3 Reasons the Buccaneers Will Blow Out the Saints in Week 2

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers showed that they should not be left out of the Super Bowl conversation with a dominant 19-3 Week 1 win over the Dallas Cowboys. Up next on the schedule is a matchup against the New Orleans Saints, an NFC South rival that got the best of them twice last season.

Oddsmakers don't see the Buccaneers struggling this time around, though. NFL odds on FanDuel Sportsbook list Tampa Bay as a 2.5-point road favorite against New Orleans on Sunday. Let's take a look at three reasons quarterback Tom Brady and the rest of the team will secure a blowout win.

Buccaneers vs Saints Week 2

1. Saints' Lack of Pass Rush

New Orleans needed a late field goal to get by the Atlanta Falcons by a score of 27-26 in Week 1. One reason the Saints found themselves down on the scoreboard for most of the game was an underwhelming pass rush. No one on the defense recorded a sack in the game and Marcus Mariota had all day to find an open receiver. The Buccaneers know that sacks cost them drives in matchups against the Saints last year and should have a better game plan on Sunday. Tampa Bay also only allowed 2.0 sacks in Week 1, both coming from second-year phenom Micah Parsons.

2. A Dominating Defense

While the Saints presented some clear problems on defense in Week 1, the Buccaneers simply looked unstoppable on defense. Tampa Bay allowed only 3.9 yards per carry and 8.2 yards per completion against the Cowboys. Both of those marks ranked among the top half of NFL teams. Devin White was constantly in the opposing backfield and ended the day with 8.0 tackles and 2.0 sacks. Keep in mind White has logged 56.0 tackles (3.0 for loss) and 1 pass breakup across five career games against New Orleans. He hasn't been able to grab that elusive first sack, though. Expect that to change on Sunday as he gets to Jameis Winston early and often.

3. A motivated Tom Brady

This one isn't too hard to explain. Tom Brady has lost all four of his games against the Saints since joining the Buccaneers and was shutout for the first time in his career against this New Orleans team in 2021. It's safe to say he is going to do everything he can to make sure his team is ahead when the final whistle blows on Sunday. Brady has posted an 111-50 record on the road in his career and is 12-5 on the road as the Tampa Bay starting quarterback. Playing in Caesars Superdome shouldn't scare a former MVP that is on a mission in 2022.

Larry Rupp is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Larry Rupp also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username phillyfan424. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.