The New Orleans Saints needed to get some help from either the Detroit Lions or Seattle Seahawks on Sunday, Dec. 29 to secure a top two seed in the NFC playoffs and a coveted first-round bye.
They didn't get it.
As a result the Saints, 13-3 for the second consecutive season and champions of the NFC South for a third straight season, will be the No. 3 seed and host a Wild Card game vs. the sixth-seeded Minnesota Vikings (10-6). The game be at 12:05 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 5 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. The game will be broadcast by Fox.
It will be yet another playoff clash between the two NFC rivals, the two most notable being the Saints' NFC championship game win following the 2009 season and the Saints' gut-wrenching loss in a divisional game following the 2017 season.
The Packers (13-3), who rallied to defeat the Lions on Sunday, are the No. 2 seed and the 49ers (13-3), who beat Seattle on "Sunday Night Football," will be the No. 1 seed. The Philadelphia Eagles (9-7), winners of the NFC East, are the No. 4 seed and will play host to the Seahawks (11-5) in the other NFC Wild Card game.
If the Saints defeat the Vikings they will play a divisional game at Green Bay on Sunday, Jan. 12 at 5:40 p.m.
