New Orleans 38 @ Tampa Bay 3 Final - NBC

Scoring Plays:
1Q - NO - Drew Brees to Tre'Quan Smith 14 yd TD pass (PAT Good) | NO 7, TB 0
1Q - NO - Drew Brees to Adam Trautman 7 yd TD pass (PAT Good) | NO 14, TB 0
End of Quarter Score - New Orleans Saints 14, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0
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2Q - NO - Drew Brees to Emmanuel Sanders 12 yd TD pass (PAT Good) | NO 21, TB 0
2Q - NO - Alvin Kamara 1 yd TD rush (PAT Good) | NO 28, TB 0
2Q - NO - Wil Lutz 36 yd FG GOOD | NO 31, TB 0
End of Quarter Score - New Orleans Saints 31, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0
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3Q - NONE
End of Quarter Score - New Orleans Saints 31, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0
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4Q - NO - Drew Brees to Josh Hill 3 yd TD pass (PAT Good) | NO 38, TB 0
4Q - TB - Ryan Succop 48 yd FG GOOD | NO 38, TB 3
Final Score - New Orleans Saints 38, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 3
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Hello Who Dats & Who Datettes... it's the Week 9, Game 8 Thread of the 2020 Saints season.

And once again... we'll be waiting all day for Sunday night.

But this Sunday night match-up could be the biggest game of the season for your favorite football team and mine... as this game could end up determining who wins the NFC South Championship this year, as well as the guaranteed playoff home game that goes with it.

Quite simply, a win tonight by the Saints gives the Who Dats essentially a 1.5 game lead over Tampa Bay due to the head-to-head tiebreaker thanks to the Saints already holding a victory over the Bucs back in week 1. And with the next game against a team currently with a winning record not until week 15 at home vs. Kansas City, there's a huge opportunity here to really blow things open.

Of course, when Tom Brady is on the other sideline, nothing is ever safe. And now Brady has a new weapon to throw to in the no-longer-suspended Antonio Brown... which adds to the list of deadly targets he already has in Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Rob Gronkowski, & Leonard Fournette. This was a stat I heard called out last week that was surprising and yet not surprising at the same time... Tom Brady has never been swept by a divisional opponent in his NFL career.

But the focus on the Bucs should be as much their defense as it is their offense. Led by Jason Pierre-Paul & Ndamukong Suh along the line as well as ex-LSU Tiger Devin White & Lavonte David at linebacker, the TB front 7 is one of the most decorated in the NFL. But if the Saints OL can give Drew time, the back side of the TB D is somewhat susceptible.

The Saints have to be feeling somewhat high coming into the game. They've navigated a tough stretch fairly well without their top 2 wide receivers for the most part and will come into tonight's game expecting to get both Michael Thomas & Emmanuel Sanders back in the line-up. Considering injuries on both sides of the ball, the Saints will be coming into tonight's game the healthiest they've been since... well... the week 1 meeting against Tampa Bay.

Recapping that week 1 win back on September 13th... Alvin Kamara scored two TDs & Janoris Jenkins pick-6ed Brady to help the Saints jump out to a 24-7 lead in the 3rd quarter and the Saints held off a late surge for a 34-23 win over Tampa Bay

LET'S MAKE IT 5 STRAIGHT AND CHUCK THE BUCS BACK OUT OF FIRST PLACE IN THE NFC SOUTH!!!!!

Injury Report: (Players only currently on the 53-man roster who have a game designation from the Friday injury report listed here)
NO-
Michael Thomas (Ankle/Hamstring) QUESTIONABLE

TB-
Ali Marpet (Concussion) OUT
Chris Godwin (Finger) QUESTIONABLE

Weather: Well ain't this a mess. After Hurricane Zeta messed with the Saints preps for Chicago last week, Tropical Storm Eta will be causing issues for tonight's game. By the time kickoff rolls around, the chance of rain will be nearing 80% with winds blowing 25-35 mph with higher gusts as Eta moves nearby.

Uniforms: Primetime. Big game. Gettin' dirty in tropical storm conditions. Can only mean 1 thing... Color Rush



Current Standings:
NFC South:
Buccaneers 6-2
Saints 5-2
Falcons 3-6
Panthers 3-6

Betting Line: Buccaneers (-4.5) O/U 51

Want to listen to Zach Strief, Deuce McAllister, & Steve Geller instead of Al Michaels, Cris Collinsworth, & Michele Tafoya?
Find your local Saints Radio Network affiliate at this link

Today's Officials: (all officiating crews are subject to change)
Referee: #35 John Hussey


Umpire: #81 Roy Ellison
Down Judge: #40 Brian Bolinger
Line Judge: #100 Tom Symonette
Field Judge: #22 Steve Zimmer
Side Judge: #56 Allen Baynes
Back Judge: #27 Grantis Bell
Replay Official: TBA
Replay Assistant: TBA
**Due to "regionalization" of crews due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hussey has only 1 member of his 2019 crew back this season, side judge Allen Baynes. Back judge Grantis Bell is a rookie NFL official this season.**

Inactive Lists:
NO-
CB Ken Crawley
OL Derrick Kelly
RB Ty Montgomery

TB-
QB Ryan Griffin
WR Justin Watson
RB Ke'Shawn Vaughn
G Ali Marpet
DL Khalil Davis