<span style="">                 <span style="text-decoration: underline;"> NEW ORLEANS SAINTS (9-0) AT TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS (1-8)</span>                  

            <span style="text-decoration: underline;">SERIES</span>                   

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• SERIES LEADER: The New Orleans Saints lead the all-time series between the two franchises, 20-14.
• STREAKS: The Buccaneers have won three-of-the-last-four games in the series.
• COACHES VS. OPP.: New Orleans Saints Head Coach Sean Payton owns a 3-3 record against the Bucs. Tampa Bay Head Coach Raheem Morris will be coaching against the Saints for the first time ever in the series.
• LAST WEEK: The Saints traveled to St. Louis and defeated the Rams, 28-23.  The Bucs fell to the Dolphins in Miami, 25-23, on a last second field goal by Dan Carpenter.
• LAST GAME: 11/30/08: Saints 20 at Buccaneers 23. Tampa Bay K Matt Bryant kicked a game-winning 37-yard FG with 1:55 remaining. The Buccaneers' defense registered two interceptions in final minutes of win.
• BROADCAST: FOX (12:00 PM CT): Sam Rosen, Tim Ryan. SIRIUS: 126 (NO), 158 (TB). XM: 103 (NO). The game can heard regionally on the Saints Radio Network (WWL 870 AM and 105.3 FM locally) with Jim Henderson handling play-by-play, Hokie Gajan serving as color analyst and Kristian Garic reporting from the Saints sidelines. A Spanish language broadcast can be heard on WFNO 830 AM with Emilio Peralta handling play-by-play and Marco Garcia serving as color analyst.
  STATS
  

• PASSING: Saints-Drew Brees: 199-291-2,559 (1C)-19 (1C)-9-104.6 (2L); Bucs-Josh Freeman (R): 32-63-417-4-2-79.9
• RUSHING: Saints- Pierre Thomas: 94-492-5.2-5; Bucs-Cadillac Williams: 106-418-3.9-3
• RECEIVING: Saints-Marques Colston: 39-613-15.7-6; Bucs-kellen Winslow, Jr. (TE): 42-454-10.8-5
• OFFENSE: Saints- 426.1 (1L); Bucs- 276.3
• TAKE/GIVE: Saints 6 (3C); Bucs Even (0)
  
• DEFENSE: Saints- 343.0 yards per game; Bucs- 379.2 yards per game
  
• SACKS: Saints-DE Will Smith: 7.5 (T3C); Bucs- DE Jimmy Wilkerson: 5.5
• INTs: Saints-S Darren Sharper: 7 (1C); Bucs-CB Aqib Talib: 5 (T3L)
• PUNTING: Saints-Thomas Morstead (R): 43.0; Bucs- Dirk Johnson: 41.4
• KICKING: Saints- John Carney: 73 (40/42 PAT; 11/14 FG); Bucs- Connor Barth: 17 (5/5 PAT; 4/5 FG)NOTES
  SAINTS: Are 9-0 for 1st time in team history. Average 36.8 points per game, most in NFL…QB DREW BREES aims for 4th in row vs. division with 300 yards. In past 3 vs. division, has 1,024 yards, 7 TDs, 3 INTs & 104.1 rating. Since joining NO in 2006, leads NFL with 16,469 pass yards. Has 2,636 yards (329.5 per game), 24 TDs, 7 INTs & 118.9 rating in past 8 vs. NFC…RB-PR REGGIE BUSH had rush & rec. TD last week. Has 2 TDs vs. TB (65-yard PR-TD & 42-yard rec. TD). Has 30 career TDs (17 rush, 9 rec, 4 PR) & is only Saint to score via rush, rec. & PR. RB PIERRE THOMAS aims for 4th in row vs. division with rush TD. Had 20-yard TD catch in last meeting…WR MARQUES COLSTON had 6 catches for 106 yards in last meeting. Has 10 TDs in past 12. WR ROBERT MEACHEM aims for 3rd in row with TD. TE JEREMY SHOCKEY has 458 receptions since 2002, 3rd most in NFL by TE. KR COURTNEY ROBY had 97-yard KR-TD last week, his 1st TD since 2005…DE WILL SMITH has 5 sacks in past 3 & aims for 4th in row with sack. S DARREN SHARPER has INT in 2 of past 3 vs. TB, incl. 88-yard INT-TD. LB JONATHAN VILMA had sack in last meeting.

BUCCANEERS: QB JOSH FREEMAN has 4 TDs in 1st 2 NFL starts…Team is 10-0 when RB CADILLAC WILLIAMS has 22 carries. Has 3 rush TDs in past 2 meetings. Rushed for TD last week. RB-KR CLIFTON SMITH is 2nd in NFL with 30.1 KR avg…WR ANTONIO BRYANT has rec. TD in 2 of past 3 vs. NO (48 & 39 yards). Has 19 catches for 345 yards (115 per game) & 3 TDs in past 3 division games. WR MAURICE STOVALL had 33-yard TD reception last week. TE KELLEN WINSLOW had 7 catches for 102 yards last week, 2nd 100-yard game of season. Since 2006, ranks 3rd among TEs with 256 catches. WR SAMMIE STROUGHTER is tied for 3rd among NFC rookies with 15 1st down receptions…Defense has 198 INTs since 2000, 2nd most in NFL. S TANARD JACKSON has 3 INTs in past 4, incl. 2 INT-TDs. CB RONDE BARBER has posted 3 INTs in game 2 times, both vs. NO. Has 13 career return TDs. Is 1 of 4 players all-time with 20 sacks (24) & 30 INTs (37). CB AQIB TALIB has 5 INTs in past 6. LB QUINCY BLACK had 1st career INT last week…K CONNOR BARTH became 4th player in NFL history with 3 50 yard FGs in game last week.