The New Orleans Saints have long been out of the running for the NFC South.

But they still have a chance to impact the race.

Heck, they already have.

New Orleans’ win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last weekend threw a wrench into what surprisingly has been a competitive division. The loss moved Tampa Bay into a tie for first with the Carolina Panthers, who just so happen to be the team the Saints host Sunday at the Caesars Superdome.

And after the Atlanta Falcons pulled off an upset over Tampa Bay on “Thursday Night Football,” the Panthers now lead the division outright, increasing the stakes of Sunday’s game even further. New Orleans, too, beat Carolina earlier this season.

When eliminated from the playoffs, almost every team embraces the opportunity to play spoiler. But for the rebuilding Saints, swinging the race would take on extra significance. Beating teams at the top of the division would be another important sign that coach Kellen Moore’s vision is actually taking hold.

“Our focus can go a lot of different ways this time of year, and so I appreciate the way our guys have handled this,” Moore said. “Ultimately, it’s a collective focus of what we’re trying to accomplish week in and week out. And we want to play meaningful December football.

“We’ve got to create those habits this year and moving forward.”

The Saints have made strides in creating those habits. On defense, players regularly echo defensive coordinator Brandon Staley’s message and after a rough slate of opponents to begin the year, the unit is close to ranking in the top 10 — and has been playing at a top-five level for the last month. On offense, rookie quarterback Tyler Shough has shown plenty of promise and has won two of his first five starts.

Shough said he’s less concerned about impacting Carolina’s playoff fate and more focused on trying to build on what he’s already put on film. The Saints also have yet to win consecutive games this season, so any sort of winning streak — regardless of against two divisional opponents — would be a positive.

But there is a matter of pride still involved. According to The Athletic’s playoff simulator, the Panthers would have a 65% chance of making the postseason if they beat the Saints this weekend — and only 23% if they lose. Carolina closes the season with two games against Tampa Bay sandwiched between a matchup against the Seattle Seahawks.

That’s meaningful December football.

“We’ve already been eliminated, so why not bring other people with us to sit on the couch and watch the playoffs?” cornerback Alontae Taylor said with a smile. “One of the chips on our shoulder last week was knowing that we could possibly ruin it for Tampa.”

Each win, of course, hurts the Saints’ draft position. When New Orleans lost to Tampa Bay in their first meeting earlier this season, the Oct. 27 loss dropped the team to 1-7 and on pace for the No. 1 pick. More than a month later, the Saints would pick fifth if the season ended today. And with a favorable schedule on deck — the Saints close with the Jets, Titans and Falcons — New Orleans has the potential to drop even lower in the draft order.

But Moore said he “100%” sees the trade-off as worth it. The Saints have a young team, he said, and they’re focused on developing them. They’ll worry about the draft next year, while prioritizing that growth now, Moore said.

Consider it another way that the Saints can play spoiler.

“Just beating a team in general is a morale (boost) for us,” tight end Juwan Johnson said. “That gets us into a morale of getting into a win streak, gets us into a morale of winning and stacking something, Kellen feeling good about what he can do and keep building on and what the rest of the guys can build on.

“Secondly, yes, it does affect the division. It lets people know we’re not playin’.”