Bucs' Week 6 Game Vs. Saints Now a Must-Win

The NFC South race could get away from Tampa Bay.

Oct 1, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White (1) runs against the New Orleans Saints during the second quarter at the Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images / Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had the chance to go to 4-1 against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday, but despite having the ball with under two minutes left at Atlanta's 28-yard line, they couldn't get it done. And after that 36-30 loss, their bid to win the NFC South is officially in danger — and without a win against the New Orleans Saints in Week 6, it could hit code red.

Yes, there's a lot of football left to play in the NFL. We're barely through the first quarter of the season, so the Bucs have time to make up ground — but it's the NFC South race that's going to get crucial, and if they aren't careful, it can start to slip away from them before they know it. They'll have a good shot to beat the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, but if they don't, they'll be in a hole.

Should the Bucs not beat the Saints next Sunday, they'll have started their NFC South campaign 0-2. That's already not ideal in itself, and it would mean that pretty much every NFC South matchup going forward — especially against the Atlanta Falcons at home — will be necessary games. But it's also important to look at the Atlanta Falcons' schedule, who are already 2-0 in the South.

READ MORE: Bucs' Rival Coach Aiming to 'Outrun the South' After Week 5 Win

The Falcons will play the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte next Sunday, and they're a better team. Should they win that game as expected, they'll already be 3-0 in the NFC South and they'll continue to stretch their lead in the division. It's well possible that the Panthers could win this game — any given Sunday, after all — but the Bucs shouldn't bet on that, so they should take care of business in New Orleans.

Tampa Bay could have a significant advantage coming into this matchup. The Bucs will be on 10 days rest while the Saints will have one less day of rest due to their matchup on Monday Night Football. Tampa Bay could face some complications in practice due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Milton, but they also could have players like Calijah Kancey, Antoine Winfield Jr. and Luke Goedeke back in the fold.

They'll need them. Tampa Bay plays New Orleans on Oct. 13 at 3 p.m., and when it does, it needs to bring a sense of urgency and it's absolute A-game to make sure the South doesn't pass on by.

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