TAMPA, Fla. — The Saints have kept their playoff hopes alive but still don't control their own destiny despite an impressive victory over the Tampa Bay Bucs in Tampa Sunday.
The 23-13 win means the Saints will need to beat the Falcons and also have Tampa lose to Carolina to make the playoffs as the NFC South champion.
It was perhaps the team's best-played game to date this season and it came in an absolute must-win situation against a Bucs team that had won four straight and badly wanted the win to secure a playoff spot and essentially have an off week next weekend.
The NFL is likely to schedule the Saints-Falcons and Bucs-Panthers for the same time slot so that both games will remain competitive.
If the Saints played first and lost to Atlanta, Tampa could take the week off.
Here is what some of the national and local pundits have to say about the Saints' game.
- Saints topple Bucs, leaving NFC South up for grabs - Jason Owens, Yahoo!
- Dennis Allen needed statement win and got one - Jeff Duncan, NOLA.com
- Bucs' NFC South celebration on hold - Rick Stroud, Tampa Tribune
- Updated playoff picture after Bucs lose - Josh Hill, Pewter Plank
- Saints keep faint playoff hopes alive - Luke Johnson, NOLA.com
- Saints shock Bucs in Dennis Allen's first signature win - John Sigler, Saints Wire