Pewter Predictions for Week 17

BUCS vs. SAINTS

WHEN: Sunday, December 31, 2023 | WHERE: Raymond James Stadium (Tampa, FL) | KICKOFF: 1:00 p.m. ET | TV: FOX

PLAY-BY-PLAY: Kevin Burkhardt | ANALYST: Greg Olsen | SIDELINE: Erin Andrews & Tom RinaldiRADIO: 98 ROCK 97.9 FM | PLAY-BY-PLAY: Gene Deckerhoff | ANALYST: Dave Moore | SIDELINE: T.J. Rives

Sport day is approaching, and it’s time for the Pewter Report employees to make its weekly sport predictions and supply up our sport preview of this week’s matchup. Tell us what you suppose within the article feedback part and add your prediction, too.

Scott Reynolds: Todd Bowles’ Mastery Over The Saints Continues

I don’t know why Todd Bowles has carried out one thing that few Bucs head coaches have carried out, which is to have full mastery over the New Orleans Saints. Bowles is 3-0 versus New Orleans and has the prospect to comb the Saints for a second straight 12 months with a win on Sunday. In fact, doing so means two issues.

First, it means profitable a 3rd straight NFC South championship. Second, it implies that Saints head coach Dennis Allen seemingly will get fired after two seasons and New Orleans goes right into a rebuild mode. The Saints are an outdated workforce, particularly on protection and I count on New Orleans to take an enormous step again in 2024 earlier than it has an opportunity to take a step ahead.

The Bucs have some actual momentum on their facet with 4 straight wins, together with three straight victories with 27 factors or extra scored by the offense. Quarterback Baker Mayfield is scorching, and so is working again Rachaad White. However huge receiver Mike Evans is even hotter proper now. With out Marshon Lattimore within the sport I feel Evans has a subject day and scores two touchdowns to assist Tampa Bay’s offense rating 30 factors once more.

Defensively, Todd Bowles is on a roll and his younger defensive position is making use of extra strain on opposing quarterbacks. YaYa Diaby continues to play effectively and takes benefit of the knee harm to New Orleans proper deal with Ryan Ramczyk to proceed to pile up the sacks.

The Saints play the Bucs higher at Raymond James Stadium than they do in New Orleans for some purpose. That’s why the sport will probably be nearer than some suppose. However Tampa Bay has extra momentum and the house crowd on its facet because the Bucs enhance to 9-7.

REYNOLDS’ GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 30, Saints 24REYNOLDS’ SEASON RECORD: 10-5

Matt Matera: It’ll Be Tight, However The Bucs Win

There’s been a lot to get pleasure from concerning the Bucs’ 4 sport profitable streak. Baker Mayfield has balled out, Mike Evans continues to place up historic numbers, Chris Godwin acquired again on observe and Rachaad White has proved to be a primary working again.

Defensively, Antoine Winfield Jr. is enjoying just like the defensive participant of the 12 months, turnovers are coming in droves, and YaYa Diaby ought to be defensive rookie of the 12 months. Diaby, together with fellow rookie Calijah Kancey, are producing tons of pleasure over the way forward for this workforce. 

I’m not discrediting any of the success that the Bucs have had as of late and this isn’t an indictment of their efficiency. What I do suppose, although, is that the Saints are going to come back into this sport determined with their season on the road. Does it imply they’ll play their greatest soccer? I feel at the very least for a little bit of time they provide the Bucs hassle, and for no matter purpose they’ve performed higher in Tampa towards the Bucs recently than in New Orleans. 

An enormous focus for the Bucs must be on limiting huge receiver Chris Olave. He’s their greatest participant on offense and has even discovered success with the struggles of quarterback Derek Carr. The Bucs did an incredible job of their first matchup limiting Olave to at least one catch for 4 yards. It’ll be as much as Jamel Dean and Zyon McCollum to do it once more. 

Not a lot must be totally different for the Bucs offense. Mayfield is rolling, so let him roll. So long as the Bucs don’t flip the ball over, I don’t see why Tampa Bay’s unit can’t attain 30 once more for the third week in a row. The move blocking wants to enhance a bit, however the Bucs can nonetheless get by with what they’ve carried out as of late. The Saints gained’t go down simple, however the Bucs have all of the momentum and an enormous purpose to complete the job on this sport.

MATERA’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 30, Saints 27MATERA’S SEASON RECORD: 9-6

Bailey Adams: Bucs Preserve Rolling Into The New Yr

It’s arduous to choose towards these Bucs proper now, isn’t it?

Dave Canales’ offense is buzzing, with Baker Mayfield enjoying among the greatest soccer of his profession during the last couple of weeks. Mike Evans is continuous to do Mike Evans issues on his approach to the most effective years of his profession, Chris Godwin has bounced again not too long ago and Rachaad White has became a dynamic multi-purpose again. To not point out, the Bucs offensive line is enjoying extraordinarily effectively.

