“There's a good chance that they could be 1-3" - NFL analyst claims Buccaneers may crumble under brutal early-season schedule
Tom Brady has returned, and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will again aim for the Super Bowl. However, one NFL analyst says the quarterback and his team may not even make it out of September. Thanks to a tricky opening gambit, the future Hall of Famer could find himself in damage control mode by October, according to NFL analyst Kimberly A. Martin.
Speaking on Get Up, Martin made her prediction known:
“There's a good chance that they could be 1-3, and that is not much better than 0-4. Here's what I know. Week one is against Dallas. I don't know what Dallas is going to be with this offense. No Amari Cooper and Michael Gallup is coming off an injury. But what I do know is that the Saints know how to beat Tom Brady."
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Martin continued, saying the Saints could be pivotal in the Buccaneers' slow start:
"They just figure it out in the regular season. For the Bucs to get the Saints that early in this stretch makes it brutal for the Bucs (to possibly go) 1-3. This is why having Tom Brady makes you feel a little bit better.”
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. New Orleans Saints in recent years
Martin is clearly referencing the 2020 and 2021 seasons. In 2020, Tampa Bay went 1-2 against the Saints. In two of the three matchups, Brady didn't look like himself, losing in epic fashion. However, in the playoffs, when it mattered most, Tampa Bay rallied to defeat the Saints.
Many thought that without Drew Brees, New Orleans would crumble against Tom Brady in 2021. Instead, the Saints swept the Buccaneers 27-36 in the regular season once again. However, the most damaging defeat came in their most recent matchup.
The Saints held Tampa Bay to zero points and only scored nine points themselves but won by multiple possessions. Based on what has happened in the Brady era in Tampa Bay, the team has a 1-4 chance of beating the Saints in their first matchup of 2022.
If one only looks at the regular-season record, the Buccaneers have a zero percent chance of winning. With Sean Payton no longer in the building, it could be a very different Saints offense in September. Will Brady finally overcome the biggest stain on his career since coming to Tampa Bay?