Saints and Falcons Clash to Close NFL Regular Season The final week of the NFL regular season is upon us, and while they are slim, the New Orleans Saints still have two chances at making the postseason. First, New Orleans has got to defeat bitter-rival Atlanta in a home game finale. If the Falcons win, New Orleans will be out of the race entirely. The winner of this game will be hoping for the lowly Carolina Panthers to defeat the Buccaneers because that result would clinch the NFC South divisional title and secure a playoff game as hosts. If Tampa Bay and New Orleans both win, the Saints could sneak in as the 7th seed, but that would require losses from the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers. The Matchup: Atlanta (7-9) travels to New Orleans (8-8) to close out the season in what should be a highly competitive contest. Both teams are fighting for their playoff lives. The Saints are coming off arguably their best performance of the year as they earned a 23-13 victory over the Tampa Bay Bucs. The Falcons were on the other end of the spectrum, getting slashed by the Chicago Bears 37-17. The finale will be broadcast live from the Caesars Superdome on Sunday, January 7, 2024, at noon CST on CBS. Series History: The Falcons defeated New Orleans in a Week 11 matchup 24-15. With that victory, Atlanta broke a 3-game skid overall versus the Saints and moved ahead in the all-time series 55-54. The Saints will be looking to even up that record heading into 2024.  Team Rankings Comparison:

Saints Fight for Playoff Life in Road Contest with Buccaneers As we wind down to the end of the 2023 NFL regular season, the number of games remaining is dwindling just as quickly as the Saints’ playoff hopes. New Orleans is still in contention for a playoff spot and a chance to host a game, but they will need help if they want any chance to find themselves in the postseason. The Saints are coming off a disheartening 30-22 loss to the Rams. Our upcoming divisional opponent, the Buccaneers, dominated the Jaguars 30-12 last week. The Matchup: Tampa Bay currently leads the NFC South by a full game over Atlanta and New Orleans. With a victory against New Orleans, the Bucs would clinch the division and earn the fourth seed in the NFC. If the Saints can beat Tampa Bay and Atlanta in their final two games of the season, New Orleans would still require Carolina to defeat Tampa in a week 18 matchup to steal a playoff spot. The top three NFC South teams are all still in contention for a wildcard slot, but other divisions are making it a slightly more difficult task. A New Year’s Eve contest will see Tampa Bay host New Orleans at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday, December 31, 2023, at noon CST on FOX. Series History: Tampa Bay won in the first clash with New Orleans in week 4 with a convincing 26-9 victory. That game marked the third straight loss for the Saints when playing the Buccaneers. It won’t get any easier for Dennis Allen’s team as the Bucs will not be any pushover divisional opponent. If New Orleans can win, it will be their 40th all-time against Tampa Bay. Team Rankings Comparison:

Saints Head West to Lock Horns with Rams Believe it or not, the New Orleans Saints have a straightforward path to the NFC South title and control their playoff destiny, even with how this season-to-forget has turned out thus far. It begins with a primetime matchup versus NFC foe the Los Angeles Rams. Derek Carr is coming off arguably his best performance of the season, in which he led the Saints to defeat the Giants 24-6. The Rams are hosting after beating the Washington Commanders 28-20 in week 15. The Matchup: Separation was created amongst the three teams competing for the NFC South divisional title with New Orleans and Tampa Bay earning victories, while the “dirty bird” Falcons fell against the lowly Panthers. Heavy playoff implications are on the line in this matchup as both squads sit at 7-7 in a highly congested wild card race. The 49ers have already staked claim of the NFC West; the Rams will be more competitive for one of the final two wildcard spots realistically-available. Series History: The Saints and Rams have a long and storied history consisting of 78 total contests and two postseason games. The Rams lead the all-time series with a record of 43-35. They’ve split the playoff matchups as the Saints won a 2000 wildcard game, and the Rams took the 2019 NFC Championship following the controversial no-call heard around-the-world. Team Rankings Comparison:

Detroit Travels to New Orleans for NFC Duel After falling to hated rival Atlanta in week 12, New Orleans is in the home stretch of the 2023 NFL season, and there’s a long way to go in a dreadful NFC South division. The Falcons won at home 24-15. The upcoming opponent is also coming off a loss. The Detroit Lions lost 29-22 to the Green Bay Packers on Thanksgiving. A surprising victory from the cheese-heads keeps them in the thick of the NFC Wild Card race. The Matchup: The NFC South will likely host a playoff game this season with a division winner with a sub-500 record. Following their win, Atlanta reclaimed first place in the division and now owns the tie-breaker over the Saints; both at 5-6. Detroit has firm control of the NFC North and has a top-3 conference record tied with San Francisco at 8-3. The week 13 matchup holds a lot for both squads and should be a fun contest in the Crescent City. The game will be held on Sunday, December 3rd, 2023, at the Caesars Superdome at noon CST and broadcast live on FOX. Series History: New Orleans and Detroit most recently competed in 2020 when the Saints picked up a 35-29 victory at Ford Field. The Saints lead the all-time series between the two franchises with a total record of 14-12-1. The lone tie was the inaugural matchup of the two in 1968. Detroit lost the only postseason game against New Orleans in a 2012 Wildcard game. Team Rankings Comparison:

New Orleans and Minnesota Battle for Playoff Positioning The Saints were the only NFC South team to win in Week 9 with a 24-17 home victory versus the Chicago Bears. In Week 10, New Orleans travels to Minnesota for a crucial game regarding playoff odds. The Vikings are now tied at 5-4 with the Saints after a 31-28 come-from-behind win against Atlanta. The Matchup: New Orleans has sole possession of first place in the NFC South and is facing a critical matchup before their bye week. In a muddled NFC, the Saints can’t afford to slide while it seems their only chance of seeing a playoff game will rest on a divisional title. The Saints and Vikings tied for the 6th best record in the conference, but Minnesota is on the bubble as the 7th seed, while New Orleans sits at four. That difference could leave a playoff game at the Dome come postseason time. This Week 10 contest will be held at U.S. Bank Stadium on Sunday, November 12, 2023, at noon CST on FOX. Series History: Minnesota and New Orleans have a long history with one another. They first competed in 1968. The Vikings lead the all-time history with a record of 24-13. There have been five postseason games between the two historic franchises. New Orleans is 1-4 in those games. The lone victory for the Saints came in the 2009-10 Super Bowl season. The most recent contest featured the Vikings earning a 28-25 road victory in 2022. A lot of bad blood still boils between fans and players thanks to the “Minneapolis Miracle” of 2018. This week’s contest should be a great battle on the gridiron.  Team Rankings Comparison: