Before this week, the Atlanta Falcons were viewed as the team the New Orleans Saints needed to catch in order to have a chance at making the playoffs.
Last week, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers added themselves to the mix.
The four-game win streak they extended Sunday in San Diego not only moved them into a first-place NFC South tie with the Falcons, it also put the Saints in position of needing a win Sunday at Tampa Bay to avoid falling three games out of first place with three games to play.
The Saints (5-7) will play the Buccaneers (7-5) twice in the next three weeks.