Saints Eliminated; Will Drew Brees Sit?
December 21st, 2014
The Bucs’ season finale is a meaningless game for both teams
Let’s talk about what’s really important: the Bucs securing the No. 1 overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.
Joe’s getting nervous.
The New Orleans Saints were eliminated from the playoffs today after getting drubbed 30-14 by the Falcons at the SuperDome.
So does this mean Sean Payton will do the smart thing and sit Drew Brees, his beloved franchise quarterback, in the season finale against the Bucs on Sunday in Tampa?
Brees is set to earn upwards of $20 million next season. He’s also got injury guarantees in his contract. It wouldn’t make a lot of sense to risk him in a meaningless game.
Joe suspects the Saints will rest Brees and play Luke McCown, his trusted backup that Bucs fans know well.
Man, that could really screw things up.
December 21st, 2014 at 6:58 pm
Not to worry….Luke is still the best Mccown in the division
December 21st, 2014 at 6:59 pm
^^^LOL!
December 21st, 2014 at 7:00 pm
When the Saint’s staff watch the beating that Rogers took…
December 21st, 2014 at 7:00 pm
We can still lose the number one pick if we lose to the Saints……the strength of schedule is very thin with the Titans….
I think benching a healthy Brees would be a mistake by the Saints….no matter what the reason….
December 21st, 2014 at 7:01 pm
These teams truly do not like each other. Both teams will play with passion.
What scares me more than the motivation factor is the talent factor. New Orleans has a cupboard almost as bare as ours. I’m not sure New Orleans has the talent to take us even if Brees plays.
December 21st, 2014 at 7:01 pm
Play Kafka
December 21st, 2014 at 7:02 pm
Week 16: The McCown Bowl, Get your paper bags ready!
December 21st, 2014 at 7:06 pm
TampaBayBucfan
“no matter what the reason….”
I do not disagree with you totally. I think all pro athletes and coaches have a lot of pride and can’t choke down a deliberate loss. And so I don’t agree so mch with Joe, although he does have a valid point.
There is another HUGE reason for the Saints to tank. It’s not just us hoping for that top pick and a Heisman. Wouldn’t Payton love to make sure we have no chance at a QB. This year’s class is thin after the first two. Next year’s class is much deeper. So Payton has the ability to keep us from getting a QB prospect. He could keep Jameis and Marcus out of his division and btw improve his own draft position in the bargain.
Just thinking out loud. Personally all the athletes and coaches I’ver ever known who were worth a crap just couldn’t choke down throwing a game.
Tanking is something for fans not players and coaches.
December 21st, 2014 at 7:23 pm
Resting a competitor like Brees? I don’t see it. But Loser Lovie is good at losing to backup QBs this year, so who knows
December 21st, 2014 at 7:33 pm
Saints are in our division so it might be in there best interest to screw up our draft if you know what i mean?
December 21st, 2014 at 7:36 pm
Given that our defense is playing reasonably well we have a legit shot at winning this game whether Brees sits or not.
December 21st, 2014 at 7:40 pm
New Orleans has every motivation to screw up our quest for a franchise QB! May be an ugly game.
December 21st, 2014 at 7:48 pm
Too bad Coach Payton may be fired on Black Monday as he has an eye for the Bucs qb Glennon. If I were the Glazers I’d promise to trade him to the Saints if they promise to start Brees until the saints got to 20 points, that would insure a Buc loss and the #1 overall as we all know that McNown can not score more than 17 unless he is playing the Deadskins. This game could look like a bad exhibition game where players may simply ignore Arroyo and try to pad stats, that has me worried a bit…..
December 21st, 2014 at 7:54 pm
If the Raiders hold on to beat the Bills, the Bucs clinch at least the 2nd pick.
And if the Giants hold on to beat the Rams, it will make it very difficult for the Titans to catch the Bucs in SOS tie-breaker.
So next week might be (if scores hold): Bucs win and get the 2nd pick. Bucs lose and get the 1st pick.
December 21st, 2014 at 8:02 pm
Payton’s detractors are growing louder. I think Brees definitely starts, but if he starts taking a beating or they get up early then I doubt he finishes.
