Is it too soon to move on from the New Orleans Saints’ loss to the Los Angeles Rams? After a performance like the Saints put up on Thursday night, looking forward to next week doesn’t seem like such a bad idea. And after losing to Los Angeles, New Orleans enters a must-win game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. This matchup could dash their playoff hopes.
It was imperative for the Saints to, at the worst, split their Week 16 and 17 games. There’s only one way to achieve that now. The Bucs game is must-win regardless of what happens with Tampa Bay on Sunday. Losing to the Buccaneers eliminates the Saints from contention for the NFC South title.
In a three-way tie with Atlanta, New Orleans would still have the worst divisional record and head-to-head losses to Tampa Bay. There are too many moving parts to say it would remove New Orleans from the playoffs as a long-shot seventh seed, but it would lead to the Saints relying on other teams. Postseason aspirations aside, a loss next week would cement a second consecutive losing season. That’s a complete failure given the team’s mission statement as a squad that belongs in the playoffs.
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