“Light Years Ahead”
July 23rd, 2020
Says Saints have big advantage
One NFL Network talking head seems ready to hand the Bucs a loss for Week 1.
NFL pundits, far and wide, all but admit that teams returning veteran NFL coaches and veteran quarterbacks will be a step or two ahead of teams with newcomers in this positions during this virus-stained year.
The lead-up to the 2020 season is tainted wit no offseason and an expected cotton-soft training camp capped by no preseason games (a blessing in disguise).
As a result, former Giants offensive lineman, Super Bowl champion and three-time Pro Bowler Shaun O’Hara seems ready to anoint the slimy Saints with an opening week win despite the Bucs adding park-violating, home-invading, NFLPA-ignoring quarterback Tom Brady and future Hall of Fame tight end foot-rubbing Rob Gronkowski to the mix.
Yeah, the Bucs have veteran NFL coach Bucco Bruce Arians. But with no offseason, a new quarterback won’t be a positive, O’Hara believes, even though the guy has six rings.
“How could you not think that?” O’Hara replied on “Good Morning Football” when asked by host Peter Schrager if the Saints had a “significant advantage” over the Bucs thanks to the lack of offseason.
“Basically, Sean Payton is running the same offense, alright. He’s basically looking at the same plays that worked last year. … Drew Brees knows the offense like the back of his hand. … They are light years ahead of where Tom Brady and [the Bucs] offense” will be.
But here is what Joe thinks analysts are missing: Yes, Brady is learning a new offense and working for a new coach and learning all new teammates. Except one, Gronk, who just happened to be his go-to guy for a decade in New England.
So while Brady is learning so much new, he has a safety valve he knows very, very well. And you can’t tell Joe the slimy Saints’ secondary can handle Gronk. No secondary or linebacker is a good matchup against Gronk.
Joe agrees with everything people say about Brady having obstacles to overcome early, it’s not like every weapon is new to him.
You can view Schrager and O’Hara’s conversation about the Saints and the Bucs in the NFL Network video below.
Do the Saints have a significant advantage over the Buccaneers heading into 2020?@PSchrags and @ShaunOHara60 get into it ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/VD3TCBUDIR
— GMFB (@gmfb) July 22, 2020
July 23rd, 2020 at 8:13 am
Unlike any other Bucs QB in history, Brady will persevere precisely because he’s told there are obstacles. That is just the latest challenge for him and somehow I know he’s thinking hard about it. #3 is not the Bucs QB (not a great record against the Saints, and in some cases, was not even allowed to play. Not to mention when he HAD to win, he couldn’t). So it’s all different now. Bettery? Probably. Probably much better.
Tom Brady’s record against the Saints is 4-1, with 11 TDs and 3 INTs. Sure, the Saints have less offseason roster/coaching changes which is a clear advantage. Of most teams out there, NO is a major candidate to have “no fans” there, which can only help the Away Team’s offense. So I’d not be surprised by either team winning this game. The 12th man is COVID this year.
July 23rd, 2020 at 8:15 am
Yes…..while the saints may have that advantage of familiarity………………………………the BUCS still are a more talented team offensively IMHO.
Plus…..noone has ever seen Brady with so many offensive weapons before in a Bruce Arians “no risk it no biscuit” offense.
^^^^^^^^^^……and that is the other advantage the BUCS have over the saints…..the Saints have ZERO tape on what a Brady Arians type offense looks like.
I’m telling ya fellas…..this will be a very exciting very interesting season for BUCS fans and the NFL.
July 23rd, 2020 at 8:27 am
The Saints offense isn’t going against the Bucs offense. I expect the defense who is returning 10/11 starters to have an upper hand over the Saints defense.
July 23rd, 2020 at 9:20 am
Bro this is comical cant wait to slap the Aints in the face !
July 23rd, 2020 at 10:02 am
I welcome an overconfident saints game. With this crazy offseason, they have no idea what we will be bringing.
July 23rd, 2020 at 10:13 am
And the Aints are not very good in week one……..
July 23rd, 2020 at 10:19 am
He has a point only because of the Plague. I still think we beat them. We did it last year with defense that hadn’t come together yet, and someone was not Tom Brady. Make a couple of kicks and we’re golden. I just don’t think N.O. did much to further their team overall via FA or the Draft. We did though. Everyone will have sloppy football for first 3 weeks at least.
July 23rd, 2020 at 10:34 am
Peyton is running a familiar offense, an offense that has, historically, started slow for the last three seasons.
That gives the familiarity of Brady and Gronk an advantage.
Of course Brees is a competitor on Brady’s level, so it will be a hell of a game, make it happen, please
July 23rd, 2020 at 11:06 am
The Saints are notorius slow starters and they wont even have the usual home crowd advantage this time around. Saints offense and its rythm passing game usually takes a few weeks to get humming. I believe the Bucs could not have drawn a better time to play the Saints in NO than opening weekend! I think it will be an ugly game offensively for both teams and it will come down to which team’s D can big the plays and whose kicker makes the GW kick!
July 23rd, 2020 at 1:08 pm
Throw to Gronk more than a few times and I think Peyton will figure out how to slow or stop him. However!!! We have Rojo!!!
July 23rd, 2020 at 2:33 pm
May I remind everyone that not too long ago(2018) a Bucs team went into New Orleans with a new starting quarterback(Ryan Fitzpatrick) and beat them 48-40.
July 23rd, 2020 at 3:45 pm
The year the Bucs won the Super Bowl, they lost to the Saints twice that year. The Bucs won the war. The first game is only one game.
July 23rd, 2020 at 3:58 pm
Didn’t a new Bucs’ QB light the Saints up week one? Fitzpatrick threw for a kajillion yards and 47 touchdowns, or something right? Maybe I exaggerated a bit, but didn’t Fitz and the Bucs have their way with the Saints?
July 23rd, 2020 at 10:15 pm
We are LOADED this year, and I do mean LOADED.
I see us winning against the Saints opening Day!
July 24th, 2020 at 1:49 pm
In my opinion, it will be a bit of a wash. The saints are running the same offense as last year, which means there is tape on it and it will be our defense who will be facing a familiar look. On the other side, there is no tape on Brady with this team. and although Im sure it will be largely similar to last year in many ways, there will be wrinkles in the fold that Brady will insert. Also, the way our offense looked last year under JW will be vastly different under Brady just due to the huge difference in ability to throw the ball to all the weapons he has. Then Gronk is an X Factor as well.