Cameron Jordan and the New Orleans defense gave Tom Brady fits again, shutting down Tampa Bay’s high-powered offense Sunday night as the Saints put the Buccaneers’ division-title celebration plans on hold with a 9-0 victory over the reigning Super Bowl champions.
Despite playing without coach Sean Payton on the sideline, the Saints (7-7) beat the Bucs (10-4) for the seventh straight time during the regular season — fourth since Brady left New England for Tampa Bay in 2020.
The victory gave New Orleans a sweep of the season series between the NFC South rivals and boosted the Saints into playoff position with a hold on the conference’s final wild card. It also forced Tampa Bay to wait at least another week to clinch its first division crown since 2007.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) fumbles the football after getting hit by New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) during the second half of an NFL football game Sunday, Dec. 19, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
The Bucs, who did win a playoff game at New Orleans last January en route to winning the Super Bowl, lead the division by three games with three weeks remaining in the regular season.
With defensive coordinator Dennis Allen standing in for Payton, who missed the game after testing positive for COVID-19, the Saints stymied the NFL’s No. 1 passing and scoring offense and ended Brady’s streak of 255 consecutive starts without being shut out.
Jordan had two sacks, surpassing 100 for his career, and forced a key fumble in the lowest-scoring game of the NFL season. It was the first time in his illustrious career that Brady lost to an opponent that didn’t manage a touchdown.
“Look, if we wanted to win, we had to put it on the D-line,” Jordan said. “We installed a four-man rush front and we got after him. We hit him early, we hit him often and we sort of…
Source : foxnews
