In Week 17, the New Orleans Saints scuttled their NFC South rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers from capturing the division and locking up a home playoff game. For Saints GM Mickey Loomis, it looked like a case of the Bucs overlooking his squad.
“I felt like Tampa was kind of ready to get out there and get on with the game and celebrate winning the division,” Loomis told reporters on Wednesday, courtesy of WWL Radio Sports' Jeff Nowak.
“And for us to come out and, you know, smash them in the mouth, take that opening drive down and score and set the tone. … It was a dominant performance, and really the game was won in the first half.”
Baker Mayfield and the Bucs entered the Superdome with a clear path to the postseason: defeat Derek Carr and the Saints, clinch the NFC South for the third consecutive season, and host a playoff game.
But an opportunistic New Orleans defense picked off Mayfield twice and forced two fumbles. The Saints were able to jump out to a 17-0 lead at the end of two quarters and hung on to win 23-13.
Despite the feel good win, the Saints may have only temporarily delayed the Bucs taking the NFC South.
Saints still need help
Much like Week 17, Week 18 presents a win-and-in scenario for Tampa Bay — defeat the lowly Carolina Panthers and the division again belongs to the Bucs.
If the Bucs do lose, and the Saints win, Loomis' team will win the division for the first time since 2020. It can also snag a wild card spot with a win, plus losses by the Green Bay Packers and Seattle Seahawks.
Loomis is optimistic that his team will rise to the occasion.
“The fans have been fantastic, they really have,” he said. “And again, we’re gonna have a great atmosphere, it’s Atlanta. It’s always a good atmosphere when we play Atlanta and we need to give our fans something to cheer about.”
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