CAMELOT FANTASIES

Saints sliding after slew of setbacks

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By The Sports Xchange
December 26, 2013 9:58 AM
 
The SportsXchange

     
METARIE, La.-- The New Orleans Saints have lost three of four games, and in the process, relinquished their once-firm hold on the NFC South title and No. 2 seed in the playoffs.

Thanks to their most recent setback, a 17-13 final-seconds loss to the Carolina Panthers last week, the Saints (10-5) no longer control their own destiny going into the season finale with the Tampa Bay Bucs (4-11) on Sunday in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
The Panthers now have an opportunity to take the second seed the Saints began eyeing back on Dec. 2 when they were pummeled 34-7 by the Seattle Seahawks to start their current slide.

Still, the Saints know they have two things to play for in Sunday's game with the Bucs.


Amazingly, they can still claim the division crown and No. 2 playoff seed with a win against the Bucs and a loss by the Panthers, who travel to Atlanta to play the Falcons.
If the Panthers go out and take care of business earlier in the day, the Saints can still get in with a victory over Bucs, whom they defeated 16-14 in Week 2 in Raymond James Stadium.
"We do know if we win this week -- and we must win this week -- we get into the tournament," Saints free safety Malcolm Jenkins said. "That's all that matters."