Buccaneers at Saints -- Week 15
Where: Mercedes Benz Superdome, New Orleans (turf, indooors)
When: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (Fox)
Records: Saints (5-8; NFC South 2-2); Bucs (6-7; NFC South 2-2)
Past results: Two most recent meetings -- Oct. 21, 2012: Saints 35, Bucs 28; Nov. 6, 2011: Saints 27, Bucs 16. Series record: Saints lead 23-18.
What matters: For both teams, there is little left to play for but pride. The Saints struggled to start this season and never really got into serious playoff contention, while Tampa Bay did surge in midseason and was in position to fight for an NFC wild-card spot until recently. The Buccaneers have lost their last three games, including on the last play last week against the Eagles -- all but ending their playoff chances.
Who matters: Tampa Bay DE Michael Bennett. With all due respect to the Bucs secondary, the odds of the pass defenders slowing Saints QB Drew Brees and company are somewhere between slim and none. The Buccaneers are the NFL's worst pass defense statistically for a reason. Bennett, having a career season, will have to get in the backfield often to disrupt the New Orleans passing game. He already has a career-high nine sacks this season, including a pair in last week's loss to the Eagles.
Key matchups: WR Vincent Jackson against the New Orleans secondary. Even if Bennett has a strong outing, Brees still will likely get his share of yards and points against the struggling Bucs defense. Tampa Bay could keep pace, though, if Jackson can play as well as he did in the teams' first meeting this season. He had 216 receiving yards and a touchdown reception on only seven catches, helping push the Bucs to an early 21-7 lead. Jackson should figure prominently into the team's game plan against a defense that allows almost as many passing yards (284.5 per game) as its own.
Injuries of note: DE Da'Quan Bowers and CB LeQuan Lewis are questionable for Tampa Bay. Bowers' issue is not listed as being injury related, and Lewis has a knee problem. Five Saints have already been ruled out, including OT Zach Strief and S Malcolm Jenkins.
Inside stuff: The statistics from the first meeting between these teams were almost completely even. The Saints ultimately won, though, in large part to their greater efficiency on third downs. New Orleans moved the chains on 9 of 15 third-down plays, and the Bucs were successful on 4 of 12.
Connections: The most prominent is Bucs OG Carl Nicks, who left the Saints as a free agent in the offseason. Nicks won't play a role in the outcome of this one, as he is on the injured reserve due to a toe issue and has not played since October.
Stat you should know: Points should be plentiful again Sunday, as this game matches two of the NFL's better offenses against two of the league's worst defenses. The Bucs and the Saints are in the bottom three in the NFL in total defense.
Record watch: Indeed, the New Orleans' defense is setting new marks for ineptitude, as the Saints are on pace to allow almost 7,000 yards, which would surpass the previous record set by the 1981 Baltimore Colts, who gave up 6,793.
Looking ahead: Tampa Bay will host St. Louis next Sunday. The Rams, at 6-6-1, are (albeit barely) in the NFC playoff race, and the Bucs could play spoiler.
Prediction: Saints 34, Bucs 31
For more from Tampa Bay Bucs blogger Patrick Southern, follow @CBSBucs on Twitter.
