On September 13, 2020, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers squared off against the New Orleans Saints in a nationally televised game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The game was the debut of Tom Brady in a Bucs uniform, facing off for the first of two matchups this season against fellow future Hall of Famer and 40-plus-year-old quarterback Drew Brees. The Saints drew first blood, defeating the Bucs 34-23 in an entertaining battle featuring wild momentum swings (including the Saints scoring 24 unanswered points after falling behind in the first quarter). Here are some observations from a Bucs point of view.
Tom Brady
Brady was inconsistent. While he threw 2 touchdowns and rushed for another, he also threw 2 interceptions. His first one set up a short field for the Saints, leading to a touchdown run by Saints running back Alvin Kamara. The other interception was returned for a touchdown by Saints cornerback Janoris Jenkins. He did showcase excellent accuracy at times, throwing a nice deep pass to receiver Chris Godwin on the sidelines during the first drive. In the fourth quarter, he threw a beautiful touchdown in the back corner of the end zone to receiver Mike Evans.
Chemistry with Brady and the Wide Receivers
Brady showcased immediate chemistry with Pro Bowler Chris Godwin (6 catches for 79 yards) and second-year receiver Scotty Miller (5 catches for 73 yards). He did not display great chemistry, however, with future Hall of Fame tight end Rob Gronkowski (whom he played with for ten seasons with the Patriots) and Mike Evans (three Pro Bowls in his six seasons in the NFL), as those two players combined for 3 catches for 13 yards.
Running Backs
The Bucs have a deep running back unit, with 2018 second round pick Ronald Jones, recently signed Leonard Fournette (two 1000 yard seasons in his three years in the league), and 32-year old LeSean McCoy. There were questions in terms of how the workload would be distributed. During the game, Ronald Jones was the workhorse back, logging 17 carries. Fournette had just five rushes, and McCoy was exclusively used in the passing game (one reception)
Bucs Defense
The Bucs defense flashed tremendous speed and explosiveness, led by underrated linebacker Lavonte David (two All-Pro selections) and Devin White (who had a solid rookie year last season). They combined for 22 tackles and 4.5 tackles for loss. As a whole, the Bucs had 11 tackles for loss against the Saints’ vaunted rushing attack led by superstar Alvin Kamara and the steady Latavius Murray. This run defense performance represented a continuation from last season, when the Bucs had the top-ranked rushing defense in terms of both yards allowed and yards per attempt.
Special Teams
The Bucs had multiple special teams gaffes. The Saints blocked a field goal attempt by Bucs kicker Ryan Succop in the second quarter, costing them a potential three points. In the fourth quarter, following an Emmanuel Sanders touchdown and a Bucs facemask penalty, the Saints did a pooch kick to try and pin the Bucs deep. Special teamer Jaydon Mickens received the kick, but safety Mike Edwards, running backwards, tried to catch it over his shoulder. Edwards collided with Mickens, leading to a fumble, which Bennie Fowler of the Saints recovered. On the following drive, Saints kicker Wil Lutz drilled a 21- yard field goal, giving the Saints a 17 point lead.
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