NFL Playoff Picture: Saints Still Safe

by Dave Cariello on Dec 20, 2010 12:01 PM CST

Division Leaders	Record	Wild Card	Record	In the Hunt	Record
	12-2		10-4		8-6
	10-4		9-5		8-6
	9-4				6-8
	6-8				5-9

Here's a look at the current playoff picture if the season were to end today. Keep in mind the Bears and Vikings still need to battle it out tonight on MNF but the outcome of that game won't effect the Saints.

Thanks to the Giants meltdown against the Eagles yesterday the Saints still have their hands on the first wildcard slot and the 5th overall seed in the NFC. Technically the Saints are still mathematically in the hunt for the NFC South title but let's be realistic. Even if the Saints win out, including a defeat over the Falcons next week, there is no way in hell the Falcons lose to the Panthers in Week 17, which is what would need to happen.

The Saints do want to win out, however, in order to ensure that 5th seed and the opportunity to play whatever weak opponent winds up winning the NFC West with probably a losing record. That race is still wide open so the question is: who will it be?

Poll

Who will win the NFC West and most likely be the Saints first playoff opponent?

St. Louis Rams

391 votes

Seattle Seahawks

73 votes

San Francisco 49ers

65 votes

529 votes | Poll has closed

Tweet Comment 18 comments | 0 recs |

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Comments

Winning division is a long shot.

Still, dempsey63 makes me believe anything is possible. Yes, the Panthers have been horrible this season, but at least they’ve shown some fight in recent weeks. They did something yesterday we couldn’t do earlier in the season – beat the Cardinals. Losing that game and Hartley’s missed FG against the Dirty Birds have truly haunted us this season.

The Panthers upsetting the Falcons in Atlanta to end the season is a long shot none of us should hold our breath for, but it is possible. The Giants and Packers losing yesterday helped us further grasp the 5th seed, which is what I think we’ll wind up getting. The NFC West is flat horrible this year. We should be able to easily win against whoever winds up winning that division, as long as we don’t play down to their level as we did against the Cards and Browns this year. Once we advance, we could still TWO DAT!. There are no bulletproof teams in the league this year. All 32 have their own weaknesses to exploit. Winning on the road will be tough, but not impossible.

"As soon as Tony (Dungy) said we had no chance, I knew we had 'em right where we wanted 'em"--Coach Sean Payton right after Super Bowl XLIV with the Lombardi Trophy firmly in hand. WHO DAT!!

by David "Satch" Kelly on Dec 20, 2010 12:21 PM CST reply actions

I’ll be happy when we finally lock a playoff spot. That and not losing to the NFC West champions in the first round and becoming the punchline to a joke. If we lose next week and TB and GB win…i’ll be banging my head against my desk all week.

On another note….hey Dave, what’s up with it taking 20 minutes to load the front page? Somewhere around Noon your time, things just kinda blew up.

"Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not 'every man for himself.' And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked 'em up."

by jeff.l.b on Dec 20, 2010 12:34 PM CST up reply actions

I voted for the Rams as the most likely opponent in the first round, but it’s as much because I would prefer the first game to be in a dome as anything else. The NFC West is probably the weakest group of teams to have ever been assembled in the same division, so it’s wide open as to which team we’ll face assuming we’re the number 5 seed.

And, I do believe this will be the last year that a division winner is guaranteed a home game regardless of their W/L record.

by Drew-Dat on Dec 20, 2010 1:09 PM CST reply actions

The Rams have the best quarterback in the division. That should be the deciding factor. They also have, marginally, an easier schedule, getting to play SF at home. Seattle still has to play the Bucs in Tampa.

It was worth the wait.

by MtnExile on Dec 20, 2010 1:33 PM CST up reply actions

The only thing known for certain is the division winner won’t have a winning record and won’t deserve to even be in a playoff game, much less be hosting one. Although I would prefer to play St. Louis, there’s a part of me that hopes the 49’ers win that crap division with a 7-9 record just to better illustrate how bad the current playoff seeding criteria is.

Under most circumstances, the Rams would be a good story about a team on a positive rebound with a good looking rookie quarterback and the potential for a “non losing” season. When that team is also probably the best team in the division, it’s turns into a bad joke.

by Drew-Dat on Dec 20, 2010 2:37 PM CST up reply actions 1 recs

"...no way in hell the Falcons lose to the Panthers..."

Let me fix this for you: the only way the Falcons lose to the Panthers IS the way in hell. For Atlanta, that is.

It was worth the wait.

by MtnExile on Dec 20, 2010 1:30 PM CST reply actions

Being the NFC 5th seed is the closest thing to a 1st round bye there is this year

While I’d wish the Saints could play at home, it isn’t the worst thing in the world to have to travel to play what will probably be the worst division winner in the history of the game.

"I want to hand this trophy to the MVP of the Super Bowl -- and the MVP of the entire league.''
-- Saints coach Sean Payton, handing the Vince Lombardi Trophy to Drew Brees after Super Bowl 44.

by VAsaintsfan on Dec 20, 2010 2:00 PM CST reply actions

"there is no way in hell the Falcons lose to the Panthers in Week 17"

I want to see that on the accountability index.

by jray2000 on Dec 20, 2010 3:57 PM CST reply actions

Stu knows he won't win that one.

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by Dave Cariello on Dec 20, 2010 6:11 PM CST up reply actions

Me 2

Yes, time flies. And where did it leave you? Old too soon...smart too late. - Mike Tyson

by lovingmma25 on Dec 20, 2010 6:14 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

I agree.

Please remember peace is how we make it
Here within your reach if you're big enough to take it

by stujo4 on Dec 20, 2010 10:06 PM CST up reply actions

i don't know if anyone mentioned this..

but because atlanta won and the giants loss us winning or losing against baltimore had no consequence. if we beat baltimore we still need them to lose their next two games so lets hope the saints learned something from this game.

by bannor d on Dec 20, 2010 6:22 PM CST reply actions

Um....very wrong.

Us losing against Baltimore had significant consequences. If we had won…we’d be in the playoffs. Currently we are not, yet everyone still seems to think we’re a shoe-in despite two difficult division games coming up. There are some very real scenarios where we wind up tied with 3 others at 10-6 and we’re the first ones eliminated from playoff contention due to tie-breakers.

"Aristotle was not Belgian. The central message of Buddhism is not 'every man for himself.' And the London Underground is not a political movement. Those are all mistakes, Otto. I looked 'em up."

by jeff.l.b on Dec 21, 2010 11:18 AM CST up reply actions

there are a lot of good reasons the Falcons should beat Carolina- I won't enumerate them

but there are several reasons why it is possible Carolina beats Atlanta

1) Yes, Virginia, upsets do happen and there is a Santa Claus
2) Saints are so physical vs Atlanta that 1 or 2 or more Falcons sit vs. Caroliona
3) Carolina has 9.5 days to rest and prepare- Atlanta has 5.5
4) Carolina has nothing to lose – can play recklessly with 3rd and 4th downs, blitzes etc
5) A bunch of Carolina players are playing for their next year’s jobs
6) Spoiling is fun

Like someone said, the smart money is on Atlanta, but as we always see in the NFL, especially in divisional games, “on any given Sunday….”

If Pro is the opposite of Con, what is the opposite of Progress? Congress!
-Men's Restroom - House of Representatives, Washington, DC

by Philinwood on Dec 20, 2010 6:53 PM CST reply actions