Pair all of that with an opportunistic protection that’s getting breakout performances from Yaya Diaby and Calijah Kancey together with the dominant play of Antoine Winfield Jr. and the all the time reliable Lavonte David, and also you get this four-game profitable streak that the Bucs are on.

Tampa Bay is just enjoying with a confidence and swagger that it didn’t have even a month in the past. This workforce is aware of how shut it’s to three-peating as division champions, and it needs to get the job carried out towards Derek Carr and the Saints, leaving nothing as much as likelihood in Week 18.

The Bucs have the recipe for beating the Saints, as they did it handily in Week 4. I like Mayfield to have one other massive day, plus the emergence of White offers New Orleans one other component to cope with that it didn’t see final time.

The protection must strain Carr and get rid of Alvin Kamara as a pass-catching menace out of the backfield, very like it did when he caught 13 passes for simply 33 yards in Week 4. From there, the secret’s to only not let Chris Olave beat you.

I feel Tampa Bay will probably be as much as the duty on New Yr’s Eve because it clinches the division, will get Todd Bowles to 4-0 towards the Saints and units up the chance for a tenth win subsequent week in a single closing tune-up earlier than the playoffs.

ADAMS’ GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 30, Saints 21ADAMS’ SEASON RECORD: 8-7

Josh Queipo: Bucs Dominate Divisional Rival

I’ll say I didn’t see a four-game win streak on the docket for this Bucs squad. So, it feels bizarre to foretell they are going to lengthen it to 5 video games. However there are numerous underlying markers which can be working in Tampa Bay’s favor on the proper time of the season. Three massive elements are driving my prediction.

First, the offense is clicking. Over the previous 5 video games the Bucs rank ninth within the NFL in EPA/play. That is pushed by two issues. 1) The run sport has moved from abysmal to satisfactory and a couple of) the passing sport is without doubt one of the 5 greatest within the NFL of late. Offensive coordinator Dave Canales’ ideas are hitting, and quarterback Baker Mayfield is feeling assured in executing them.

Secondly, head coach Todd Bowles is getting extra aggressive along with his in-game administration. Mix this with a kicker that may hit from 50 yards and the workforce is maximizing its scoring alternatives in a method it couldn’t dream of in 2022. Going through an opposing head coach in Dennis Allen who doesn’t belief his offense to execute on fourth down means the Bucs can win on the margins.

Lastly, the Bucs are simply extraordinarily wholesome proper now. And that’s removed from the case with New Orleans. The one starters who haven’t practiced all week are outdoors linebacker Shaq Barrett and cornerback Carlton Davis III. OLB and CB are the 2 deeper positions on the workforce. With Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Zyon McCollum within the wings with loads of expertise working within the beginning lineup the drop-off from these two is softened fairly a bit.

On the opposite facet of the matchup the Saints’ harm report seems just like the telephone book (for these of you born after 1995 – Google it).

The Bucs protection ought to restrict a schizophrenic Saints offense whereas Tampa Bay’s offense places up an identical variety of factors to the 28.5 they’ve been averaging of late.

QUEIPO’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 30, Saints 19QUEIPO’S SEASON RECORD: 10-5

Adam Slivon: Bucs Cap Off Yr On Excessive Notice By Beating Saints

The Bucs have quite a bit on the road this Sunday, from profitable the NFC South for a 3rd 12 months within the row whereas additionally persevering with to reverse their fortunes towards the Saints. Coming into their common season house finale, they couldn’t be dealing with their bitter rival at a greater time. Tampa Bay has gained 4 in a row, the final two somewhat convincingly.

New Orleans is enjoying for its personal playoff spot, making this fairly a high-stakes matchup. The Saints are coming off a 30-22 loss to the Rams, and they’re a workforce with its personal query marks. The Saints’ solely three wins since November 1st have been towards the Bears, Panthers, and Giants. Not precisely probably the most convincing record.

The offense underneath Derek Carr has been underwhelming when on the sphere, and New Orleans’ solely actual weapons are Chris Olave, Alvin Kamara, and to a lesser extent, Rashid Shaheed. Whether it is something like Week 4 and the Bucs lock every of them up, it will likely be arduous for the Saints to attain.

On the flip facet, I count on the Bucs offense to make the most of a unit primed to overlook Marshon Lattimore. With that absence, count on a full sport out of Mike Evans. Baker Mayfield has appeared like a special quarterback as of late. One which’s comfy and has had no downside main the offense. The primary time these groups confronted off, it was certainly one of his and the offense’s higher video games till their latest run.

On Sunday, I count on extra of the identical. Tampa Bay has proven a newfound potential to place factors up, and if the Saints’ playmakers will be neutralized sufficient, the Bucs ought to be capable of wrap up the division and begin their preparation for a playoff run.

SLIVON’S GAME PREDICTION: Bucs 24, Saints 17SLIVON’S SEASON RECORD: 11-4