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NFC Playoff Picture: Saints remain at No. 4, but assured a Wild Card

A victory over the Falcons means the Saints control their own destiny for the division.

By John J. Hendrix

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NFL: Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports

It’s the final week of the regular season in the NFL, and the New Orleans Saints won’t be one of the teams that have to worry about outside help to get into the postseason. A 23-13 victory over the Falcons assured them a spot in the playoffs, and now the focus is on claiming the NFC South title. The latest playoff picture has the Saints at No. 4 in the conference still. You can find the full playoff picture here.

NFC Playoffs - At a Glance

  1. Eagles (13-2)
  2. Vikings (12-3)
  3. Rams (11-4)
  4. Saints (11-4)
  5. Panthers (11-4)
  6. Falcons (9-6)
  7. Seahawks (9-6)
  8. Cowboys (8-7)
  9. Lions (8-7)
  10. Packers (7-8)
  11. Redskins (7-8)
  12. Cardinals (7-8)
  13. Bears (5-10)
  14. 49ers (5-10)
  15. Buccaneers (4-11)
  16. Giants (2-13)

Around the NFC South: The division is decided in Week 17, as a Saints win gives them the title. Also, a Falcons win over the Panthers in Atlanta gives the Saints the division. New Orleans just needs to knock off the Bucs, plain and simple.

Matchups to watch: The Cardinals play the Seahawks, while the 49ers play the Rams.

Seeding and playoff scenarios: These are all from ESPN’s Playoff Machine. A Saints loss could send them to the 5th seed, if the Panthers win.

  • SF win + NO win = Saints move to No. 3 seed
  • CAR win + NO loss or tie + MIN loss + LAR loss or tie = Panthers first-round bye, NFCS
  • ATL win OR SEA loss OR ATL tie + SEA tie = Falcons in playoffs, 6th seed
  • SEA win + ATL loss or tie OR SEA tie + ATL loss = Seahawks in playoffs, 6th seed

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