December 21st, 2014 at 8:11 pm
Why would that be a problem? Sitting Brees? They don’t have someone as minimally talented as Derrick Anderson on the Roster?
December 21st, 2014 at 8:35 pm
BTW If the Saints win but Payton leaves anyway…either on his own volition or by invitation of the Saints wouldn’t that be a tempting scenario…
Fire Lovie and hire Payton and let him decide which of the two Heismans he’d like to develop for the future.
December 21st, 2014 at 8:57 pm
Greg Auman Tampa Bay Times writer crunched numbers and what he came up with is the Titans cannot catch us with the weakest SOS , so If we lose next weekend we are good to go.
December 21st, 2014 at 9:14 pm
LOL!
December 21st, 2014 at 9:35 pm
With the Raiders winning I believe that secures us a top 2 pick regardless of a win or loss next week. Also, word on street is Titans are interested in Cutler. However, I still would rather have the top pick for peace of mind.
December 21st, 2014 at 9:56 pm
If the Broncos win, than Colts will likely rest their starters giving the Titans a chance to win next week.
December 21st, 2014 at 9:58 pm
Even if Brees sits, I have faith in our guys to pull out a loss.
December 21st, 2014 at 10:53 pm
I said it today, we are so bad we will lose all year only to win the last game and screw up getting the number one pick. Then Lovie will beat his chest like we won the Superbowl. The Glazers need to step in and make sure we lose this game. I know it sounds sick but if we deserve the number one pick. We are obviously the worst team in the NFL and if the Aints sit Breeze and we win it will be more misery for Buc fans for years to come.
December 21st, 2014 at 11:07 pm
We lose we get the first pick. We win and the Titans lose we get the second pick. We lose and the Titans lose we get the first pick. We win and the Titans win we get the first pick.
December 21st, 2014 at 11:17 pm
We do suck, but I was still worried today for the first 3 quarters. I have a bad feeling about next week. I mean what the hell was Leonard Johnson doing today? He hasn’t made a play all year and NOW he breaks up a TD pass? Smh… Hopefully it all works out and we get the “L.”
December 21st, 2014 at 11:18 pm
If the buc can find a way to screw up the no. 1 pick, they will. They should treat this game like exhibition game no. 4, lose it and then the entire coaching staff should be fired. Unfortunately, that won’t happen and we’re stuck with L&L for a while. Then we can wait to see what clusterf&?k events transpire to create the next dumpster fire in 2015. Yeah, it’s a Yucs life alright! Ask yourself what have the Glazers done right after they fired Gruden? They are either oblivious to their incompetence or really don’t care. Sad!!!!
December 21st, 2014 at 11:41 pm
Right now the Bucs SOS is 0.493 and the Titans are at 0.484 so they have the edge but if both lose next week the Bucs get another 7-9 mark entered via New Orleans and the Titans a 11-5 mark form the Colts so while the Titans passed the Bucs this week thanks to playing 3-12 Jacksonville while the Bucs lost to 11-4 Green Bay, the order should reverse again though the other teams they play can still alter their SOS slightly but I’m pretty confident the Bucs can rgain the #1 spot with an L……
December 21st, 2014 at 11:46 pm
BTW Lion you are right, no way the Bucs pass the Jags, Jets or Raiders in draft order with a W as their SOS are all far better than the Titans or Bucs; our boys will be picking in the top 2 regardless; it is just a matter of being #1 or #2….
December 22nd, 2014 at 12:07 am
@Lion
If the titans get cutler, they might trade down with a team that needs a qb.
December 22nd, 2014 at 12:11 am
We may sit certain defensive players due to minor injuries.
December 22nd, 2014 at 12:14 am
To those claiming next years qb class will be much deeper? The same thing was said about this year last year.
December 22nd, 2014 at 12:52 am
Make no mistake…this soft and world class humiliation of a football team will still find a way to lose at losing. Yet more shame…
December 22nd, 2014 at 8:16 am
The McCown Paper bag Game… 1 fan base will wear their bags over their head in shame and the other fan base will puke in theirs for having to sit thru such a pathetic performance. NOBODY wants to see the McCown Bowl except the McCowns.