However, it’s now much more clear what needs to happen if the Saints are to go to the playoffs for the first time since the 2020 campaign.

Next Sunday, the 7-8 New Orleans Saints travel to the 8-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers; the following week, they visit the Atlanta Falcons to wrap up the regular season. There’s just one chance in hell that the Saints make the playoffs this year due to their own mistakes.

In order to end the year with a 9-8 record, New Orleans needs to defeat both Tampa Bay and Atlanta. The Bucs also need to lose to the Carolina Panthers in their season finale. Following their defeat by the Green Bay Packers in Week 16, the Panthers are now 2-13.

If that scenario plays out, the Saints would be the NFC South champion. If the Saints lose either of their last two contests, they will officially (mercifully?) eliminated from postseason contention. There is no other scenario where New Orleans can win their division.

If the Saints beat both the Buccaneers and Falcons, Tampa Bay must lose to Carolina. Otherwise, the Buccaneers would win a tiebreaker over New Orleans based on a better record against common opponents. A Saints sweep of their final two games would put them at 9-8, with the Buccaneers finishing at 8-9 and the Falcons also finishint no better than 8-9.

New Orleans is not officially eliminated from wild-card contention. Again, their only hope for that extremely slim chance is to win both remaining games, then get a monumental amount of outside help. Even then, head-to-head losses against fellow playoff hopefuls Green Bay, Minnesota, and Los Angeles makes this scenario highly unlikely.

It is evident that the Saints will make it to the playoffs. The likelihood of that occurring is a separate matter. Although New Orleans has only won back-to-back games four times in the past two years under coach Dennis Allen, they have done so three times this season. The Saints have only had a 4-6 record against NFC South teams in those two years.

The Saints are also 1-13 when playing teams that are.500 or better under Allen’s leadership. When Tampa Bay plays New Orleans the next week, they will be 8-7. If the Falcons prevail in their game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday, they will end the season at 8-8.

New Orleans has dug their own hole with poor coaching and poor play. To avoid missing the postseason for a third consecutive year, they’ll now need to overcome their own deficiencies and still need some help.

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