The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (6-2) came away with a narrow victory over the New York Giants on Monday Night Football. This week, they look to exact revenge and take a 1.5 game lead in the NFC South over the New Orlean Saints.
Brady, Brees Meet Again
Since the week one loss to the Saints the Buccaneers have won six out of seven games. The Bucs have rounded into form on offense despite a number of injuries and Tom Brady’s performance has been far better since Week 1. This Sunday night game could be a thriller as the two great quarterbacks go head to head as they battle for the win and also the all-time regular-season touchdown lead. Currently, Brady (561) has a one-touchdown lead over Brees (560). It will likely get passed back-and-forth for the foreseeable future.
Wide Receiver Antonio Brown Makes His Buccaneers Debut Sunday
Not only will Chris Godwin make his return Sunday but Antonio Brown is expected to make his Buccaneer debut as well. Browns’ last appearance on an NFL football field came with the Patriots last season but lasted just one game and 11 days. Since then, it’s been a roller coaster of a ride for Brown who just finished serving the eight-game suspension he received for an off-the-field incident that occurred during his hiatus from the league. It’s obvious Brady wanted Brown in the mix given the actions taken by Brady to get Brown the help he needed. Between 2013 and 2018 Brown, averaged 114.3 catches, 1,524 yards, and 11 touchdowns.
With all three receivers in the mix, Scotty Miller could see a lot of open field on Sunday. Granted he may be the fourth receiver now with the addition of Antonio Brown but he’s a huge asset to the offense. Miller leads the Buccaneers in receiving yards with 400. and averages 16-yards per catch.
For Drew Brees and the Saints, wide receiver Michael Thomas could be making his return to the field Sunday night. Thomas has missed the last six games with a hamstring injury. He hasn’t seen the field since the Saints Week 1 win over the Buccaneers. Through his first four NFL seasons, Thomas has averaged 117 catches, 1,378 yards, and eight touchdowns. In addition, Emmanuel Sanders could return to the field as well. Sanders was on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Stakes Are High At the Midway Point
At the end of the day, this is a very important game that could determine a whole bunch of seeding scenarios in the future. The Bucs should expect a better game than their Week 1 performance simply because of the time that the team has been able to play together. Remember, that first game was the first time any of the offense had played with Tom Brady.
The Bucs defense has been getting stronger each week and should help dictate the game Brees has. However, it’s not necessarily Brees they should be concerned with. Running back Alvin Kamara is one of the most dynamic playmakers at the running back position in the league. The Bucs limited Kamara to just 16 yards on 12 carries and will have to do that again.
This game has the makings of a Sunday Night classic. Two Hall of Fame quarterbacks. Two of the best teams in the NFC. First place in the NFC South on the line. It doesn’t get much better than this.
