Atlanta Falcons Viewing Guide: Watching the NFC Wild Card During Week 11 Bye
The Atlanta Falcons get a much-needed Sunday off in Week 11, but that’s not stopping anyone from sitting down and watching some football.
The New Orleans Saints, who lead the NFC South, also have their bye this week. Thus, fans will focus elsewhere for updates on the NFC playoff picture.
At 4-6, Atlanta has just a 30 percent chance at the playoffs (via the New York Times’ simulations), and the division is still very much in play. If not, the home stretch will be spent scratching for the conference’s seventh seed or firing up mock draft simulators.
Let’s take a look around the NFC and how much Falcons fans should be invested.
Falcons RB Tyler Allgeier runs away from a Buccaneers defender.
Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Tampa is, unsurprisingly, a big threat to Atlanta’s playoff hopes. At 4-5, the Buccaneers are ahead of the Falcons in both the NFC South and the Wild Card standings.
Fortunately for Atlanta, Tampa Bay has a tough task in front of it. On Sunday, they’ll visit the San Francisco 49ers. The 49ers are coming off of a dominant performance over the Jacksonville Jaguars, and are 12-point favorites in Week 11.
Facing a San Francisco offense with a surplus of weapons, San Francisco should (and is) expected to win handedly, making the Falcons’ road ahead a tad bit easier. However, A Buccaneers win would drop Atlanta’s playoff chances to about 25 percent.
Fans can find this one on Fox at 4 p.m. (ET).
WASHINGTON COMMANDERS
It is entirely human to envy. The Falcons, and their fans, may feel jealous of the Washington Commanders. Sure, they have to compete in a division with two of the NFC’s best teams: the Dallas Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles.
On Sunday, though, Washington plays host to a team that is essentially tanking. The New York Giants are firmly in contention for the first pick in April’s draft. Quarterback Tommy Devito is a tier below any other quarterback taking snaps on Sunday.
Washington is favored by 8.5 points for good reason. A win would put them at 5-6, a half-game ahead of Atlanta.
For those brave enough to watch a putrid Giants team, they’ll kick off at 1 p.m. (ET) on Fox.
MINNESOTA VIKINGS
On Sunday Night Football, Falcons fans will have a vested interest. The Minnesota Vikings are playing inspired football after a season-ending injury to quarterback Kirk Cousins. Josh Dobbs has filled in admirably, but questions about just how long his run can last follow a vulnerable Minnesota team.
The Vikings are visiting a Denver Broncos team that has rebounded in the weeks since their 50-point loss. With wins against the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills highlighting their hot stretch, they pose a threat to Minnesota.
With that said, the Vikings are 1.5 games ahead of the rest of the competitors for the seventh seed. A win would certify the Falcons as divisional contenders, putting themselves 2.5 games ahead of Atlanta with seven to play. Of course, Minnesota has the head-to-head tiebreaker in its favor.
Sunday Night Football will kick off on NBC at 8:20 p.m. (ET).
GREEN BAY PACKERS
One team that Atlanta has beaten this year is the Green Bay Packers. Green Bay’s 25-24 loss in Week 2 lost them the tie-breaker with the Falcons.
At 4-6, things don’t look great for the Packers. The offense is simply too young to operate with the consistency that head coach Matt LaFleur demanded, and it is showing in their week-to-week struggles.
Sunday, they’ll play host to the Los Angeles Chargers and star quarterback Justin Herbert. This one may be worth tuning into for entertainment value more than Atlanta’s playoff hopes. The Chargers always find a way to make games closer than they should.
A Green Bay win would hurt Atlanta, but with games against the Saints and Buccaneers left on the schedule, this one isn’t particularly worrying.
The Packers will play at 1 p.m. on Fox.
