Several weeks ago, the Atlanta Falcons were in the driver’s seat in the NFC South. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had lost four straight games and several key players to injuries while the Falcons were rolling.
Can the Falcons turn their season around and capture the division title after their Week 15 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders?
Falcons Playoff Situation | Week 15 Update
NFC Scores in Week 15 Relevant to Playoff Race
- Rams defeated 49ers, 12-6
- Commanders defeated Saints, 20-19
- Cowboys defeated Panthers, 30-14
- Eagles defeated Steelers, 27-13
- Cardinals defeated Patriots, 30-17
- Buccaneers defeated Chargers, 40-17
- Bills defeated Lions, 48-42
- Vikings defeated Bears, 30-12
- Falcons defeated Raiders, 15-9
After the Saints’ loss to the Commanders, the Buccaneers’ chances of winning the NFC South land at 73.7%. That’s bad news for the Falcons, who now sit at 24.6% to win the division and 27.6% at making the playoffs.
After their recent slump, the Falcons’ playoff chances were starting to look grim. However, a much-needed win against the Raiders in Week 15 still kept them alive. At 7-7, they are still technically in the hunt for the NFC South, with the Buccaneers leading with an 8-6 record.
Fortunately, Atlanta has the NFL’s easiest remaining schedule (vs. Giants, at Commanders, vs. Panthers), which should help them right the ship. If Tampa Bay wins out, they will win the division for the fourth consecutive year.
However, Atlanta is only one game behind Tampa Bay, and the Falcons own the tiebreaker between the two teams since they won the season series.
After defeating the Chargers, the Bucs now face the Dallas Cowboys (road), Carolina Panthers (home), and Saints (home). Meanwhile, the Falcons’ toughest remaining game is in Week 17 on the road against the Washington Commanders.
Let’s say the NFC South is out of the question — there is still a Wild Card spot available. The backend of the NFC is a bit of a mess right now, with the Commanders sitting at 9-5, Seattle at 8-6, and the Cardinals with the same record as the Falcons at 7-7. You also have the Packers with a 10-4 record. And then there are the Cowboys and 49ers, who are also still technically alive at 6-8, but not by much.
Simply put, there are a lot of different scenarios to consider for the Falcons’ playoff push. Head over to PFN’s free NFL Playoff Predictor to test these various scenarios and see how they change the playoff picture and the current NFL postseason bracket.
NFC Playoff Race | Week 18
1. Detroit Lions (14-2)
2. Philadelphia Eagles (13-3)
3. Los Angeles Rams (10-6)
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-7)
5. Minnesota Vikings (14-2)
6. Washington Commanders (11-5)
7. Green Bay Packers (11-5)
In The Hunt
9. Atlanta Falcons (8-8)
Eliminated From Playoffs
8. Seattle Seahawks (9-7)
10. Dallas Cowboys (7-9)
11. Arizona Cardinals (7-9)
12. San Francisco 49ers (6-10)
13. New Orleans Saints (5-11)
14. Chicago Bears (4-12)
15. Carolina Panthers (4-12)
16. New York Giants (3-13)
