It was a heartbreaking way to lose at home to the Saints for the first time since 2015, but that’s what happened. However, the Bucs did control a good portion of that game, and that can be attributed to the individual play of a few Buccaneers, in particular.

These were our most impressive Buccaneers in the 28-14 loss to New Orleans.

ROOSTER’S PEWTER PLAYER
DE Jason Pierre-Paul
Right out of the gate Pierre-Paul was firing on cylinders, as we are learning to expect every week. Pierre-Paul has a ton of hidden little injuries, and yet that guy comes out and plays his heart out every single game and makes big plays each and every week. It started when Pierre-Paul made two big stops in the run game on the Saints’ first series, and he was a force throughout the game after that.

He earns his paycheck every week.

Roosters Men’s Grooming Center sponsors the Pewter Player each week, and is located at 533 South Howard Avenue in South Tampa. Roosters is an upscale, full-service barber shop with haircuts, razor shaves and the best men’s hair care products available. Call (813) 253-3200 or visit RoostersMGC.com to schedule your appointment today. Roosters Men’s Grooming Center is the perfect destination for groomsman parties or corporate events.

DE Carl Nassib
On the other side of the defensive line, Nassib also continued his 2018 trend of being one of the best defensive linemen on the team. The effort was once again there for Nassib all game long, and that came to fruition most on his seven-yard tackle for loss on Alvin Kamara. Nassib also added a strip sack, to give him 6.5 on the season.

Those two defensive ends played their tails off in the loss.

S Jordan Whitehead
Rookie safety Jordan Whitehead was not suppose to be getting this type of playing time already in career, and yet he’s been thrust into a starting role due to injuries and has stepped up big time.

Whitehead has the speed to fly all over the field, and has done so in coverage and when asked to come up and tackle. He doesn’t weight as much as some of these other guys, and so watching him put his body on the line like he did against New Orleans earns our respect.

TE Cameron Brate
With O.J. Howard out for the year, it was a question mark how much production the Bucs were going to get from their tight end position for the rest of the year. Two years ago Brate was one of the most productive tight ends in the NFL, but he’s been streaky since then with Howard getting more and more involved in the offense.

With two touchdowns against the Saints, Brate showed he can still be counted on as this team’s No. 1 tight end whenever they need him to. This was a big game for him to bounce back into an important role for this offense.

Honorable Mention: LB Lavonte David( 10 tackles), LB Adarius Taylor( six tackles, one interception) Bucs overall defense (holding Saints to less than 300 total yards)