Joe advises Bucs fans to stretch out on the couch this weekend and root for the Saints to drop the Falcons

With the Bucs taking their annual breather this week, every diehard Bucs fan will have his eye on the big matchup in the NFC South. That would be dangerous New Orleans (4-4) at upstart Atlanta (5-3).

So who do you cheer for in that game, considering the Bucs are 6-3 and in second place?

It’s a tough decision. But your team of experts at JoeBucsFan.com has made the call. Pull for the Saints, as hard as that might be.

Here’s the logic. While the Saints are a dangerous, playoff-tested team, and a team nobody wants to see in the playoffs, we Bucs fans need the Saints to stay in Wild Card contention until the final week. Why? Because New Orleans closes the season with a home game against Carolina.

It’s likely the Bucs and Panthers will battle to the final week for the critical NFC South title, which should lead to a first round bye this season.

The Bucs can not afford to have the Saints go into that final Carolina game without motivation.

As for Atlanta, a loss on Sunday would put them a full game behind the Bucs and 0-3 in the NFC South. Divsion record is the second tiebreaker for a division title. That means if the Bucs lose in Atlanta in December, they likely would still own the division tiebreaker edge against the Falcons.