New Orleans Saints’ defense keeps the Buccaneers at bay to win 9-0.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers put on a disappointing showing against the Saints. The New Orleans Saints were a defensive juggernaut from start to finish on Sunday night. They effectively shut out Tom Brady and the Buccaneers in a 9-0 win. This marked only the third time Brady has been shut out in his career and the first time since 2006. Brady was just 29 years old the last time this happened. A time when no current NFL defensive players were in the league. The 255-game streak without being shut out preserves the record held by the former Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
According to ESPN Stats & Information, Tampa was the second-largest Super Bowl-era favorite to be shut out by the opposing team, and the first double-digit favorite to be shut out since 1994. This was also the first time a team leading the NFL in scoring was kept scoreless in December or January, according to NBC. Such statistics make for gloom reading if you’re a fan of Tampa Bay.
The Saints Defense
The Saints were unbelievable on fefense although rather passive on offense. On another day, they might not have gotten away with such sloppy offense. Taysom Hill never found any rhythm, and Alvin Kamara was stuffed on the ground. They really came alive when it was time to defend. With four sacks, two from Cameron Jordan including a killer strip of Brady on a late scramble, they just looked like the side who wanted it more.
On the back end, they were just as strong, capitalizing on the absence of Evans and Godwin to stay on top of routes and deservedly seal the victory. Acting head coach Dennis Allen, who is also the team’s defensive coordinator was once again astute. He has done an excellent job against Brady in all five matchups between these two teams, with Brady only managing to win one of them.
