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Bucs vs. Saints: Players to Watch

Who are some Saints players we're watching for their Week 2 matchup against the Bucs?

John Hendrix

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The Saints and Bucs square off inside the Superdome on Sunday for a noon kickoff. It's the team's second straight NFC South opponent, as New Orleans rallied in the fourth quarter to knock off the Falcons in the season opener. We all know about the success the team has had against Tom Brady in the regular season, but it's a different year and different team. Here's a few players and areas we'll be watching in Week 2.

Michael Thomas

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Sep 11, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas (13) reacts with New Orleans Saints wide receiver Jarvis Landry (5) after catching a touchdown pass against the Atlanta Falcons during the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Michael Thomas made a huge statement to the rest of the league after his big second half against the Falcons. It obviously wasn't just him, as Jarvis Landry had a killer debut for the Saints. Thomas tortured the Bucs in 2019, but had a relatively quiet 2020 against them. The matchup between him and Carlton Davis will be something to watch, as the bad blood between the two is certainly still a thing.

One of the keys will be protecting Jameis Winston, which will not be an easy task given how talented the Bucs front seven is. Thomas and Landry will be key to helping the Saints offense move the sticks, and we obviously can't forget about Chris Olave. Thomas should be really energized playing in front of the Superdome.

Tony Jones Jr.

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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Amari Rodgers is upended by New Orleans Saints running back Tony Jones Jr. (34) on a punt return during their football game on Friday, August 19, 2022, at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wis. The Packers won the game, 20-10.Tork Mason/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Apc Packers Vs Saints 081922 3465 Ttm

Alvin Kamara's status is up in the air right now after being ruled as questionable on the team's final injury report. However, it doesn't stop there. Mark Ingram has been limited all week with an ankle injury, and despite being questionable as well, he should play in this one. Even Dwayne Washington (hamstring) is questionable going into Sunday.

That leaves Tony Jones Jr. and Latavius Murray as the only healthy running backs for New Orleans. Although Murray has been impressive, it remains to be seen if he gets elevated from the practice squad on Saturday after just being here a few days. Jones Jr. looks to be in line for more touches, even if Kamara does play. That could also mean Taysom Hill gets some more looks too.

After a slow start to training camp, Jones Jr. came on in a big way and solidified his place on the roster during the preseason. During the open portion of Friday's practice, we saw him get a good bit of red zone work with the offense. Again, we'll have to keep tabs on how the health unfolds leading up to game time. 

Marcus Maye

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Sep 11, 2022; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; New Orleans Saints safety Marcus Maye (6) celebrates after forcing a fumble with safety Justin Evans (30) against the Atlanta Falcons in the second half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

You could probably say the whole secondary here, but Marcus Maye gets top billing for me. Maye had a really strong game against the Falcons, and was someone who stood out in the film repeatedly. Where we're most intrigued is how the deep ball works for Brady here. There was one play last week against the Falcons that saw Maye get called for pass interference, but it's hard to say that that was his assignment.

Joining Maye in the secondary effort against Tom Brady will be Justin Evans, Tyrann Mathieu, Marshon Lattimore and Bradley Roby. Roby appeared in 46% and 47% of the defensive snaps in each game against the Bucs last year. One thing that co-defensive coordinator and secondary coach Kris Richard talked about was what they like to focus on, and you can see that in each player.

Cam Jordan

Cam Jordan and Marcus Davenport (2)

Again, we could just talk about the entire defensive line here. The focus goes on the Saints pass rush here, as they only had one quarterback hit against Marcus Mariota in Week 1. Much of that was because of not blitzing, and they're going to need to rebound this week. Cam Jordan talked about the challenges of defending against Tom Brady, citing that he likes to get the ball out quickly and change the tempo up. He also talked about tightening up things.

Cam Jordan is going to be a huge part of successes or failures against the Buccaneers, whether it be defending against the run or getting after Brady. The run game will need to be put in check. Last week was rough, and a large part of that was due to the element of the mobile quarterback, but Mariota and Cordarrelle Patterson had a strong day on the ground. They're going to be challenged with Leonard Fournette this week, who gashed the Cowboys for 127 yards on just 21 carries last Sunday.

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John Hendrix
JOHN HENDRIX

I officially started covering the New Orleans Saints & other NFL topics in 2011. My work has been featured on various outlets over the years. I worked closely with Skyhorse Publishing in Fall 2018 to update the book, Tales From the New Orleans Saints Sidelines, which filled in all Saints material from the 2013-2017 seasons. Prior to joining Saints News Network, I served as the Managing Editor of SB Nation's Canal Street Chronicles for 3.5 years, and before that with FanSided's Who Dat Dish as the Managing Editor for several years. I have also had experiences of being a freelance Saints reporter for The Sun Herald in Biloxi, MS and a contributing writer for WDSU, a local NBC TV station in New Orleans. I have appeared on a vast amount of TV and Radio shows, both nationally and locally. For tips, comments, or suggestions, please contact me at johnhendrix@saintsnews.net