to throw for more than 300 yards against the Bucs, throwing for 343 in a 24-20 Saints victory.

Now comes a chance today for the Bucs to exact some revenge as Brees and the Saints invade Raymond James Stadium, which has proved to be something of a graveyard for opposing teams.

The Bucs are unbeaten at home this year, having buried each of the five teams they've faced so far. Burying Brees and the Saints, though, is never easy, even if their 1-4 road record indicates otherwise.

"The guy's just superb," Bucs coach Jon Gruden said of Brees, who leads the league in passing yards and ranks second in pass attempts, completions, average gain per pass attempt and touchdowns.

As impressive as those numbers are, there is another most foes find even more impressive, one that makes Brees seem like one of those goons from a slasher movie that won't go down.

Though he's dropped back to pass a league-leading 433 times this year, Brees has been sacked just nine times. That's the fourth-fewest sacks in the league, and until that number changes, Brees will continue to haunt his opponents.

"You've got to pressure him," Hovan said, likening Brees to a vampire that dislikes sunlight. "He doesn't like pressure in his face. You saw what happens last week when you don't get pressure on him."

Virtually unfazed by Green Bay's pass rush, Brees threw for 323 yards and four touchdowns against the Packers, who were dealt a 51-29 death blow. The Bucs fear they'll be victimized in much the same way if they don't pressure Brees.

Pressuring Brees, though, is something the Bucs usually do a pretty good job of. They only got to him once in the season opener, but they got to him five times in two games last year and the Bucs won both.

"We're one of the few teams that's been able to create some pressure against him," Bucs linebacker Derrick Brooks said. "It doesn't have to come in the form of sacks. If we can just create an uncomfortable pocket, that's an advantage."

It's not the whole solution, however. Brees will get the ball out more often than not, and it falls on everyone behind the line to make plays. That, oftentimes, is where Saints foes fail.

Last week for example, wide receiver Lance Moore turned a 6-yard Brees pass into a 70-yard touchdown by eluding a series of Packers tacklers on his way to the end zone.

Later in the game, running back Pierre Thomas ran 31 yards, mostly untouched, for the touchdown that sealed the Saints victory. It's imperative to tackle well in this game, the Bucs say.

"It's all about tackling," Bucs safety Tanard Jackson said. "That's the best way to eliminate big plays against them. You've got to tackle them after a short gain. If you do, you give yourself a chance against them."

Sometimes not even good tackling can prevent big plays. On one play last week Brees simply aired the ball out to a streaking Marques Colston, who turned the catch into a second 70-yard touchdown pass.

It was the fifth touchdown pass of 70 yards or more this year for the Saints, whose list of pass plays of 30 yards is nearly as long as the all-time list of Dracula films.

Nine different Saints players have been involved in a "long" play this year, including three in the first meeting with the Bucs, who believe they would have beaten the Saints had they eliminated those plays.

"They thrive on the deep ball and on those explosion plays," said rookie cornerback Aqib Talib, who was burned for a touchdown in the opener. "We have to prevent that."

The best way to do that, the Bucs say, is to keep the play in front of them and to react quickly to the ball once it gets into the air. They also have to keep an eye on the Saints running backs.

"You have to be sure to stop the run, too," Brooks said. "They do have some explosive backs. And we're not just talking about Reggie Bush and Deuce McAllister. Pierre Thomas is explosive, too."

The whole Saints offense is explosive. That's part of what's made it the best in the league. It's a seemingly unstoppable object going up against an equally immovable force in the Bucs' fourth-ranked defense. And like a good horror flick, Hovan says he wouldn't miss it even if he weren't involved in it.

"This is one I'd tune in for," he said.

Reporter Roy Cummings can be reached at (813) 259-7979.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT