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Saints Rushing Attack vs. Buccaneers Run Defense

New Orleans will look to establish offensive balance and a physical advantage against a formidable Tampa Bay defense in this week two clash.

Bob Rose

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After a miraculous comeback at Atlanta to open the year with a win, the New Orleans Saints face their second straight NFC South opponent when they host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday. The Buccaneers also come into the game at 1-0 after a 19-3 defeat of the Dallas Cowboys.

Tampa Bay ended the Saints four-year reign as NFC South champs last season, despite the fact that New Orleans swept the Bucs for the third straight year. Despite the talent at the skill positions that both teams possess, these games are usually physical affairs.

New Orleans ranked 28th in total offense and dead last in passing yardage last season. However, the return of QB Jameis Winston and WR Michael Thomas, along with offseason additions of receivers Jarvis Landry and Chris Olave, were expected to greatly change that. Those weapons were needed in the come from behind win against the Falcons.

The Saints still want to run the ball and establish balance first. They ranked 15th in rushing yardage last season, but only 28th in average per carry. New Orleans struggled to run the ball against the Falcons, and now faces one of the league's better run defenses in Tampa Bay.

Saints Rushing Attack

2021 Rushing Statistics

  • 117 yards per game (15th)
  • 3.9 per rush (28th)
  • 12 rushing touchdowns (24th)
Sep 9, 2018; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) scores a touchdown against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY

New Orleans rushed for 151 yards on 19 carries against the Falcons last week, but those numbers are a little deceiving. Taysom Hill bolted for a 57-yard run to set up his own 11-yard rushing score in the first quarter. Outside of those two plays they had 83 yards on the ground on 17 attempts, an average of nearly 4.9 per carry.

Still not bad numbers, but the Saints had to abandon the run in the fourth quarter and never really felt like they had control of the line of scrimmage. New Orleans never did get RB Alvin Kamara on track, who had only nine carries for 39 yards, but 15 on one carry.

Kamara is the league's most versatile back and the focal point of the offensive attack. He averaged over 847 yards rushing over his first five seasons, including 898 last year. The 27-year-old Kamara has proven to be effective between the tackles, but is most dangerous in space, an attribute we didn't see much of in 2021 or last week.

Mark Ingram contributed 22 yards on four carries against Atlanta. The 32-year-old Ingram is still a battering ram between the tackles and the ideal complement to Kamara. Despite his position change to tight end, Taysom Hill is still most dangerous on direct snaps out of the backfield.

Dec 9, 2018; New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram (22) runs against Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Lavonte David (54). Mandatory Credit: Jonathan Dyer-USA TODAY Sports

The Saints three-headed rushing combo of Kamara, Ingram, and Hill can take over a game. To do that, their offensive line must be able to control the line of scrimmage. New Orleans has most of their rushing success over the right side, where star RT Ryan Ramczyk and RG Cesar Ruiz need to get push off the line.

Center Erik McCoy, LG Andrus Peat, and LT James Hurst are charged with opening up cutback lanes for Kamara and Ingram, who have terrific vision and cutback ability. This group must do a better job at controlling the line of scrimmage from the beginning of the game for the Saints to establish early balance.

Tampa Bay Run Defense

2021 Rushing Statistics

  • 92.5 rushing yards per game (3rd)
  • 4.3 per rush (15th)
  • 11 rushing touchdowns (5th)
  • 81 tackles for loss
Dec 19, 2021; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) is tackled by Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Devin White (45). Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

Tampa Bay has ranked within the top-5 against the run in each of the last three years and held nine opponents under 100 yards on the ground in 2021. They got their 2022 season off to a strong start by holding Dallas to just 71 yards rushing on 18 carries.

The Buccaneers lost two key run stoppers this offseason along their defensive front in Ndamukong Suh and Jason Pierre-Paul. Former Bears and Saints defensive lineman Akiem Hicks was added in free agency and Logan Hall in the second round of the draft.

Nose tackle Vita Vea is a load in the middle and can tie up two, sometimes three blockers, while still blowing up running plays. William Gholston and Rakeem Nunez-Roches round out the defensive front, while Shaquil Barrett, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Anthony Nelson, and Carl Nassib patrol the edge.

Tampa's 3-4 front makes plays, but also ties up blockers for disruptive inside linebackers Devin White and Lavonte David to create havoc for opponents. David and White are among the best linebacking duos in the league and combined for 225 tackles last year, including 13 for loss. They flow expertly through traffic, but also have the speed to get to the edge before a runner turns the corner.

The Buccaneers have a physical secondary that isn't hesitant to cut down a running back at the line. Antoine Winfield Jr. is one of the best young safeties in the league and is always in the middle of the action.

Veteran safeties Mike Edwards and free-agent addition Logan Ryan make up for the free agent loss of Jordan Whitehead. Corners Jamel Dean, Carlton Davis, and Sean Murphy-Bunting are also active in run support.

What to Expect

Oct 6, 2019; New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara (41) runs the ball against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Alvin Kamara has scored 11 touchdowns in eleven career games against the Buccaneers, but has averaged just 49 yards on the ground and surpassed 70 yards rushing just twice against them. He’ll need to get more touches than the 12 he received against Atlanta, despite dealing with a rib injury sustained last week.

Those touches might come in the passing game, where Kamara has caught 60 passes for 513 yards over his career against the Bucs. White and David are two of the few linebackers that can match Kamara's athleticism, but the Saints need to get their dynamic back more involved.

For Kamara to be used more in the passing game, Ingram must be effective as a runner. He has 588 yards rushing and 7 scores in 14 career games against Tampa Bay, but has been more of a complementary piece since arriving back in New Orleans last season. Expect the Saints to also continue using Hill’s running abilities out of the backfield throughout the season.

In their last four regular season games against the Buccaneers, all wins, the Saints managed 433 yards on the ground. While that's not a huge number, and one also buoyed by the 152 rushing yards in last year's victory at home, it showed that the Saints were effective enough on the ground to stay patient with it. That will also help stave off the Buccaneers pass rush and set up play-action.

Guards Peat, Ruiz, and C Erik McCoy must have a better outing than they did against the Falcons. They'll face critical battles against Vea, Hicks, and the rest of Tampa's front along with White and David. It's a physical battle they'll have to win if New Orleans is to have any balance against a formidable Buccaneers defense. 

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Bob Rose
BOB ROSE

Covers the New Orleans Saints as a senior writer for the Saints News Network.  Co-Host of the Bayou Blitz Podcast.