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NEW ORLEANS SAINTS WEEKLY MEDIA INFORMATION GUIDE NEW ORLEANS SAINTS AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS DECEMBER 9, 2018 @ RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM GAME INFORMATION • ROSTERS • DEPTH CHART • TEAM AND PLAYER STATISTICS NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (10-2) AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (5-7) SUNDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2018 – 12:00 PM (CST) RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM – TAMPA, FLA. TV: FOX (WVUE-FOX 8 locally) – Kenny Albert (play-by-play), Ronde Bar- ber (color analyst) and Sara Walsh (sideline) LOCAL RADIO: WWL (870 AM and 105.3 FM) – Zach Strief (play-by-play), Deuce McAllister (color analyst) and Steve Geller (sideline) SPANISH LANGUAGE RADIO: Louisiana Spanish Network (97.9 FM) – Marco Garcia (play-by-play) and Juan Carlos Ramos and Victor Quinonez (color analysts) pleting 290-of-384 passes (75.5%) for 3,262 yards with 30 THE MATCHUP touchdowns, only three interceptions and a career-best The New Orleans Saints Saints (10-2), in the middle of 123.2 passer rating. Brees is ranked first in the NFL in a stretch of three consecutive road games, travel to Ray- completion percentage, passer rating and third down mond James Stadium on Sunday for a divisional matchup passer rating (114.8). with the surging Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-7). The Saints WR Michael Thomas has been Brees’ primary target in had their ten-game win streak snapped in Week 13, drop- powering the New Orleans passing game, ranked second ping the Thursday night contest 10-13 at the Dallas Cow- in the NFL with 91 receptions and fourth with 1,120 receiv- boys. ing yards. With the running game ranked ninth in the NFL, The Saints own a 5-1 road record in 2018, the Dallas RBs Mark Ingram and Alvin Kamara have helped the loss their only blemish away from the Mercedes-Benz Su- Saints rush for 138.9 yards per game since Week Five, perdome. The Buccaneers hold a 4-2 mark at Raymond ranked fifth in the league during that period. James Stadium in 2018 after a 24-17 win over the Carolina The Saints defense has held opponents to 75.4 rushing Panthers on Sunday. The Saints 10-2 start is the second- yards per game and 3.5 rushing yards per attempt, both best start through 12 games to the club’s 12-0 opening in ranked first in the NFL. New Orleans’ 37 sacks are tied for 2009. fifth in the league. New Orleans leads the 53-game series, 32-21 after DE Cameron Jordan is tied for ninth in the National dropping the season opener 40-48 at the Mercedes-Benz Football League with ten sacks this season, the fourth time Superdome. In addition to a win clinching the NFC South in his career he has reached double digits (12.5 in 2013, title in back-to-back seasons for the first time in franchise 10.0 in 2015 and 13.0 in 2017). LB Demario Davis, a key history for the Saints, they will be looking to avoid their first unrestricted free agent acquisition in the offseason, who season sweep by the Buccaneers since 2007. New Orle- has posted 100 tackles in four seasons is on his way to his ans has a 10-7 edge in contests played at Raymond fifth campaign reaching the century mark, leading the team James Stadium. with 87 stops (press box stats) and has a career-high two The Saints offense, which ranks sixth in the NFL in forced fumbles. CB Marshon Lattimore, who has ten takea- yards per game (396.6), has been led by consistent play in ways since making his NFL debut in 2017, is tied for the both the passing game and the running game. QB Drew league lead with three defensive fumble recoveries in Brees is in the midst of another standout season, com- 2018. Saints at Buccaneers: Week 14 2 THE COACHES Dirk Koetter was named the 11th head coach in fran- chise history on January 15, 2016. He’s in his third season Saints Head Coach Sean Payton has posted a 122-78 in charge of the Buccaneers, after serving as offensive co- overall record (.610), including a 7-5 postseason mark ordinator in 2015. In his first season with Tampa Bay (.583) after the franchise had won only one playoff game (2015), Koetter helped pilot one of the most successful of- prior to his arrival. Payton holds both the club’s top win to- fenses in the NFL and one of the best in team history. The tal and winning percentage. He continues to represent the team set the franchise record for total yards (6,014 – 357.0 Saints as the model of stability not only within the NFC per game), while posting