METAIRIE, La. -- The New Orleans Saints are fighting for their playoff life.
The Saints' loss to the Los Angeles Rams last Thursday took their fate out of their hands. Now they know it's essentially a win-or-go-home atmosphere in the final two weeks of the regular season.
"These next two weeks, we're going to have to put it on the line," tight end Juwan Johnson said. "The next 14 days that we can take to prioritize ... being committed, being focused. That's all we ask you for, is 14 days to really give it all you have so we can just have a chance."
The Saints (7-8) have to win out to have a shot at making the postseason, and even that won't guarantee them a spot. They'll need to beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons and hope some other things fall their way as well.
Coach Dennis Allen was asked if it was safe to say the playoffs start this week. He didn't confirm that thinking, but did say the Saints needed to be at their best.
"I think it's safe to say we need to go out and win this week," Allen responded. "That's the only thing we really control, so any of those other variables, it's in somebody else's hand. But we control how we play this week so we need to go out and play really well against Tampa."
Tampa (8-7) can clinch the NFC South title for the third straight season with a win against the Saints on Sunday.
"The only scenario for us to make the playoffs is we have to win out the last two. ... You have to win if you want to have any chance," center Erik McCoy said.
The Buccaneers have beaten the Saints in their last three meetings, including a 26-9 victory in Week 4 when the Saints failed to score a touchdown.
"It's different from where they were a year ago, there's personnel changes, there's schematic changes," Allen said. "... It's a different team than what we've played in the past. Still very similar to what we played earlier in the year."
Tampa won 20-10 last season in Game 1 after the Saints turned the ball over three times in the fourth quarter. In their second meeting, the Saints lost 17-16 after then-Bucs' quarterback Tom Brady led two touchdown drives in the final five minutes of the game to erase a 16-3 deficit.
McCoy was injured and did not play in that game but recalled being "livid" on the sideline after the comeback. The Saints rallied to win their next three games after the loss, but were eliminated in Week 17 and finished the season 7-10.
The Bucs have won four straight entering this game.
"They're playing at a high level, and they're playing confidently," Allen said.
Johnson said that he feels like he's been in a playoff mindset for several weeks because of the importance of late-season games.
"You lose a couple of games in November, December, it's really hard because a lot of teams get hot, a lot of teams get on rolls and kind of build a lot of chemistry during that time," Johnson said. "Losing games is tough. You've got to be in playoff mode. Especially now, these last two games, because if you lose, you're done, and that's it. That's really what it is."
Johnson said it would be easy to lament all the mistakes that led them to this point, but the more important thing is focusing so that they can play a clean game against a surging Buccaneers team on the road.
"We know last time the turnovers killed us," Johnson said. "So let's not have turnovers, play a clean game. We're going to their house so the fans will be hyped up, they'll be energetic and ready. I know those guys are going to be ready. Divisional opponent and so they have aspirations as well.
The worst scenario, he said, would be to have the other things fall in their favor but lose and render the help useless.
"One thing you don't want to happen is that you lose the game then the situation plays out ... in our favor," Johnson said, "and we end up losing the game."