There it is: the NFL announced that the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons will kick off in Week 18 at noon CT on Sunday, Jan. 7. There are a couple of paths the Saints can take to get to the playoffs, but everything starts with a win at the Caesars Superdome. The game will be broadcast on CBS.
So what other games should be on Saints fans’ radar? The most important matchup is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers-Carolina Panthers tilt which will be broadcast in the same window on FOX. If the Saints and Panthers both win, New Orleans clinches the NFC South and a home playoff game.
But if the Buccaneers win, they’ll take the division for themselves and send the Saints scurrying for a wild-card seed. If that’s the case, here are the games to watch, and who fans should be rooting for marked in bold text:
- Chicago Bears (7-9) vs. Green Bay Packers (8-8); 3:25 p.m. CT on CBS
- Seattle Seahawks (8-8) vs. Arizona Cardinals (4-12); 3:25 p.m. CT on FOX
If the Packers win and the Seahawks lose, Green Bay gets the seventh playoff seed. The reverse is also true. Both teams need to lose for the Saints to clinch that seventh playoff seed. The Saints dug themselves quite a hole. They’ll need help getting out of it, but their season isn’t over just yet.
The full Week 18 schedule: pic.twitter.com/VFuZlvCLQW
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) January 1, 2024
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