Tampa Bay Bucs are down, but raise their game for New Orleans Saints

TAMPA — It might sound rather ridiculous to say records don't matter in a football game when they are as disparate as those of the Bucs and Saints, who play Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.

New Orleans is 9-0 and pursuing perfection. Tampa Bay is 1-8 and picking up the pieces. But with five of the Bucs' final seven games against members of the bitterly contested NFC South, looking at records is not the best way to assess these matchups.

"I'd say so because they're division opponents," Bucs tackle Jeremy Trueblood said. "You don't play any harder because it's a division opponent. And I don't think the game means any more. But it's definitely fun because it's a team you play twice a year and maybe you think you have their number. You just really go at it."

The past four Bucs-Saints games have been decided by four points or less. Saints quarterback Drew Brees, in the middle of a 5,000-yard-plus season when the teams met in November last year, was picked off three times as the Bucs won 23-20. The previous two games against New Orleans were decided by four points each, the teams splitting those contests.

The trend extends beyond these two clubs. In Tampa Bay's past eight division games, five finished within eight points or less.

"(In) every one of our division games, there's just that familiarity, and you know you're getting each other's best games," Brees said. "I definitely feel it's been that way with us and Tampa."

"As much as we see those guys and they see us — and I know they might not have played against this (new) coaching staff — they know how I pass block, how I run block," Trueblood said. "And I know how (defensive end) Charles Grant rushes. I know how Charles Grant does everything because I've played the guy so much. It doesn't get old. It just becomes more fun because it turns into more of a game of chess now.

"You're always trying to trick the other person. Sometimes you'll think, 'Hey, I'm going to make it look like I'm doing one thing and I'll trick him and do something else.' You're basically trying to mess with their heads a little bit."

That's why, even despite the double-digit point spread and the vastly different paths these teams are on, there is no sure thing in any NFC South game.

"For the players, they know each other so well," Bucs coach Raheem Morris said. "They know each other's tendencies. They know which foot a guy likes to step with and some of those things that you don't factor in as a coach. Usually, the intensity picks up."

But win or lose, there is a silver lining to this stretch run. For the Bucs, the road back to respectability starts in the NFC South. With six games against the other three division teams each season, Tampa Bay must win its share to significantly improve on this season's record. To that end, what better path to take than for this young team to learn what it takes to slow Brees or Atlanta's Michael Turner or Carolina's Steve Smith?

Morris believes quarterback Josh Freeman, in particular, can benefit.

"It's perfect for (Freeman)," Morris said. "It's a chance for him to get five opportunities against division foes that he's going to face for the next 10 to 15 years or whatever. Hopefully he can be Brett (Favre) and do it a little bit longer. We've got a bunch of young guys that are developing every day and getting better."

Those young guys, and the Bucs in general, might as well find out where they stand against their most bitter rivals.

"You play them all twice, except for Carolina, in the last few games and get to see where you stack up against them," linebacker Barrett Ruud said. "We are a team that is improving. I really believe that. I think we are a lot better than we were at the start of this year and (we) are looking to finishing the season off a lot more positive than we started."

Stephen F. Holder can be reached at sholder@sptimes.com.