Saints Lose Chris Olave For Key Season Finale
January 1st, 2026
Tough break for the Bucs and those yearning for Tampa Bay to limp into the playoffs this weekend.
To qualify for the postseason, the Bucs must first beat the Panthers on Saturday, and then hope the slimy Saints beat the Falcons in Atlanta on Sunday.
Don’t expect either team to be tanking in the Saints-Falcons game. The Saints are on a four-game winning streak and Atlanta’s first-round draft pick in 2026 belongs to the Rams. Also, the teams are fierce rivals and Raheem Morris is fighting to stay head coach of the Falcons.
It was revealed today that the Saints will play Sunday without top receiver Chris Olave because he has a blood clot. That’s a critical blow to the Saints — and to the Bucs’ hopes and dreams.
Olave has 27 catches for 382 yards and four touchdowns during the Saints’ four-game winning streak. Bucs fans will have to hope the Falcons defense turns into Todd Bowles’ for a day — the kind that lets a backup receiver look like a star.
January 1st, 2026 at 11:28 am
Lmao go figure
January 1st, 2026 at 11:32 am
They did it to themselves. All they had to do was win vs Miami against a rookie and Saturday would have been a win and in game. Or hold on vs ATL on TNF. Panthers upset the Rams. Falcons upset the Rams. The last few years the final week of the season has gone the Bucs way. The football gods are tell us the luck has finally run out.
January 1st, 2026 at 11:33 am
That’s a big hit for the Saints!
Watch the Oregon TE Kenyon Sadiq
Today
January 1st, 2026 at 11:40 am
Wile E. Bowzo has got this.
January 1st, 2026 at 11:47 am
The Falcons are going to blow the Saints off the Face of the Earth
The Falcons are a team on the rise, every game has meaning to them
Next season, they gone be a team to reckon with
January 1st, 2026 at 11:49 am
7-10 is coming.
Good news:
The nation won’t get to see us lay an egg again in national TV.
Thank God!!!!
Time to reset
January 1st, 2026 at 11:49 am
In the playoffs
January 1st, 2026 at 11:50 am
Irrelevant…..bucs playing like a bottom 5 team in the league. They came out of the bye in great position to put the division away weeks ago. But getting healthy and playing bad teams the last 5 weeks couldn’t equal wins. This team is awful on every aspect.
January 1st, 2026 at 11:55 am
Nobody cares. Fire Bowles and put Licht on notice that his “Buccaneer Men” are SOFT as hell.
January 1st, 2026 at 11:56 am
I watched the Hurricanes beat OSU last night with a suffocating defensive line. It made me sad because the Bucs don’t have a defense anywhere close to that level of intensity and passion.
I think the Bucs season is officially over Saturday so the Saints vs Falcons will be irrelevant.
January 1st, 2026 at 12:02 pm
We can only hope that Atl copies our D schemes and allows NO’s backup to have an MVP type day!
January 1st, 2026 at 12:06 pm
We are fine. @ Rod Munch said at lease three times there is 100% chance the Saints beat the Falcons.
January 1st, 2026 at 12:13 pm
The bucs have 3 starting linemen injured. They’re not healthy. Bowles gets a pass. This isn’t fantasy football. Receivers don’t matter as much as fans think. The trenches matter
January 1st, 2026 at 12:15 pm
HAHAHAHA
January 1st, 2026 at 12:19 pm
As everyone has said Bucs did it to themselves. Todd said that earlier in the year and the team didn’t listen to him so they can fold away this year. I am so tired of rooting for other teams to do us a favor. Just win the GD thing for yourselves outright and hold your heads up.
January 1st, 2026 at 12:22 pm
I’d probably put it closer to 55%. The Falcons have an excellent offensive line, TE, WR1 and RB. The rest of their team is ok. Saints have better front 7, very good TE. Also great WR1 (who will be out). Shough has been playing well.
Should be interesting. Bucs need to win and a little luck for once.
January 1st, 2026 at 12:25 pm
As far as the Bucs, receivers matter only if you can get them the ball. And our O-line is killing us right now. There’s almost never any time to throw or go through progressions. I’d like to see us throw more outside to RB’s.
January 1st, 2026 at 12:30 pm
RIP Bucs 2025 Season, It’s over. Bucs players body language on the field says it all. They have checked out.
January 1st, 2026 at 12:35 pm
Does anyone really think that the Aints, were going to help Us???? LMAO
January 1st, 2026 at 12:39 pm
Missing playoffs would be worth it if it results in a HC change for next fall.
January 1st, 2026 at 1:10 pm
Love my Bucs but dang it…they’re just not that good. Have they played well enough to deserve to be in the playoffs? I had such hope at the beginning of the season but reality is no, they haven’t earned playing in the post season. I do feel it’s time for Bowles to be replaced. Cohen has done well this year in Jax, maybe that kind of change is just what the Bucs need.
January 1st, 2026 at 1:15 pm
Good. Belowszo must be fired, anything that assists or accelerates that effort is a good thing.
