New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) waves to fans following the game.
(Photo: Mike McCarn, Associated Press)
By Steve Reed (AP) | The Detroit News
Charlotte, N.C. — It turns out 13 wins weren't enough to earn the New Orleans Saints a first-round bye in the NFC playoffs.
The runaway winners of the NFC South will have to win an extra game if they hope to reach the Super Bowl. They'll be the No. 3 seed in the playoffs and host the Vikings next weekend in the wild-card round while the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers get a week to rest.
The Saints were hoping they might get a first-round bye — or possibly even home-field advantage throughout the playoffs — after throttling the reeling Carolina Panthers 42-10 on Sunday. Instead, Saints owner Gayle Benson watched the Packers rally to beat the Lions on a set of TVs in the press box at Bank of America Stadium. Then, after the Saints returned home to Louisiana, they watched the 49ers outlast the Seahawks with a last-second goal-line stand. The Packers, 49ers and Saints all finished 13-3, but the Saints lost out on tiebreakers.
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