{Video Courtesy: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers}
TAMPA, Fla. — During their media availability on Wednesday, Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Bruce Arians and a handful of players expressed their respect for the New Orleans Saints and excitement to face their divisional foe in the NFC Divisional Round.
“It’s a great rivalry,” says Tampa Bay Buccaneers Wide Receiver Mike Evans.
“When we play each other, it’s a lot of emotion, a lot of physicality. As the players, we love it. We love this rivalry. I know the fans love it and I would say it is our biggest rivalry,” added Evans.
The Saints are 2-0 against the Bucs this season. The most notable and lop-sided victory coming Week 9 after a 38-3 blowout on Tampa’s home field. A game that lingers on the minds of long-time and newer members of the Bucaneers.
New Orleans native Leonard Fournette has grown up around the New Orleans Saints organization and their playoff history under Head Coach Sean Payton.
“They’ve been together for a long time and their chemistry is great. I think we are getting there as a whole with our team, our offense. We just have to find ways to execute and not shoot ourselves in the foot with the small penalties. We have to take it play-by-play. It’s going to be a dog fight. They’ve been here before and it’s our first time being here,” says Fournette.
Fournette is in the same position as a lot of the newer faces on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and while they have shown flashes of a serious contender in the NFC, the Road to Tampa goes through the New Orleans Saints and the Mercedes-Benz Superdome Sunday at 5:40 p.m.
For full coverage of the New Orleans Saints NFC Divisional Round matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, don’t forget to tune into our Road to Tampa: Divisional Round Special Friday at 6:30 p.m. on WGNO.
