Saints TE Juwan Johnson’s epic mentality heading into Week 18 battle with Falcons — ‘Punch them in the mouth’

The New Orleans Saints went into Tampa Bay in Week 17 as underdogs. The Buccaneers were coming into the game on a four-game winning streak and in need of just a win to clinch the division. New Orleans shut down those hopes — at least for a week — when they defeated Tampa 23-13. The Saints controlled the game from start to finish, taking a 20-0 lead in the third quarter and never letting the Buccaneers come back.

Saints tight end Juwan Johnson played a large part in this victory. Johnson led the team in receiving, recording eight receptions for 90 yards and a touchdown. This included a phenomenal 33-yard somersaulting catch, and the four-yard touchdown grab. He’s looking to carry that mentality and dominance into this week’s game versus the Atlanta Falcons.

“We have a bad taste in our mouths from the last time,” Johnson said. “Us driving the ball up and down the field and not punching it in the red zone, was very disappointing. That’s something going into this game. We know we can drive, we know we can do all these things. The biggest thing is just finishing drives. Going into the mentality of what we had last week, we just have to punch them in the mouth. No more playing games. No more talking about it. You can’t just be sayers, you gotta be doers,” via NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.