Tom Brady is many things, and he’s always good for a quote. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback surveyed the state of the NFC South ahead of his next game with the New Orleans Saints, who will visit them next Monday night. These games are always physical, hard-fought affairs, and both the Saints and Buccaneers are dealing with injuries and tough breaks. So his unique comparison actually checks out.
“We have a losing record but the best part is we’re still in first place in our division. Again, which is hard to imagine,” Brady told ESPN’s Jenna Laine on Tuesday. He continued, “It was like when Evander Holyfield got bit on both his ears and still won the fight against (Mike) Tyson. It wasn’t pretty but he still got the job done.”
Brady’s Buccaneers are on top of the NFC South, sure, but they’re separated by just 1.5 games from the last-place Saints. If a couple of things go their way, New Orleans could end up in first place in just a few weeks. The whole division has looked rough this season, and as Brady observed, his team has been bruised and bloodied. They’ll be without All-Pro right tackle Tristan Wirfs due to a high-ankle sprain, in addition to the attrition that wore down their offensive line over the summer. Of the five starters along the line from last year’s shutout loss to the Saints in Tampa Bay, only left tackle Donovan Smith is returning.
So the Tyson-Holyfield comparison is apt, even without considering the history here. Buccaneers wideout Mike Evans hasn’t been able to catch many passes against the Saints secondary in recent years, so he’s lost his cool and started a couple of fights against them that have led to multiple ejections and suspensions. We don’t know whether Marshon Lattimore will be able to return this week after missing seven games with a lacerated kidney and two broken ribs, but he’d be a big help at least until Evans gets himself thrown out again. The only sure thing is that this game should feature plenty of fireworks in front of a national audience.
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