Lavonte David may have retired this offseason, but his dislike for the New Orleans Saints clearly didn’t hang up with his pads.
On Kay Adams, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker made it plain that the Saints are still the NFC South team he most wants to see fail. And if Tyler Shough needed a reminder, David wasn’t exactly subtle about where he stands.
That kind of reaction fits right into the long-running Saints-Buccaneers dynamic, which has often looked more one-sided than equal. Buccaneers players and fans have repeatedly treated it like a true rivalry, while Saints followers have usually shrugged it off - outside of the Marshon Lattimore-Mike Evans edge, there hasn’t been much lasting heat coming from New Orleans’ side.
David admitted part of his frustration came from the old scoreboard reality. “We've got to be honest, it was a hard time beating them early in my career, especially when they had Drew Brees.”
That wasn’t just a throwaway line. David went 5-13 against the Saints during the Brees era, and that kind of lopsided run explains plenty about why the feelings in Tampa ran so hot for so long.
He also pointed to the Saints’ personality over the years, saying they talked trash, were full of themselves and carried themselves with a flamboyant edge. When Adams asked about the Cam Newton-led Panthers, David drew a line between showboating and trash talk, describing Newton and Carolina more as showboats than true chirpers.
And when a team is winning, that swagger is a lot easier to tolerate. When it isn’t, it gets under your skin.
David said he used to enjoy watching the Saints lose in the playoffs, then added that beating New Orleans in the playoffs was one of the best moments of his career. That’s saying something, considering the Buccaneers won the Super Bowl that year.
Still, for David, that playoff win over the Saints clearly sat near the top of the list. The Super Bowl may rank higher. Not by much.
In Other News...
Saints Fans Will Notice One Big Superdome Change At The Home Opener
The Caesars Superdome is rolling out a fresh gameday experience for the Saints home opener, and the changes will be obvious long before kickoff. To mark 60 seasons of Saints football, the building is debuting new food and drink options aimed at giving fans more variety as they settle into another home schedule in New Orleans.
Along with a $6 value menu, the lineup includes Louisiana-inspired dishes such as a pork alligator burger and Tabasco wings, plus specialty cocktails throughout the stadium. Suite fans will also have a $60 commemorative dessert on the menu, part of a broader push from the culinary team to make the Superdome feel a little more celebratory as the season gets underway. [Read more 🡒]
Saints Fans Can Already See Kellen Moores Travis Etienne Problem
Travis Etiennes early role has already become a talking point for Saints fans watching Kellen Moore sort out the offense. Through the first two games, Etienne has been kept under 10 rushing attempts in each one, a usage pattern that stands out for a back who is supposed to be one of the highest-paid at his position. Instead of functioning like the lead runner many expected, he has been deployed more as a piece in the passing game while Alvin Kamara has gotten the heavier share of work on the ground.
For New Orleans, the concern is less about one quiet stretch than what it might signal about Moores priorities with the backfield. If Etienne is going to justify his contract and become the centerpiece many assumed he would be, the Saints need to see more than scattered touches and receiving snaps. For now, the mismatch between pay and role is hard to ignore, and it leaves a real question hanging over how Moore plans to balance the two backs going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Saints May Be Catching Raiders At A Much Worse Time
The Saints are preparing for a Raiders team that has already managed to open the season 2-0 without Brock Bowers, but the matchup in Week 3 could look different if Las Vegas gets its top pass-catching weapon back. ESPNs Dan Graziano reported that Bowers is more likely than not to play against New Orleans, which would give the Raiders offense a major lift after getting through the first two weeks without him.
His availability still is not locked in, though, and that leaves a little suspense around how dangerous this Raiders group will be by kickoff. If Bowers gets through practice without any issues, New Orleans may be staring at a much tougher version of a team that has already found ways to win early. [Read more 🡒]