Week 9 Buccaneers Offensive Stats:

• No matter who was at quarterback for the Buccaneers on Sunday, it didn’t seem to matter when the Saints brought pressure. Jameis Winston was pressured on 8 of his 17 dropbacks, completing just 2-of-4 passes for 18 yards, while being sacked twice and a passer rating of just 62.5. Ryan Fitzpatrick felt pressure on 8 of his 19 dropbacks, and completed just 1-of-5 passes for 15 yards and was also sacked twice for a 39.6 passer rating.
• Neither quarterback could work very well down the field against the Saints re-vamped and talented secondary, as Winston attempted five passes targeted at least 10 yards downfield, and completed just one of them for 11 yards. Fitzpatrick also attempted five passes targeted 10 or more yards downfield, and completed just one of his, for 15 yards in an overall lackluster day from the offense.
• Combine a slow passing attack with an offense that really could muster much in the run game, and you grasp the full effect of the Bucs offensive struggles on Sunday. Removing the QB runs from Fitzpatrick (30 yards) and Winston (8 yards), and you get a grand total of 49 yards from the Bucs backfield members as Peyton Barber rushed for 34 yards on 11 carries and Doug Martin was only able to accumulate 7 yards on 8 carries. Martin could not force any missed tackles, while Barber forced two. The worst part of the rush game statsheet for the Bucs – their yards after contact outgained their total rushing yards, meaning they were constantly being hit in the backfield against the Saints front four. Barber totaled 36 yards after contact while Martin totaled 13 yards after contact.
• Mike Evans may have let his frustrations show in the game with his hit on Marshon Lattimore – so looking at the numbers – Evans was targeted a grand total of 7 times in the game, registering his lone catch for 13 yards. Four of his targets came on Lattimore, as did the lone catch, but Evans performance was just not nearly good enough. His passer rating when targeted was a mere 39.6 – the same as if either QB threw the ball into the ground.
• RT Demar Dotson allowed his first sack of the season, ending his streak as the only RT to not allow a sack this year – but his lone blemish on the afternoon aside, he was the only starter or major contributor to grade positively on the offensive side of the ball.

​​Week 9 Buccaneers Defensive Stats: 

• The Bucs defense combined to miss a total of seven tackle attempts on Sunday against the Saints as both Kendall Beckwith and Lavonte David each had two on the afternoon for team-highs.
• In an essentially abysmal day all around, Bucs edge defender Robert Ayers did stand out on the defensive front, recording two (of the Bucs four total) QB pressures and recorded four defensive stops for a ‘win’ for the defense.
• Gerald McCoy may have also had a solid game from his DT spot, but not necessarily lighting up the stat sheet. He registered one QB pressure and one defensive stop, but was a constant force for the Bucs against the run and recorded the game-high run defense grade.
• Typically a great coverage linebacker, Lavonte David had arguably his worst game in coverage this season. He was the primary coverage defender on six targets, and gave up four receptions for 40 yards and a touchdown. The highlight reel screen pass to Alvin Kamara was his shining low point of the game but he also gave up a catch to Brandon Coleman and Michael Thomas in coverage elsewhere for a total of a 125.0 passer rating on throws into his coverage.
• Vernon Hargreaves’ name may have been quiet, but Bucs fans should be relatively happy to take that rather than the opposite. Hargreaves was moved to nickel once again, and for the third consecutive game had a great day in coverage. He was targeted three times and allowed just two to be caught for a total of just eight yards and a 70.1 passer rating when targeted.