The NFC South title is up for grabs going into the final week of the season.
With the Atlanta Falcons’ loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday night, Washington clinched the final Wild Card spot. It also took control of the division out of the Falcons’ hands.
All the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have to do is win Week 18 and they’ll secure their fourth consecutive divisional title. There’s only one thing standing in their way: the New Orleans Saints. The Saints may not have a playoff future of their own, so ruining the future of the Buccaneers is a nice consolation prize.
The last time New Orleans and Tampa Bay faced off was Spencer Rattler’s first start. It was an all-around embarrassing loss, and the Saints were outclassed on both sides of the ball.
It’s also unlikely the Saints will drop in the NFL draft with a Week 18 victory. The Saints have such a low strength of schedule that moving outside of the top-10 picks appears doubtful.
If the Saints win and the Falcons beat Carolina Panthers, Atlanta has punched their ticket to the playoffs. This also means the Falcons would have to begrudgingly root for a New Orleans victory.
A Saints loss means the Falcons are eliminated from playoff contention. With the season lost, the Saints can spoil someone’s hopes on Sunday. Will it be the Falcons or Buccaneers?
