NFL.com and NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport has his thoughts on the game:
Week 7 primer:
»
Ranking games in order of intrigue
Why this game is intriguing: Any time the New Orleans Saints play, it's worth watching. The come-from-behind win over the Chargers solidified that before last week's bye. Their record isn't good (1-4) and quarterback Drew Brees said, "Our expectation level was, is, always much higher than that." But is any team as capable of running off a few wins in a row like the Saints? Does anyone really think they are out of it just because of their record? I don't. Meanwhile, if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers want a wild-card spot, they'll be fighting against the Saints, making this one big.
What to watch: Even with an injury to Adrian Clayborn, the Bucs' defensive front has been brutal to block. Three sacks and 12 tackles don't tell the story on Gerald McCoy, who has bounced back nicely from two injury-riddled years. But it's the intensity of the entire defense that might be tough for the Saints, who will try once against to ignite a lagging running game. Complicating matters for Tampa Bay, though, is that they lost star cornerback Aqib Talib to a drug suspension, increasing the likelihood that Brees will find the weak link in that unit.
On Twitter:#NOvsTB
