The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still in the hunt for a berth in the NFL playoffs after defeating the New Orleans Saints, 23-13, at the Louisiana Superdome.
NFL Playoff Picture: Buccaneers Still Alive After 23-13 Win Over Saints
Tampa Bay, which finishes the season 10-6 a year after finishing 3-13 and picking third overall in the NFL Draft, needs wins from the Chicago Bears and Washington Redskins this afternoon to secure their first playoff bid since the 2007 season.
Josh Freeman completed 21 of 26 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns in Tampa’s big victory. He closed the regular season on fire, throwing 7 touchdown passes and zero interceptions over the Buccaneers’ last two games - both key victories.
The Saints, meanwhile, end the regular season with an 11-5 record. Their shot at an NFC South title and a first-round bye evaporated before this game ended, as they needed a win and an Atlanta Falcons loss to leapfrog the Falcons in the standings (Atlanta defeated Carolina, 31-10, to wrap up home-field advantage). As a result, Saints head coach Sean Payton pulled Drew Brees prior to the end of this contest.
The loss relegates the Saints to Wild Card status, where they’ll be the fifth seed in the NFC race. They will hit the road to take on the winner of the NFC West in the first round, a game to be played next weekend.
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