Saints Report: Saints sweep NFC South for first time

During any other NFL season dating back to 1990, the New Orleans Saints would have had an extra week to prepare for the playoffs with a first-round bye.

But despite their 33-7 drumming of the Carolina Panthers in week 17, the number two seed doesn’t come with all the same perks that it used to.

However, the Saints did make history in Sunday’s blowout win, becoming the first NFC South team to ever go a perfect 6-0 against the rest of the division.

In fact, those six wins are more than the Panthers and Falcons had the entire year.

The 12-4 Saints finish the regular season in convincing fashion, topping their season average in rushing, despite missing their entire backfield due to COVID-19 and racking up five interceptions in a game they never trailed.

Emmanuel Sanders even earned himself a cool $500,000 performance bonus in the third quarter with his 60^th catch of the season.

Now, the defending four-time NFC South champions draw a rematch against the seven seed Chicago Bears, the same team they were just rooting for, but didn’t do the Saints any favors by losing to the Green Bay Packers in a game that could have helped New Orleans get the one seed. Sanders said, “(Is that what a half-a-million-dollar dance looks like?) Yeah, I guess. I guess. It felt good. But I think the best part is winning as a team, right? We were able to get the win. And obviously, we were pulling for Chicago. They didn’t get it, so we got the No. 2 seed and we’re heading into the playoffs and I’m looking forward to it. I know the intensity is going to be turned up more, the speed is going to be faster and we’ve got to be ready for it. We’ve got to be prepared for it, but I’m looking forward to it.”

Head Coach Sean Payton said, “We’re excited to have that opportunity. We always know it’s going to be competitive in each of the rounds. With seven teams this year, there will be a lot of good football games this weekend, and again, we feel like we’re fortunate enough to be in the tournament and that’s all you – when you start the season, you start with winning your division and then the best seed you can possibly get and we kind of go from there.”

The Saints beat the Bears 26-23 in Chicago back in week eight courtesy of a game-winning Wil Lutz field goal in overtime.

Sunday’s game will kick off at 3:40 p.m. from the Superdome.