Buccaneers Vs. Saints: Bucs Keep Playoff Hopes Alive, Beat Saints 23-13

After the Tampa Bay Buccaneers grabbed an early 3-0 lead, the host New Orleans Saints responded on their first offensive possession, marching 78 yards in 13 plays to take a 7-3 lead. Drew Brees hit Jimmy Graham for a four-yard touchdown pass to cap off the scoring drive.

For Graham, a rookie out of Miami, it’s his fourth receiving touchdown in the last three weeks.

Fighting for an unlikely playoff berth, the 9-6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers have taken an early 3-0 over the host New Orleans Saints.

Josh Freeman completed three of four passes for 33 yards on the game’s opening possession, and rookie running back LeGarrette Blount added 17 rushing yards on three carries. Connor Barth capped off the nine-play, 51-yard drive with a 43-yard field goal.

If the Panthers are able to pull off the upset and the Saints defeat the Buccaneers, New Orleans will have home-field advantage throughout the NFC tournament as well as a greatly-desired bye for next week’s opening round. If the more likely scenario of the Falcons prevailing occurs, however, the reigning world champs would be seeded fifth and travel to the winner of the NFC West (either St. Louis or Seattle) in a Wild Card matchup on either Jan. 8 or 9.

The Atlanta-Carolina game will be going on at the same time as the Saints’ battle with the still-alive Buccaneers, meaning there’ll be plenty of scoreboard-watching taking place on the New Orleans sideline when the team competes.