Saints @ Bucs

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By KEVIN CHROUST

STATS Writer

(AP) -- When New Orleans and Tampa Bay meet Sunday, it will be the Buccaneers with something to play for rather than the perennial playoff-contending Saints.

 

And it could take a loss to earn it.

 

The No. 1 overall draft pick and little else is on the line at Raymond James Stadium as the NFC South opponents conclude their seasons.

 

The Bucs (2-13) have assured themselves a top-two pick in the 2015 draft, and a loss to New Orleans would secure the No. 1 choice. Tennessee is also 2-13, but Tampa Bay holds the strength-of-schedule tiebreaker.

 

In the event of a tie, the team whose opponents total fewer wins is awarded the top pick, and the first 16 weeks of the season were enough for the Titans' opponents to clinch the better record.

 

A Bucs win and a Titans loss would send the top pick to Tennessee, but coach Lovie Smith is unwilling to accept a defeat as the more favorable outcome for his team.

 

"I've kind of answered that question a few times. I think we're going to end up in good position to get some good players. So to me, that can't even come into the equation," Smith said.

 

The Saints (6-9) were eliminated from playoff contention with last Sunday's 30-14 home loss to Atlanta, yet coach Sean Payton said no drastic changes will be made in terms of who will be on the field against the Bucs.

 

"We'll have our best guys out there and preparing and doing everything we would normally do if we were playing for a playoff spot," said Payton, whose Saints have won the last six meetings in the series. "It won't be a bit different."

 

They'll be working on taking care of the ball, a major reason why his team is missing the playoffs.

 

The Saints are minus-11 in turnover margin, tied for 30th with the New York Jets and trailing only Oakland at minus-14. They committed four and forced none against the Falcons.

 

"You really just keep yourself from having an opportunity to win a game," said Payton, whose team ranks first in total offense at 416.3 yards per contest. "That's something that I obviously have to look closely at."

 

Drew Brees hasn't been the main reason for the woeful turnover margin, as his 14 interceptions are lower than his average of 15.5 in his previous eight seasons, and he has a 99.2 rating after posting a mark 99.0 mark from 2006-13. The Saints were 80-48 in the regular season during that time.

 

This year, though, they have 16 takeaways after averaging 23.6 in those eight years. Factor in a 31st-ranked defense (390.9 yards per game), and it seems clear what the priority area will be for Payton and the New Orleans front office in the offseason.

 

The players on that side of the ball have one more chance to make an impression.

 

"You can't just sit around and feel sorry for yourself all day," linebacker Parys Haralson said. "The season didn't go the way you wanted to, but you've got this last game right here to go and still get to do what you love to do."

 

The Bucs weren't much better in the turnover category at minus-10, including minus-5 during their current five-game losing streak.

 

While New Orleans has the offense to sometimes overcome errors, Tampa Bay's attack has floundered even when it's taken care of the ball. The Bucs gave it away once in last Sunday's 20-3 home loss to Green Bay but were still held to 109 yards of offense, tied for the eighth-worst mark in team history and the lowest since they managed 86 yards in a 24-0 loss to the New York Giants on Sept. 27, 2009.

 

Smith has been encouraged by the development of the team's top three draft picks from last season - receiver Mike Evans, tight end Austin Seferian-Jenkins and running back Charles Sims, but it's evident that it will take more than one draft class to turn things around.

 

The Bucs' 31st-ranked offense (292.8 yards per game) also has them in danger of completing a winless home schedule for the first time since going 0-7 in their inaugural 1976 season. They've dropped eight straight at home - their longest such skid since losing the first 13 home games over 1976-77.

 

Avoiding that dubious feat might be why Smith isn't yet worrying about draft slots.

 

"We do want to finish it up the right way," Smith said. "I think all our guys realize that."

 

Source: Hosted.Stats.com

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Saints S Kenny Vaccaro is a healthy scratch for Week 17.

Vaccaro wasn't on the injury report, so he's a healthy scratch for the Saints' meaningless finale. It's been quite a fall for Vaccaro after he was one of the league's best rookies in 2013.

Also inactive for the Saints are WR Seantavius Jones, WR Brandon Coleman, CB Stanley Jean-Baptiste, LB Moises Fokou, LB Jerry Franklin and LT Terron Armstead (neck).

 

 

 

 

Bucs declared LB Mason Foster, OT Anthony Collins, WR Robert Herron, WR Solomon Patton, RB Mike James, CB Isaiah Frey and DE George Uko inactive for Week 17 against the Saints.

Foster heads into the offseason nursing an Achilles' injury. Collins has been a healthy scratch for three-straight games.