The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jameis Winston were embarrassed in the first game of the season and are looking to rebound as they hit the road to face a New Orleans Saints team also looking for their first win. Winston's NFL debut was sub-par -- he finished with a 48.5 completion percentage against Week 1 opponent Marcus Mariota and the Tennessee Titans.
Buccaneers vs. Saints 2015 live stream: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Jameis Winston is looking to rebound after a disappointing debut.
The Bucs' 6'4, 231-pound starting quarterback studied game film well into the night following his first professional loss, showing he is at least committed to improving. Winston completed 16 passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns, but was also responsible for two interceptions. He had a few well-thrown deep passes, and found early chemistry with tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins, who made five catches for 110 yards and scored both of the team's touchdowns.
The offensive line struggled to protect the young quarterback, allowing four sacks on the day and not giving Winston enough time in the pocket. The team wasted no time following the loss to beef up depth on the line, adding veteran center Joe Hawley to the roster, who will likely serve as backup to starter Evan Smith.
It wasn't all bad for the offensive line in Week 1, which looked better in run blocking. The Bucs' offense as a whole rushed for 92 yards, with running back Doug Martin leading the way at 11 attempts for 52 yards.
The Saints similarly had trouble scoring during Week 1 and ended up losing to the Arizona Cardinals despite several successful drives. Quarterback Drew Brees finished the day with 30 completed passes for 355 yards, but only one touchdown on a pass to wideout Brandon Coleman.
Brees heavily relied on screen passes, completing 13 to running backs, but the lack of big plays resulted in converting only 7 of 18 third downs and 1 of 4 in the red zone. Running back Mark Ingram led the team on offense with 98 yards receiving and 24 rushing yards, but despite a run-heavy front, the team only averaged 2.7 yards per carry.
In addition to the Saints having difficulty getting into the end zone, the defense failed to make a sack on Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer, and allowed 13 passes of at least 14 yards. The secondary often beat itself, with first-year player Delvin Breaux, from the Canadian Football League, being flagged four times (one declined) for pass interference, holding or contact.
The defensive line, though young, showed signs of hope with 47 combined tackles. Rookie linebacker Hau’oli Kikaha forced a turnover in the third quarter.
The Buccaneers’ offense will be a good test for the Saints’ defense, but if Winston pulls an about-face and looks like he did during training camp, the offense could do damage. Both teams are trying to establish effective offenses following rough starts to the season, but Brees has already proven himself as tenured NFL quarterback -- can Winston do the same?
How to Watch
When: 1 p.m.
Where: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans, La.
TV: FOX. TV coverage maps here.
Announcers: Chris Myers, Ronde Barber, Jennifer Hale
Online: NFL Game Pass
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