Saints @ Buccaneers
Final Score: Saints 9, Buccaneers 0
Writer: Corey Saucier (@Deputy_Commish on Twitter, /u/Lights_Kamara_Action on Reddit)
Sunday night’s matchup between the Saints and Bucs may have just been the most frustrating matchup imaginable for fantasy playoff purposes. Zero total touchdowns were scored, Bucs’ QB Tom Brady was shutout for the first time in 15 years, and the Saints squeezed out a 9-0 victory with the help of three K Brett Maher field goals. I was interested to see what the Saints’ offensive gameplan would look like with head coach Sean Payton unavailable due to a positive Covid test, and with their defense playing so well they really played it safe and didn’t force anything. The Saints’ defense frustrated Brady all night – sacking him 4 times and turning him over twice.
Meanwhile, Tampa Bay’s defense also stood up to the challenge and kept New Orleans’ offense out of the end-zone themselves. But the biggest story of the night was the massive pile of injuries sustained by the Buccaneers. WR Chris Godwin (knee), WR Mike Evans (hamstring), and RB Leonard Fournette (hamstring) were all knocked out of the game with injuries and didn’t return. Godwin and Evans were both injured in the first half and Fournette was injured early in the third quarter. Once Evans and Godwin left the game, the Bucs leaned on Fournette in the passing game – all of Fournette’s 7 catches were completed in the first half. But in the end, a handful of big passing plays between Saints’ QB Taysom Hill and WR Marquez Callaway made the difference in the game. What did this dud of a game mean for your fantasy playoff matchup? Let’s dive into what we saw:
New Orleans Saints
Quarterbacks
Taysom Hill: 13/27, 154 yards| 11 carries, 33 yards
It wasn’t an impressive night for Saints’ QB Taysom Hill on Sunday night as far as fantasy production is concerned, even though a shutout win over the defending Super Bowl champs is nothing to shake a stick at. Hill and the Saints’ offense were blanked for most of the second half, failing to register even a first down after halftime until the fourth quarter. But as I mentioned in the opener, Hill hooked up with Marquez Callaway for big gainers a handful of times in the first half to put the Saints into field goal range:
Taysom Hill deep to @CallawayMarquez on 3rd down 🙌#Saints | 📺: @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/3XB27JlbKc
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 20, 2021
Another deep ball to Callaway! 🙌#Saints | @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/tVMe4iInYZ
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 20, 2021
Forgive me when I say that those are basically the most explosive offensive highlights of the entire game.
Running Backs
Alvin Kamara: 11 carries, 18 yards | 6 targets, 2 receptions, 13 yards
Mark Ingram: 9 carries, 10 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 8 yards
With both offenses struggling to move the ball for most of the game, it’s no surprise that Saints’ RBs Alvin Kamara and Mark Ingram both finished with a dud in the stats sheet. It didn’t help the situation that New Orleans was without both of their all-pro starting tackles Terron Armstead and Ryan Ramczyk. It also didn’t help the situation that Tampa Bay has been a destructive force towards fantasy RBs all season long. Kamara’s 5.1 PPR points were his lowest output of the season in games he played in. Meanwhile, somehow, Ingram was even worse. It was a night to forget for this Saints’ backfield, and hopefully, it wasn’t enough to bounce you from your fantasy playoffs.
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Marquez Callaway: 9 targets, 6 receptions, 112 yards
Tre’Quan Smith: 3 targets, 2 receptions, 17 yards
Adam Trautman: 2 targets, 1 reception, 4 yards
It was a solid night for Saints’ WR Marquez Callaway – and basically nobody else. We saw two of Callaway’s big plays above that put the Saints on the scoreboard twice in the first half, and even though Callaway was quiet in the second half, he still passed the century mark in receiving yards for the first time all season. WR Tre’Quan Smith was the only other Saints’ WR who was even targeted in the passing game, and TE Adam Trautman had the lone grab on just three New Orleans targets to tight ends. With the Saints’ defense playing so well, the passing game took a backseat in the second half to running the ball to try and run out the clock.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Quarterback
Tom Brady: 26/48, 214 yards, 1 INT | 1 carry, 2 yards, Fumble (Lost)
Sunday night was easily QB Tom Brady‘s worst of the season – for fantasy purposes, and otherwise. Playing at home against a team without its head coach with a chance to clinch the division, Brady and the Bucs absolutely laid an egg. Things certainly got more difficult for Brady and the Bucs offense once Godwin and Evans were knocked out of the game, but then they got even worse once Fournette was injured afterward. It wasn’t all bad for Brady and the Bucs, however. There was a highlight captured that emphasized one of Brady’s best throws of the night:
Tom Brady’s best throw of the night destroys Microsoft tablethttps://t.co/zYwqFGbTVU pic.twitter.com/FJhWykX3EF
— The Verge (@verge) December 20, 2021
This game went about as poorly as it could have for Brady and the Bucs, but hopefully, it won’t sink your fantasy playoff run.
FUMBLE!@camjordan94 strips the ball and @shonrp2 recovers it!
📺: @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/vBJsxr3MRU
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 20, 2021
CEEDY WITH THE PICK!!!
📺: @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/g7qGW1byBI
— New Orleans Saints (@Saints) December 20, 2021
Running Backs
Ronald Jones II: 8 carries, 63 yards | 2 targets, 2 receptions, 8 yards
Leonard Fournette: 9 carries, 34 yards | 7 targets, 7 receptions, 33 yards
Once WRs Chris Godwin and Mike Evans were knocked out of the game in the first half Sunday night, the Buccaneers looked content to lean heavily on RB Leonard Fournette in both the rushing game and the passing game. Fournette responded by converting all seven of his targets into catches in the first half, but ultimately he would be forced from the game early in the third quarter after this hit:
Leonard Fournette out here spinning like a helicopter #NOvsTB #GoBucs pic.twitter.com/upvCun3Fw3
— Dakota Fuqua (@DaLoneWolf1997) December 20, 2021
Fournette’s departure paved the way for RB Ronald Jones II to steal the show for the rest of the way. Jones did add a spark to the Bucs’ offense with a couple of big gains – including this 30-yard scamper near the end of the 3rd quarter:
Ronald Jones down the sideline for a big gain! #GoBucs pic.twitter.com/QJllyf8SkV
— Pro Football Culture (@proftblculture) December 20, 2021
Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
Chris Godwin: 7 targets, 6 receptions, 49 yards
Tyler Johnson: 7 targets, 4 receptions, 41 yards
Rob Gronkowski: 11 targets, 2 receptions, 29 yards
Mike Evans: 1 target, 1 reception, 14 yards
New Orleans’ defense seemed adamant to prevent Brady and the Bucs’ offense from beating them through the air – and the injuries to Tampa’s top pass-catchers certainly didn’t help the situation. WR Chris Godwin was having a solid first half before getting shaken up on this tough hit from Saints’ CB P.J. Williams:
Here is the Chris Godwin injury. pic.twitter.com/gvovpuEU9i
— Evan Closky (@ECloskyWTSP) December 20, 2021
It has been reported at this point that it isn’t believed that Godwin suffered any major injury to his knee. WR Mike Evans on the other hand was having a very quiet night before leaving with a hamstring injury. With so many receiving weapons down, who would Brady lean on other than his best pal, TE Rob Gronkowski? Well, the Saints had other ideas. Gronk only hauled in 2 of his 11 targets on the night.
— Corey Saucier (@Deputy_Commish on Twitter, /u/Lights_Kamara_Action on Reddit)