January 1st, 2026 at 1:30 pm
If our quarterback didn’t throw late 4th quarter ints this game or the Saints game wouldn’t even matter. Until we get a new quarterback we ain’t going back to the playoffs and just like I told y’all all year it’s NFC Championship or bust for Baker Mayfield and Bowles. Let me give y’all my prediction for next season. The bucs will be 6-11 or 7-10 at best regardless of who the coach is or how good the defense may or not be.
January 1st, 2026 at 1:41 pm
The trenches absolutely matter more than the WRs. No arguing there… but Bowles gets another injury pass!? Haha get real Colin from Canada and you others.
Every team deals with injuries. Look at the 49ers.
Todd gets a pass last year cause the D was hurt and secondary was decimated.
Now the D is mostly healthy and hasn’t improved at all, looks to have regressed but because we are missing some OL he gets another free pass! Hahaha
Pretty sure Bucs were 6-2 and were very injured during that run. If Bowles is back next year, you guys have fun watching another 7 win campaign.
January 1st, 2026 at 1:48 pm
There goes Rods ridiculous prediction that Atlanta has absolutely no chance of beating the Saints lmao.
How can you take someone claiming that here seriously? It’s 50/50, a coin toss.
January 1st, 2026 at 1:58 pm
Doesn’t matter Bucs are not a playoff team with a defense that is only good at fancy hand slaps after an occasional tackle. Is it a scheme problem or a talent problem? It’s both. Realistically, there are only a few Buc defenders that could start for Eagles, Rams, Denver, and on. Not even sure if Winfield Jr. is one who would be able.
January 1st, 2026 at 2:28 pm
Falcons are winning 100%. Morris is going all out to stick it to the Tampa ownership.
January 1st, 2026 at 2:35 pm
Does anyone TRULY care about the Bucs in the playoffs????
Nope
……………..I think not
January 1st, 2026 at 2:46 pm
It’s a total farce that Baker hasn’t any time to throw the ball. He has just as much time as anyone else. Seriously, the excuses. I don’t know what you all are watching. I see PLENTY of clean-pockets, that our OLine has given him. Joe just reported the other day, that even THE #1 QB-guru out there (Greg Cosell) said, just the other day, that Baker was the #31-RANKED QB in the LEAGUE, when throwing WITH a clean-pocket. So, don’t try and act-like, HE is on the run for HIS LIFE, every damn play! Because, he is NOT. Also, last I checked, HE has taken quite a few LESS ‘Sacks’ than almost EVERY OTHER “Starting-QB” this season, that has started in every game (even in less games). You all are just too busy looking for excuses, instead of ‘paying attention’ to all the times, when the pocket IS CLEAN. He is not under any more ‘pressure’ than what anyone else is! It’s a FARCE. And, WHAT’S he actually doing WHEN the pocket IS “CLEAN?” The answer to that question is… Absolutely, NOTHING. Nothing, at ALL.
January 1st, 2026 at 2:56 pm
Yea Saints ain’t winning this game that’s for damn sure. I’m sure the officials will try to make it interesting
January 1st, 2026 at 2:58 pm
With HIM being the #31st-Ranked QB with a “clean-pocket,” then I’m not sure I wouldn’t much rather him NOT have a clean-pocket, then… You could definitely make an argument, I suppose. Hell, HE couldn’t be much worse, LoL.
January 1st, 2026 at 5:10 pm
Fire him
January 1st, 2026 at 5:12 pm
worst season ever, so typical of the bucs, been a fan since 76…
January 1st, 2026 at 7:30 pm
Maybe the Saints will bring back Michael Thomas & give us a chance for a week.
January 1st, 2026 at 9:03 pm
The Saints could sit every starter and the stupid Falcons would still lose the game. It’s just the way things are. The Falcons are not beating a very good team and building on that, they’re going to do what the Falcons do, and lose when people expect them to win.
January 2nd, 2026 at 3:01 am
Gotta agree with you again Rod, the only problem is the Bucs are just as likely to continue to lose when people expect them to win too.
Growing up in Tampa, I’ve been a fan since the team joined the league and have certainly lived through quite a few different types of seasons, but none have been harder to understand than this season going 6-2 in the first eight games and then 1-7 in the next eight. Was quite encouraged how the first set of eight went despite in growing injury list of key starting personnel and so hopeful that once the injured were able to return the success would continue, but…
Something other than injuries has settled into the locker room with the team that has done more harm than all the injuries. Perhaps it was just those injured were the leader voices in the locker room and the room just grew quieter as the injuries continued?
Sure hope the Joe’s can get insight during this upcoming off-season that is very likely right around the corner.
January 2nd, 2026 at 6:31 pm
CalBucsFan Says:
January 2nd, 2026 at 3:01 am
Gotta agree with you again Rod, the only problem is the Bucs are just as likely to continue to lose when people expect them to win too…..
Something other than injuries has settled into the locker room with the team that has done more harm than all the injuries.
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Yeah, I don’t know if the Bucs will win – but I know the Falcons will lose.
As for what is wrong – it is just one man, it’s Baker. Look at the last 4 games, every single one of them Baker has lost the game. Even if people want to blame the Falcons loss on the defense, the Bucs are still 3-1 in this stretch if they get even low-end middling QB play – Baker is way below that level now and costing the team games. If Baker looked better, the Bucs already locked up the playoffs.