Opponent – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Coach – Bruce Arians
Quarterback – Jameis Winston
2018 record – 5-11, fourth in NFC South
Most recent matchup: Sunday, Dec. 9, 2018: Saints 28, Buccaneers 14
2019 game: Sunday, Oct. 6 – Week 5 noon on Fox
Stadium – Mercedes-Benz Superdome
Buccaneers-Saints series record: Saints lead 33-21-0
Buccaneers' 2018 season recap:
For the second year in a row, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finished with a 5-11 record. Jameis Winston started the season on the bench for the first three games due to a suspension. Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick started hot and powered the Bucs to a 2-1 start. Wideout Mike Evans passed Mark Carrier as the all-time leader in yards for a Buccaneers wide receiver. Tampa Bay struggled on defense in 2018. After keeping their composure through the first three weeks of the season, a 48-10 Week 4 loss to the Chicago Bears exposed weaknesses, especially in the secondary. The Bucs look to take major strides in the right direction with Bruce Arians now at the helm replacing Dirk Koetter.
Notable additions:
- Linebacker – Deone Bucannon
- Running back – Peyton Barber
- Cornerback – De'Vante Harris
Notable losses:
- Wide receiver – DeSean Jackson
- Quarterback – Ryan Fitzpatrick
- Linebacker – Kwon Alexander
