The Saints were eliminated from playoff contention when they walked onto the field.
And the Buccaneers are one step closer.
The Saints dealt their division rivals a painful blow, with a 31-24 win over the Buccaneers. That also sealed the NFC South for the Falcons, who beat the Panthers earlier in the day.
The Buccaneers (8-7) have now lost two straight after a five-game win streak, flinched badly with plenty to play for. They’re now left to fight for the final Wild Card spot in the NFC.
After holding the Saints out of the end zone two weeks ago in a 16-11 victory, the Bucs couldn’t stop them at all this time. The Saints scored on five straight possessions from the second quarter to the fourth. Coupled with quarterback Jameis Winston throwing a pair of interceptions, the Bucs couldn’t match the pace set by the Saints.
Drew Brees threw for 299 yards and a touchdown and Mark Ingram ran for 90 yards and two touchdowns for the Saints, who improved to 7-8.
