Adorned with red helmets and garbed with nerves of steel, the Atlanta Falcons survived an overtime contest with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers three weeks ago and emerged victorious. That win gave them a key tiebreaker against their most significant competition for the NFC South crown, and was part of a 3-0 stretch against the division that put them in a pretty position.
For their part, the Buccaneers weren’t too worried. They were 3-2 and heading into a matchup against the woeful Saints, a team that managed one good quarter before collapsing before Tampa Bay’s onslaught.