Saints opening critical stretch at Tampa Bay

• By SHELDON MICKLES
• Advocate sportswriter
• Published: Nov 30, 2008 - UPDATED: 12:05 a.m.

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TAMPA, Fla. — After winning three of their last four games, the New Orleans Saints have reached a crossroads in their season.

With one month remaining in the season and back-to-back games against NFC South foes Tampa Bay and Atlanta coming next in an eight-day span, the Saints are at the most critical point of their schedule.

Which way the Saints (6-5) go depends on them, of course. But whatever path they take starts at noon today in Raymond James Stadium against the NFC South co-leading Bucs (8-3).

Nearly down and out of the NFC playoff picture after a devastating loss at Atlanta dropped Sean Payton’s team to 4-5 on Nov. 9, New Orleans has a chance today to tighten things up a little more in a division where all four teams have a winning record and are separated from top to bottom by just two games.

But as they have the last two weeks, when they defeated Kansas City and Green Bay, the Saints know they can only worry about the task at hand.

It’s never been more true than the next two weeks against the Bucs, who share the NFC South lead with Carolina, and next week back home against the Falcons, who are one game out of the division lead and one game ahead of the Saints.

“This is the time of year to build that momentum,” said Saints wide receiver Lance Moore, who had two touchdown grabs in a 51-29 rout of the Packers on Monday night. “You’re trying to go on a playoff run, especially with us being in last place, so each game becomes like a must-win.

“Having that momentum feels good,” added Moore, who leads the Saints in catches (57), receiving yards (724) and receiving TDs (seven). “But we have to bring that into each game from here on out if we want to have a chance.”

Even though they’re focusing only on today’s game, the Saints know the two games against the Bucs and Falcons are bigger than big for three reasons.

In addition to what they mean in the standings, the Saints lag behind the other NFC South teams in division record and are below .500 against NFC competition — which would put them at a disadvantage if a playoff spot came down to a tiebreaker.

But they don’t have to worry about a 1-2 record in the division and a 3-4 mark in the NFC right now. What they’re worried about is the Bucs, whom they defeated, 24-20, in the season opener back on Sept. 7 in New Orleans.

“It’s a divisional game and it’s an NFC game,” Moore said. “So, it doesn’t get any bigger than this. We’re 6-5 and we aren’t in the greatest position.

“But if we can keep battling, who knows what’s going to happen here.”