Saints In A Position To Play Spoiler For NFC South Championship

How New Orleans performs in their season finale will directly affect the playoff fate of two NFC South rivals.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws under pressure from the New Orleans Saints / Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints finish their 2024-25 season on the road against NFC South rival Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 18. New Orleans comes into the game with a record of 5-11, while the Buccaneers come in with a 9-7 mark.

Tampa Bay holds first place in the NFC South coming into the season's final week. After their overtime loss to Washington on Sunday, the Atlanta Falcons are just one game behind them with an 8-8 record.

The NFC South championship comes down to this Sunday's results. Tampa Bay is hosting New Orleans, with the Falcons hosting the 4-12 Carolina Panthers. Third (Saints) and fourth place (Panthers) in the division are already decided regardless of the outcome of Sunday's games.

New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan (94) tackles Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Rachaad White / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

If New Orleans beats Tampa Bay and Atlanta beats Carolina, then the Falcons would be NFC South champions. This is by virtue of Atlanta's season sweep of the Buccaneers earlier this season. If Tampa Bay wins OR Atlanta loses, then the Buccaneers would win the NFC South.

Atlanta won on the road at Carolina by a score of 38-20 back in October. However, they have lost to the Panthers two of the last three times they've played them at home. The Falcons and Panthers have also split their season series in each of the last four years.

New Orleans was routed by a 51-27 score at home by the Buccaneers back in October. They've also lost four of their last five games against the Buccaneers. However, the Saints have won five of their last six trips to Tampa Bay, including a 23-13 win there late in the 2023-24 season.

The NFC South was formed during NFL realignment in 2002. New Orleans is the only team to win this division championship four years in a row, having accomplished the consecutive feat between 2017 and 2020. The Saints have also won seven NFC South titles, more than any other team in the division.

Tampa Bay has won the division for the last three years. A win over New Orleans or an Atlanta loss next weekend would tie them with the Saints for four straight division crowns. It would also be their seventh NFC South title, tying them with the Saints for the most in the division's history.

Atlanta has had six straight losing seasons, including four straight of double-digit losses. They last won the NFC South championship in 2016 and last made a playoff appearance during the 2017 season. The Falcons have won four division championships in the history of the NFC South.

If the Falcons win, a win by New Orleans allows their most bitter rival to sneak into the playoffs for the first time in seven years. A Saints loss would keep their hated rival at home for the postseason again. However, it would allow another rival in Tampa Bay to tie two of their NFC South records.