In a strange quirk of the schedule, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New Orleans are playing each other twice in just three weeks. The NFC South rivals have their rematch at the Super Dome on Christmas Eve this week.
Buccaneers vs. Saints live stream: Start time, TV schedule and how to watch NFL Week 16 online
The Bucs’ five-game winning streak ended, but their playoff hopes are still alive and well.
These teams last met in Week 14, with the Bucs grinding out a 16-11 win on the strength of their defense. They now sit at 8-6 and are in the thick of the playoff race, although the Green Bay Packers currently hold an edge for the No. 6 seed. Tampa is also just a game behind the Atlanta Falcons for the divisional lead.
The Bucs were on a roll in recent weeks, snapping off a five-game winning streak to put themselves in the postseason hunt. However, they suffered a bit of a setback in a loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Jameis Winston threw three interceptions and fumbled the ball twice in one of his more forgettable performances. On the other hand, the Bucs fought back after falling into an early 17-3 deficit and made a game of it, before eventually falling, 26-20.
Although losing to the Cowboys is hardly a shame this season, it does put Tampa behind the eight ball a bit. The Packers jumped them in the wild card picture and the Bucs would be out of the playoffs if the regular season ended now. That said, they have a great shot to get back into it with a winnable game against the Saints, before closing out the season at home against the Carolina Panthers.
The Saints have nothing left to play for after stumbling to 6-8 and getting eliminated from playoff contention. Drew Brees has been in a bad slump that reached its nadir in their first game against the Bucs — he threw three interceptions as the Saints failed to find the end zone all game. Their only scores were three field goals and a safety.
Brees did snap out of his funk last week, lighting up the Arizona Cardinals for 389 yards and four touchdowns in a 48-41 win. Unfortunately, that performance was too little, too late. Four losses in their last six games have sunk the Saints’ hopes of playing deep into January.
With the playoffs out of reach, New Orleans’ next goal will be to avoid a third straight losing season. Sean Payton’s squad has gone 7-9 the past two years, and this will be the longest playoff drought of his Saints tenure (they last made it in 2013). Brees is still playing at a high level, even accounting for his recent struggles, but the defense is still bereft of quality playmakers and this roster is just too flawed to make a serious run at the division title.
Still, teams have a habit of getting up for division rivals, and the Saints will surely be eager to ruin the Bucs’ playoff chances. That sense of urgency could make this one of the more captivating matchups of Week 16.
How to watch
Time: 4:25 p.m. ET
Place: Mercedes-Benz Superdome, New Orleans
TV: Fox
Announcers: Kenny Albert, Daryl Johnston, Laura Okmin
Online: Sunday Ticket, Fox Sports Go
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