Scoring Plays:
1Q - NO - Brett Maher 39 yd FG GOOD | NO 3, TB 0
End of Quarter Score - New Orleans Saints 3, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
2Q - NO - Brett Maher 35 yd FG GOOD | NO 6, TB 0
End of Quarter Score - New Orleans Saints 6, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
3Q - NONE
End of Quarter Score - New Orleans Saints 6, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
4Q - NO - Brett Maher 42 yd FG GOOD | NO 9, TB 0
Final Score - New Orleans Saints 9, Tampa Bay Buccaneers 0
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hello Who Dats & Who Datettes and welcome to the week 15/game 14 thread! And as this is the final game before Christmas... I'd like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

After finally ending the team's first 5-game losing streak in 16 seasons, the Saints play their 1st of 2 straight national primetime games, looking to complete the only divisional sweep they have on the table this season by knocking off Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl Champion Buccaneers for the second time this season.

We all remember what happened 7 weeks ago when we met Tampa Bay in the Superdome... former LSU Tiger Devin White grabbed Jameis Winston along the nameplate on the back of his jersey and yanked him down... tearing his ACL and dooming the Saints to 4+ games of Trevor Siemian at QB as Siemian came in and did well enough to lead the Saints to a win over the champs, thanks mostly to a defense that just seems to know how to defend Brady and his weapons when healthy.

And the mastermind of that defense will be in charge of the whole team tonight as Dennis Allen takes over the reigns as acting head coach with Sean Payton sidelined with COVID-19.

And while Coach Payton may have COVID now, the Saints are getting some needed returns from COVID as both Cam Jordan & Mark Ingram return following COVID isolation. Also, Adam Trautman returns tonight from injury as the Saints seem to get more and more healthy just in time for a late run to sneak into a wild card playoff spot.

The Buccaneers will be without WR Antonio Brown & DB Mike Edwards tonight as they serve the final of their 3-game suspension for misrepresenting their COVID vaccination statuses.

LET'S STUN & SWEEP THE CHAMPS AND SET OURSELVES UP FOR A POSTSEASON RUN!!!

Injury Report:
NO- (players on IR - like Winston, Peat, Kpassagnon, & Lutz - won't be listed here)
Ryan Ramczyk - Knee - OUT
Terron Armstead - Knee - OUT
Garrett Griffin - Hamstring - OUT
Kaden Elliss - Hamstring - QUESTIONABLE
Lil'Jordan Humphrey - Hamstring - QUESTIONABLE

TB-
Jamel Dean - Illness - OUT
Richard Sherman - Achilles - DOUBTFUL
Leonard Fournette - Ankle - QUESTIONABLE
Antoine Winfield - Foot - QUESTIONABLE
Jordan Whitehead - Calf - QUESTIONABLE

Weather: Winter in South Florida... mid-to-low 70s with a slight chance of rain that will peak just before kickoff. Winds will also come from the east or southeast around and decreasing from 10 MPH earlier in the day through the game.

Uniforms: The white jersey gold pants combo worked last week... so let's use those again.

Current Standings:
NFC South:
Buccaneers 10-3
Falcons 6-7
Saints 6-7
Panthers 5-8

Betting Lines: Buccaneers (-11.5); O/U 45.5

Want to listen to Mike Hoss, 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:
Referee: #35 John Hussey

Umpire: #76 Alan Eck
Down Judge: #53 Sarah Thomas
Line Judge: #101 Carl Johnson
Field Judge: #26 Jabir Walker
Side Judge: #56 Allen Baynes
Back Judge: #88 Brad Freeman
Replay Official: Jamie Nicholson
Replay Assistant: Denise Crudup

Inactive Lists:
NO-
QB Ian Book
CB Ken Crawley
T Terron Armstead
T Ryan Ramczyk
LB Kaden Elliss
WR Kenny Stills

TB-
QB Kyle Trask
CB Richard Sherman
S Antoine Winfield, Jr.
CB Jamel Dean
RB Kenjon Barner

This post was edited on 12/19/21 at 10:19 pm