the second-most rushing yards South, as he is the longest tenured head coach within the (2,162 – 135.1 per game) and second-most passing yards division, but also among the most accomplished within the (3,852 – 240.8 per game), along with the fifth-most total NF. Only the New England Patriots’ Bill Belichick (2000) points (342 – 21.4 per game). In his first season as head and the Cincinnati Bengals’ Marvin Lewis (2003) have coach of the Buccaneers, he led them to a 9-7 record, their been with the their teams longer. Payton is also one of just first winning mark since 2008. Since 2016, Koetter has helped guide the Buccaneers to one of the NFL’s top of- seven active coaches to lead a team to a Super Bowl victo- fenses, ranking sixth in yards per game (378.9), having the ry. The others are Belichick, the Seattle Seahawks’ Pete best third-down conversion rate (45.1 pct.) and totaling the Carroll, the Oakland Raiders’ Jon Gruden (Tampa Bay in third-most first downs (99) during that timeframe. He joined 2002), the Baltimore Ravens’ John Harbaugh, the Philadel- the Buccaneers after three seasons working as the offen- phia Eagles’ Doug Pederson and the Pittsburgh Steelers’ sive coordinator for the Atlanta Falcons (2012-14). Under Mike Tomlin. The 2018 Saints edition has posted a 10-2 Koetter, Falcons QB Matt Ryan posted three of the four record and currently sit atop the NFC South through Week highest passing yardage seasons in franchise history, as 13, tied for the second-best record in the National Football well as three of the five highest completion percentage League. New Orleans’ ten-game winning streak was the seasons. Prior to joining the Falcons, Koetter spent five second-longest in club history and the longest streak in the seasons as the offensive coordinator of the Jacksonville NFL this season. The streak only sits behind in club record Jaguars (2007-11). Before joining the Jaguars, Koetter books, New Orleans’ 13-0 start under Payton in 2009, the spent 22 years at the collegiate level, the final six as the season when they captured Super Bowl XLIV. The 2017 head coach at Arizona State (2001-06). Koetter’s first head Saints squad yielded an 11-5 regular season record, pro- coaching opportunity came at Boise State, where he spent ducing their first playoff berth since 2013, behind a squad three seasons (1998-2000), finishing with a 26-10 record, led by quarterback Drew Brees offensively and defensive including two consecutive bowl wins. end Cameron Jordan defensively, this team featured sev- en players selected to the Pro Bowl, tied for the most in club history and four draft picks selected to the PFWA All- 2018 NEW ORLEANS –TAMPA BAY Rookie Team, two more than any other club. With running STATISTICAL COMPARISON back Alvin Kamara and cornerback Marshon Lattimore, the 2017 Saints were the first team to have both the Associat- 2018 Regular Season National Football League ed Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and Defensive Rankings Rookie of the Year since 1967. The Saints defense saw Saints Buccaneers improvement in virtually every major statistical category. Record 10-2 5-7 New Orleans moved up ten spots in total defense, includ- Scoring Avg. (NFL Rank) 34.9 (2t) 26.5 (10) ing from 32nd to 15th against the pass. After ranking 31st Opp. Scoring Avg. (NFL Rank) 22.4 (13) 29.6 (30) in opponent points per game in 2016, New Orleans moved Total Off. (NFL Rank) 396.6 (6) 442.7 (1) up to tenth in 2017, surrendering only 20.4 points per Rushing Off. (NFL Rank) 127.4 (9) 98.2 (26) game. Payton earned a bachelor’s degree in communica- Passing Off. (NFL Rank) 269.2 (11) 344.5 (1) tions at Eastern Illinois, where as a quarterback he had Total Def. (NFL Rank) 354.7 (16) 395.4 (27) 10,665 passing yards, at the time the third-highest total in Rushing Def. (NFL Rank) 75.4 (1) 121.0 (21) NCAA Division I-AA history. Payton was inducted into the Passing Def. (NFL Rank) 279.3 (30) 274.4 (28) Eastern Illinois Hall of Fame in September of 2000 and had Kickoff Return Avg. (NFL Rank) 22.8 (15) 16.9 (32) his jersey retired in a ceremony in September of 2010. He Punt Return Avg. (NFL Rank) 5.4 (29) 6.0 (25) received an honorary doctorate from his alma mater in Turnover Margin (NFL Rank) +9 (5t) -18 (31) 2013. Payton was born December 29, 1963 in San Mateo, Penalties 64 89 Calif., and raised in Naperville, Ill., Payton has a daughter, Penalty Yards 623 731 Meghan and a son, Connor. Opp. Penalties 63 94 Opp. Penalty Yards 593 883 Saints at Buccaneers: Week 14 3 SUPERLATIVES one touchdown pass, @ Raymond James Stadium, Sept.