Lions defeat Packers – This is a remote possibility, but Saints supporters should still pull for it since it’s the only path to No.1. Yep. There is just one path to the No.1 seed for the Saints. This is possible if the Seahawks defeat the 49ers and the Packers lose to the Lions, and if the Saints defeat the Panthers.
Consequently, assuming just one of the non-Saints outcomes materializes, the best seed for the Saints is No.2. The likelihood of the Lions defeating the Packers is remote. According to FiveThirtyEight, the Lions have a 17% probability of winning, while the Packers are 11-point favorites. It helps somewhat that the game is being played in Detroit.
But the Lions are experiencing their worst season since 2008, when they went 0-16. They haven’t won a game since October, and they’re in terrible shape. In week six, the Lions came close to defeating the Packers, but they did it with the majority of their starters.
What must occur for the Saints to be the top seed?
The Saints defeated the Falcons, but the 49ers’ victory against the Rams eliminated New Orleans from the playoffs. On Saturday, the Cowboys defeated the Eagles. It has no bearing on the Saints. They must win and hope the 49ers lose in order to make the playoffs.
The Saints are only eligible for the seventh seed. In Week 18, the New Orleans Saints are still in contention for a postseason berth. They must defeat their NFC South division foe Atlanta Falcons to have a chance at making the playoffs. With a win and a defeat by the San Francisco 49ers, they may secure the No.7 seed in the NFC playoffs.
In Week 17, the 8-8 Saints returned to the win column with a victory over the Carolina Panthers. After a lengthy losing skid between Weeks 9 and 13, the Saints have won three of their past four games. The Falcons have lost three of their previous five games, most recently to the Buffalo Bills by a score of 29-15.
- When these teams played in Week 9, the Falcons prevailed by a score of 27-25.
- Prior to this season, the Saints had won the NFC South in each of the previous four campaigns.
- They defeated the Chicago Bears in the Wild Card stage of the 2020 playoffs, but fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the Divisional round.
In 2018, they reached the NFC Championship game but lost to the Los Angeles Rams. Relevant games affecting the Saints’ seeding include: Saints vs. Falcons 49ers @ Rams On NFLPlayoffScenarios.com, all seeding options are categorized.
1. The Saints must defeat the Falcons in order to reach the postseason. The Saints have control over a portion of their postseason path. In order to compete for the No.7 seed in the NFC, they must complete the season with a record of 9-8. Therefore, they must defeat the rival Falcons on the road for this to occur.
Recently, the New Orleans against Atlanta rivalry has been volatile. In their previous 11 games versus the Falcons, the Saints have compiled a 6-5 record with two separate three-game winning streaks. However, they were defeated by Atlanta earlier in the season; the Falcons won 27-25 as Matt Ryan passed for a season-high 343 yards and two touchdowns.
This game was begun by Trevor Siemian for New Orleans, so perhaps their offense will perform better with Hill at the helm. Under Hill, their passing attack has been subpar, but they have been able to run the ball. The Falcons’ run defense is seventh-worst in the NFL and has allowed 127.9 yards per game this season, so Hill and Alvin Kamara should have a chance to lead the Saints to victory.
Why aren’t the Saints in the postseason?
The New Orleans Saints defeated the Atlanta Falcons, but missed the playoffs due to the San Francisco 49ers’ victory. ATLANTA (AP) — Sunday’s 30-20 victory over the Atlanta Falcons was not enough for the New Orleans Saints to qualify for the postseason.
The Saints (9-8) needed the Los Angeles Rams to defeat the San Francisco 49ers to get a wild-card spot and a fifth consecutive playoff berth, but the Rams won 27-24 in overtime.Trevor Siemian led back-to-back scoring drives after two Atlanta turnovers late in the first half, and the Saints overcame the loss of quarterback Taysom Hill.
Hill departed the game with a left-foot injury suffered on a 1-yard run with roughly six minutes remaining in the first half and the Saints leading 7-6. Hill entered the Saints’ sideline medical tent before being led to the locker room. Tre’Quan Smith caught a 13-yard touchdown throw from Siemian after he took over the play.
PICTURE OF THE NFL PLAYOFFS: FOOTBALL. IN YOUR INBOX! Two Atlanta turnovers helped the Saints increase their advantage to 14-6. Matt Ryan’s throw intended for Russell Gage was intercepted by Paulson Adebo, setting up Brett Maher’s 37-yard field goal. Davis fumbled on the following play after being hit by Malcolm Jenkins, and Saints linebacker Kwon Alexander recovered.
Two seconds before halftime, Siemian’s 5-yard touchdown pass to Juwan Johnson gave the Saints a 24-6 advantage. In the Saints’ 27-25 loss against the Falcons at home on November 8, Siemian completed 9 of 15 passes for 71 yards and two touchdowns. Alvin Kamara rushed for 146 yards on a career-high 30 runs for the Saints, surpassing his total 102 yards in his previous three games with his first 100-yard game since December 12 against the New York Jets, when he gained 120 yards.
The Falcons had no response to their rushing attack. Davis led Atlanta in running with 30 yards on six carries. In the fourth quarter, Alexander caused and Shy Tuttle recovered Davis’s second lost fumble, setting up Maher’s third field goal in four attempts. Qadree Ollison’s 19-yard touchdown run in the third quarter was an unusually bright spot for Atlanta.
Kyle Pitts, who returned from a hamstring injury, failed in his attempt to surpass Mike Ditka’s rookie record for receiving yards by a tight end. Ditka had 1,076 yards in 14 games for Chicago in 1961, while Pitts ended with 1,026 yards despite having only two catches for eight yards on Sunday.
Can the Falcons qualify for the postseason?
Currently, the Falcons have a 37% probability of making the playoffs.
