This could be an interesting game as these teams played a great game just four weeks ago.  The Bucs had the Saints beat until Reggie Bush returned a late 4th quarter punt 65 yards for a TD.  The Saints are coming off of a tough loss in which nothing went right against the Ravens.  Even though the Bucs have won 2 of their last 3 games, rookie QB Bruce Gradkowski has gotten progressively worse in each game.

Look for the Saints to run the ball and throw deep.  They should be able to run the ball well against a Bucs run defense that is allowing 146.0 yards rushing per game and 4.8 yards per carry.  Deuce McAllister (455 yards rushing, 4.7 ypc) ran for 123 yards on 15 carries in the first match-up with the Bucs.  The Bucs LB’s had better be ready for covering Reggie Bush out of the backfield as he caught 11 passes in their first meeting.  Brees won’t be messing around with short passes to his WRs, he’s going deep!  Marques Colston (33 rec, 577 yards) and Joe Horn (30 rec, 507 yards) should have a lot of success against the weak Bucs secondary.

The Bucs should come out running the ball against the Saints.  They should give the ball to Cadillac Williams (414 yards rushing) until he gets tired and then give it to Michael Pittman, as the Saints defense allows 122.1 yards rushing per game and 4.6 yards per carry!  The Bucs need to stick to the run and keep the ball away from the Saints offense, while building confidence in their young offensive line.  Gradkowski should take some shots downfield to Joey Galloway (25 rec, 378 yards) and Michael Clayton.

If the Saints are serious players in the NFC, they will blow the Bucs out.  The thinking here is that the Bucs will give them another tough game and maybe even beat them, as they should have done in the first meeting.