The Week 18 slate being left open for flex scheduling is one of the staples of the NFL schedule these days, which means the Bucs’ season finale against the Saints at Raymond James Stadium has been under a “to be announced” (TBA) label since May.

But with Week 17 in the books and playoff implications for the final weekend of the regular season now clear, the league has set the schedule for Week 18. That means the matchup between Tampa Bay and New Orleans officially has a kickoff time, and it’ll be Sunday at 1:00 p.m.

With the Falcons’ 30-24 overtime loss at Washington to the Commanders, the Bucs regained the lead in the NFC South division one week after losing it. Atlanta fell to 8-8 on the year while Tampa Bay improved to 9-7 with an impressive 48-14 win over Carolina on Sunday at Raymond James Stadium.

Bucs Looking To Secure Season Sweep Of Saints, Extend Playoff Streak

Bucs DT Vita Vea and Saints QB Spencer Rattler – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The Bucs will have two big goals when they host the Saints at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon, though both goals go hand in hand. Tampa Bay will be looking for a victory to clinch the NFC South for a fourth straight year.

And if Todd Bowles and his team can get that victory, it would secure a season sweep over New Orleans for the second time in the last three seasons. In Year 1 under Bowles in 2022, the Bucs beat the Saints 20-10 at the Superdome before narrowly escaping with a 17-16 win in the rematch on Monday Night Football at Raymond James Stadium. Before 2022, Tampa Bay hadn’t earned a sweep of New Orleans since 2007, when it won 31-14 in Tampa and 27-23 in New Orleans.

This year’s Buccaneers team set itself up for a chance at a season sweep on Sunday by beating the Saints handily in Week 6. Tampa Bay raced out to a 17-0 first-quarter lead on that day, only to get outscored 27-7 in the second quarter to trail 27-24 at halftime. But the second half belonged to the Bucs in a big way, with a 55-yard touchdown catch from Chris Godwin giving them a 31-27 lead in the third quarter before Cade Otton, Bucky Irving and Sean Tucker all scored in the fourth quarter to secure a 51-27 win.

The Bucs broke a franchise record in that game, too. The offense’s 594 net yards were the most in a single game in team history, plus their 51 points scored were the second-most in a single game in team history. It was their second-most lopsided victory over the Saints, trailing only the 48-21 victory over them in Week 15 of the 2001 season.

Bucs RB Sean Tucker – Photo by: USA Today

Whether the Saints team that the Bucs will see on Sunday will have a different look remains to be seen. When Tampa Bay went to the Superdome back in October, it faced off against rookie quarterback Spencer Rattler, who finished the game 22-of-40 for 243 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions.

Starting quarterback Derek Carr injured his hand against the Giants in Week 14 and has missed the last three games.

The 5-11 Saints have lost four of their last five games with the lone victory being a 14-11 win over the 3-13 New York Giants. New Orleans lost to the 4-12 Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday, 25-10.

-Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds contributed to this story.