Week 10 NFC standings: Falcons in 7th seed after win
We are beyond the halfway point in the 2021 NFL season, and the playoff picture is far from being settled. Six teams are either a game or a game and a half out of the final wild card spot currently being held by the Falcons. Atlanta wasn’t thought to be a playoff team at the start of the year and even though things have been ugly at times, this team has managed to stay afloat through the first eight games.
Let’s take a look at the NFC South and NFC conference standings entering Week 10.
NFC South Standings
(6-2) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
(5-3) New Orleans Saints
(4-4) Atlanta Falcons
(4-5) Carolina Panthers
The Falcons are only two games out of first place. This feat may come as an afterthought to most people, but the reality is the team has what it takes to win games. We can see it in their losses and their wins. Given how the Falcons lost to the Bucs in Week 2, fans forget how close the game actually was and that Atlanta was primed to take the lead in the fourth quarter. For the Falcons to really have a shot, they need to develop some consistency from week to week.
NFC Standings
(8-1) Arizona Cardinals
(7-2) Green Bay Packers
(6-2) Tampa Bay Buccaneers
(6-2) Dallas Cowboys
(7-2) Los Angeles Rams
(5-3) New Orleans Saints
(4-4) Atlanta Falcons
(4-5) Carolina Panthers
(3-5) Minnesota Vikings
(3-5) Seattle Seahawks
(3-5) San Francisco 49ers
(3-6) Philadelphia Eagles
(3-6) New York Giants
(3-6) Chicago Bears
(2-6) Washington Football Team
(0-8) Detroit Lion
The Falcons are in the playoffs… for now. If the season ended today, Atlanta would travel to Lambeau field to take on the Green Bay Packers in frigid temperatures. That’s a destination to avoid in mid-January.
It doesn’t matter how you make it into the postseason, all that matters is that you get in. The Falcons have a chance to climb higher in the NFC this weekend with a win against the Cowboys and a loss by the Saints. Atlanta holds the head-to-head tiebreaker and would jump to sixth in this scenario.
The number of three win teams is important to the Falcons because staying one game ahead of these teams is very important. A loss to the Cowboys will give the Falcons a .286 win percentage against NFC opponents, fewer than all other three win teams in the vent they all win this upcoming week. However, the bye week puts an extra game distance between Atlanta and the Eagles, Bears, and Giants.
Games to Watch for Week 10
*Bolded is team the Falcons want to see win
Football Team vs. Buccaneers
Titans vs. Saints
Cardinals vs. Panthers
Broncos vs. Eagles
Chargers vs. Vikings
Packers vs. Seahawks
49ers vs. Rams
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