Key matchups to determine Buccaneers-Saints in Week 8

Jamel Dean has been playing the best football of his entire career so far during this 2025 season. Despite agreeing to a reduced contract number in order to stay with the team this year, Dean has been the Buccaneers’ most reliable cornerback when he’s on the field. Dean ranks first in passer rating when targeted (18.7) and completion percentage when targeted (39.1) according to Next Gen Stats. 

He is also currently PFF’s number one ranked cornerback with an overall grade of 86.4, three full points ahead of the next best CB, Charvarius Ward of the Indianapolis Colts. Dean is also tied for third in the NFL with three interceptions on the season, which is the most he’s ever produced in a single season throughout his entire seven-year career. 

Although Chris Olave has had a relatively quiet NFL career thus far, these things tend to happen to players who get stuck with a franchise that refuses to rebuild (even though it is required) or get injured. In the case of Olave, it’s been both. 

That being said, Chris Olave is still a very talented football player and arguably the Saints' most dangerous weapon on offense. The Saints drafted Olave 11th overall in 2022 out of Ohio State, and he went on to put up back-to-back 1,000-yard receiving seasons in both 2022 and 2023. Olave played in just eight games last year, and so far in 2025, he’s already surpassed his yards, receptions and TD’s from a year ago. 

Olave moves around the formation quite a bit for New Orleans, but there’s no doubt that Jamel Dean will be tasked with slowing down the Saints’ talented receiver on many of his routes come Sunday. If Dean can continue his stellar play and limit Olave’s impact on the Saints’ passing game, it will go a long way toward helping his team secure an important victory within the division. 

SirVocea Dennis vs. Alvin Kamara

SirVocea Dennis has had a rough start to his first season as the Bucs’ full-time starter at inside linebacker. Although he’s shown some promise as a pass rusher and run defender, his lack of awareness and instincts in coverage has become a major liability for Tampa Bay’s defense. Almost all of the analytics models identify Dennis as the worst coverage defender in the entire NFL. According to PFF, his 28.8 coverage grade is far and away the lowest of any linebacker in the NFL, and he’s given up more than 100 yards more through the air compared to the next-worst linebacker in coverage. 

Although it could be argued that Alvin Kamara has lost a step over the years, he remains one of the NFL’s most competent pass-catching backs. Not only is Kamara very adept at securing the ball off check-downs from his young QB Spencer Rattler, but he’s also still a dynamic player in space. The Saints will surely target Kamara in the passing game with hopes of isolating him against Dennis as much as they can.

Will Dennis finally make some sort of an impact in coverage? Or will Alvin Kamara dominate this matchup? The result of this individual player matchup could have a significant impact on which player's team wins this football game.

Final Thoughts

Although the Buccaneers are expected to win this game, there are no guarantees in the NFL. And if we've learned anything over the years, it's that crazy things happen when the Saints and Buccaneers square off, regardless of how each team is playing heading into the matchup.

If the Saints are to win this game, it's likely going to be because of their two star offensive players, Chris Olave and Alvin Kamara. If Jamel Dean and SirVocea Dennis are able to win their individual matchups vs. those two players, the Buccaneers should be well positioned to win this football game.