WATCH: Falcons & Buccaneers to battle for second place in the NFC South
When the Atlanta Falcons headed into their bye week at the beginning of November, there were barely two teams below them in the entire NFL standings. But that has changed dramatically.
If the Falcons win again this Sunday, there will be two teams below Atlanta in the NFC South.
In Tampa Bay during Week 17, the Falcons and Buccaneers will be fighting for second place in the NFC South. Second place won't be rewarded with a playoff appearance in January, but second place will mean a couple different things heading into next season.
For one, the team that wins at Raymond James Stadium on Sunday will have a worse draft pick this April. The Falcons owned a Top 3 pick at the beginning of November but with a 5-2 record since the bye week, the Falcons have fallen to about the middle of the first round. A win Sunday could drop them even further and past No. 14, where the team selected in the first round a year ago.
But there's even more on the line than the 2020 draft Sunday. The winner of the Falcons-Buccaneers showdown will earn a harder schedule on paper for the 2020 season.
The NFC South will play the NFC North and AFC West next fall. That won't change regardless of who wins Sunday, but if the Falcons beat the Buccaneers, they will also draw the second place team in the NFC West and East as well.
Depending on what else happens in Week 17, that could mean the Falcons play either the Seahawks or 49ers and the Cowboys or Eagles next season. If the Falcons lose Sunday, they will face the Giants and Rams next fall instead.
The draft and free agency can change things, but the NFC South third-place schedule appears much easier on paper for 2020.
