This week I caught up with Nick Houllis of Buc Stop who I’ve been doing this with twice a year for as long as Saints Nation has existed. You should know him by now and you should follow him on twitter. Many thanks to Nick for taking the time!
Saints Nation: I’ve noticed you getting all nostalgic about all the great wins in Bucs history against the Saints this week on your site. Just curious if you remember that time the Saints won 41-0 against you in 2012 and shut you out with what was statistically the worst defense in NFL history (I stole this from a Saints fan on twitter)?
BucStop: OH SNAP!! No I wasn’t getting nostalgic, I was just pointing out that it is POSSIBLE to beat the Saints in New Orleans, and Saints fans want to dismiss 2009 even though Brees was in the whole game if I remember right, and we came back from 17 points down IN THE 4th QTR to beat you in OT, but we beat you again the NEXT YEAR too. That was the game I think you rested starters, but Bucs were in the lead when your starters sat down. So no it wasn’t meant to start anything, clearly you guys have been the better team since the drew breed era started, although we got the best of you a couple times… the 07 sweep for example. Instead it was just to show Bucs fans it’s not an impossible task.
SN: Kind of a weird season for the Bucs, no one expected them to be this bad, but then no one expected them to beat the Steelers. What’s your level of confidence coming into this game, or do you feel the season is already lost?
BS: To me this is 1996 all over again. We already know Lovie Smith is cut from the same mold as Tony Dungy. Remember a few things about that 96 Bucs team besides the fact it wore Orange!
1) It got blown out opening day, and a few times that year. Started 0-5 and 1-8, with Brooks, Sapp, Nickerson, Lynch all there. But it took time for the players to buy in totally to Lovie’s system.
If by lost cause do you mean no playoffs? I don’t think the Bucs are a playoff team, I’m looking for a team that can improve each week and show at the end of the year they are a few players away from being serious winners.
2) Remember, Eric Curry was a D lineman on that 96 team. There were still old Bucs on that 96 team, just as there are players on this year’s Bucs team that won’t be here next year.
SN: I’m sure you were hoping Josh McCown would tap into that mojo he had last year, but he’s been awful. Glennon is clearly the better QB for this team right? Am I missing something here?
BS: I think Josh McCown is the better QB for this team…when he’s playing like Josh played last year. Problem is he regressed back into ‘old Josh’ so that by default makes Glennon the better QB.
I don’t think either will be the QB of the future, but at least lets see what Glennon has to offer. Glennon make lay an egg this week, and everyone will want McCown again, and you know the old saying…. if you have two QBs, you have NO QBs!
SN: I was reading over that aforementioned article of Saints-Bucs history and some of your compiled stats. It reminded me how much Joey Galloway used to rip us a new one and how much I hated that guy. No chance he comes out of retirement for this game, right? Please? How long have you been a Bucs fan and is there any Saint now or historically that makes you feel the same way I do about Galloway?
BS: Been a Bucs fan since 1979, the year you guys came into Tampa Stadium while we were 5-1 and put a 42-14 whipping on us when the game was a scoreless tie at halftime! And yes we do have our own Joey Galloway, his name is Drew Brees!! But to be honest, lately, Jimmy Graham has monster games against us. I promise you he will have over 125 yards and 2 TDs Sunday.
SN: The NFC South is a joke right now. Does that leave you hope you can win this division? Give me your opinion on the state of each team and where things stand, and/or how you see it playing out.
Well I thought for sure Carolina had gotten over their lack of WR, but other than that rookie, no one else wants to catch the ball over there. And they can run either. Atlanta has no line, no O line, no D line. I can guarantee you a different game when Falcons come to Raymond James. You guys have problems and Drew Brees is getting up there in age. If you ask me, this has turned into the old NFC Central of the early 80s before the Bears. 9-7 takes this division and there won’t be a wild card.
You MUST be able to run the ball to take this division and play defense, thats how Carolina did it last year. Too many good passers, so you have to take the ball out of their hands. Who ever can run the ball and play defense down the stretch will take the Division.
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