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Bucs' Five Keys To Victory

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The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 7, 2008

No.1

The Saints allowed their opponents to throw an NFL-high 32 touchdown passes against them last year. They planned to fix the problem by adding a cornerback in the draft but chose a defensive tackle (Sedrick Ellis) instead. The Saints did add some new pieces to the secondary but Randall Gay isn't good enough to start, even here, and Aaron Glenn, is 36, so the additions may not make much of a difference. The Bucs have to try to attack this area of weakness today, and that means going deep. What it shouldn't mean is going deep solely to Joey Galloway. Galloway caught 11 passes for 294 yards and two touchdowns against the Saints last year and is an obvious deep target but he'll draw a lot of double coverages. The Bucs have other receivers who should be able to get deep against this secondary. When they do, QB Jeff Garcia has to hit them. That will open room for the running backs and short passing attack, and it could lead to a big play and score.

No.2

Here's a stat that may surprise you: during the past two seasons, Saints QB Drew Brees has thrown for more passing yards (8,841) than either Peyton Manning or Tom Brady. One of the keys to his success is his ability to stay upright. Despite throwing 652 times last year, Brees was sacked just 16 times. If the Bucs are going to keep the Saints offense from blowing up all around them, they have to get to Brees. The way to do it is with quickness. Brees gets rid of the ball in a hurry so Gaines Adams, Greg White and Jovan Haye need to be quick off the ball and they need to be even quicker getting their hands up as they break through the line. Brees is only 6 feet tall so he has a tendency to get some passes batted down. If the Bucs can bat down a pass and rough up Brees a bit, they can slow the Saints offense.

No.3

The Bucs tied for third in the league with 35 takeaways last year. But only two of those takeaways, an interception return by Ronde Barber and a fumble recovery by Barber, were returned for touchdowns. The Bucs have to do better. This is another area in which the Bucs have applied more emphasis this year and with their added speed and playmaking ability on defense, they should succeed in scoring more defensive touchdowns. The Saints will throw the ball a lot today so the opportunities to make big plays in the secondary and turn them into touchdowns will be there. The Bucs don't want to force things here, but if someone comes up with a pick, the rest of the defenders have to be ready to go on offense and throw some key blocks. If they can do that they could take the crowd out of the game and demoralize the Saints.

No.4

The Bucs didn't have much trouble moving the ball between the 20s last year. They probably won't have much trouble moving the ball between the 20s this year. The key to improving overall as an offense is to improve in the red zone. The Bucs ranked 26th in the league in that area last year, scoring just 19 touchdowns in 45 red-zone opportunities. They're up against a team that last year ranked first in the league in red-zone efficiency and kicker Matt Bryant is still struggling to find his form, so it's best the Bucs don't lean on him. Finishing drives better is one of the things the Bucs emphasized during the offseason and they have to do that today. The Bucs have plenty of red-zone options, including a new tight end (John Gilmore) whom opponents may not consider above the others. No matter how they choose to do it the Bucs have to score more when the opportunity presents itself.

No.5

The Saints have one of the most explosive offenses in all of football. Any time you play them you have to play a little defense with your offense and that means trying to keep the ball out of the Saints' hands. The best way to do that is to run the ball and eat the clock. With a strong offensive line and plenty of depth at running back, the Bucs have the ability to do that. But keeping the ball away from the Saints is not the only reason the Bucs should run the ball today. The Saints sought to improve their defense in the offseason but most of their attempt was aimed at improving the pass rush. They are still a little vulnerable to a strong rush up front, especially in the middle. If the Bucs can attack that area successfully they could succeed in scoring and keeping the ball away from the Saints.

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