–The Saints can clinch their second consecutive NFC South championship by beating the Buccaneers or if the second-place Carolina Panthers (6-6) lose at Cleveland. New Orleans and Carolina meet twice in the final three weeks. “It says a lot about our success and that 10-game win streak,” quarterback Drew Brees said of the opportunity to clinch with three weeks left in the season. “That run was a great run. We gained a ton of confidence, a ton of momentum and had a ton of guys step up and play really well. I think we really established an identity for ourselves as an offense and defense.”
–This would be the first time that New Orleans has won back-to-back NFC South titles since the division was formed for the 2002 season. “This division has been one where it’s highly competitive and each and every year it seems like there is a different team or sets of teams that are all fighting for it at the end and then one of us gets it,” Brees said. “But yeah, that would be a big, big first step if (we) win the division with a win this week.”
–The Saints will have had nine days between games when they play the Bucs after having played three games in the previous 12 days.
BY THE NUMBERS: 91 – That’s the number of receptions Michael Thomas has. The rest of the wide receivers have a combined 60 catches this season. Rookie Tre’Quan Smith (22 catches) is the only other receiver on the active roster with as many as 10 catches. Teams have been devoting more attention to Thomas in recent games because no one else has emerged as a consistent threat to complement Thomas.
