Breaking down the Falcons’ playoff chances in muddled NFC
The Atlanta Falcons currently sit at 4-7 on the season and have been an afterthought around the league since their Week 7 debacle against the Detroit Lions. A dominant victory over the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 12 could be the shot in the arm this team needed, though.
Despite an 0-5 start, the Falcons are very much alive in the NFC playoff picture, but will need some help to get there.
Atlanta is two games out of the seventh playoff spot, which is currently held by the Arizona Cardinals (6-5). The Cardinals are an exciting team but if not for a Hail Mary a few weeks ago, they would be on a four-game losing streak. Unfortunately, there is quite a bit of competition for that No. 7 spot.
The Minnesota Vikings (5-6), Chicago Bears (5-6), San Francisco 49ers ((5-6), Detroit Lions (4-7) and Washington Football Team (4-7) sit in front of the Falcons in the wild-card race. Atlanta has already lost games against the Lions and Bears. However, with the Vikings leading the way, it could very well come down to a head-to-head tiebreaker with Minnesota, which would go in Atlanta’s favor.
Both the Lions and Vikings face tough opponents down the stretch. Plus, let’s not forget, the Bears were once 5-1 and leading the NFC North. Chicago has since dropped five consecutive games and show no signs of changing course.
The 49ers, who currently sit one game ahead of the Falcons and coming off a huge win over the Rams, could see their stock drop with unfavorable matchups ahead. San Francisco was supposed to play Buffalo in Santa Clara, however, newfound California COVID-19 restrictions have placed a three-week ban of contact sports. This makes preparation even tougher now that they must figure out where they will practice and play.
Where the Falcons could get lucky is if the Football Team takes control of the NFC East. The current leader of that division is New York, but with Daniel Jones likely to miss time, the Giants will have a tough time winning games. If New York were to lose its lead in the NFC East, it would catapult the Football Team to the fourth seed and propel the Falcons one spot higher in the playoff picture. However, that division has proven to be unpredictable.
Atlanta should also pay attention to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-5) over the final weeks of the season. The Bucs are a team that appears to be one bad game away from completely going off the rails. Plus, the Falcons play the Buccaneers twice, in Weeks 15 and 17. Depending on the result of the first matchup and how the Falcons handle their other remaining opponents, there could be a winner-take-all situation in Week 17.
All of these above scenarios would require the Falcons to win out. Atlanta is 4-2 under Raheem Morris, but will face off against the NFC-leading Saints in a pivotal rivalry game that could end all hopes of January football.
Last but not least, the Falcons could get some help from the NFL. With the Ravens-Steelers matchup getting moved back even further and altering future schedules, a cancellation would result in an eighth team being allowed into the postseason. While no team wants to rely on this situation, it’s a good option to have in your back pocket just in case.
