Tampa Bay Buccaneers: vs. New Orleans Saints
The Buccaneers were an easy 2017 preseason darling, with being featured on HBO’s “Hard Knocks” driving the buzz bus. So naturally they fell flat, finishing 5-11 with two separate five-game losing skids. A particular black mark was a 1-5 record in the NFC South, with only a Week 17 home win over the Saints keeping them from a winless mark in the division.
The Buccaneers have beaten the Saints in two straight years at home, with last year’s regular season finale victory costing New Orleans the division title and a home playoff game in the Wild Card Round. The Saints will surely be looking to avenge that loss, with some level of Super Bowl aspirations this year.
A slightly easier schedule should help Tampa Bay win some more games this year. Head coach Dirk Koetter is firmly on the hot seat, after last year’s underachievement and some Buccaneers’ flirtation with Jon Gruden before he decided to go back to the Raiders instead. So a rebound back to at least playoff contention in 2018 is vital to Koetter’s ongoing employment. A win at home over the Saints will be an important mark in that pursuit.