Falcons Playoff Picture: Does Atlanta Need to Win Out?
The Atlanta Falcons (7-8) snapped a two-game losing streak Sunday, taking a 29-10 victory over the Indianapolis Colts (8-7) inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Atlanta began this season with playoff expectations - can it still satisfy those aspirations?
The reality of Sunday is the Falcons did their job and received some help in Week 16, as both the Minnesota Vikings and New Orleans Saints lost, putting Atlanta equal with those teams at 7-8.
The Falcons currently own the tiebreaker over the Saints but will meet them again on the road in the season finale, while Minnesota has the tiebreaker thanks to a Week 9 victory.
But otherwise, Atlanta didn't get as much help as it needed.
Atlanta Falcons running back Bijan Robinson (7) carries the ball against Indianapolis Colts safety Nick Cross (20) during the first half at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers dominated the Jacksonville Jaguars, 30-12, and now hold sole possession of first place in the NFC South by one game.
Tampa Bay owns the tiebreaker over the Falcons, and with two games left to play, would need to lose out while Atlanta wins out in order for coach Arthur Smith's team to win the division.
In the wildcard race, both the Seattle Seahawks and Los Angeles Rams won, advancing to 8-7 on the season.
Tiebreak scenarios come down to records against NFC opponents, and the Rams (6-4) and Seahawks (6-5) both hold two-game advantages over the Falcons (4-6).
Atlanta ends the year with a pair of NFC road games - against the Chicago Bears and New Orleans Saints - and would need to win both just to match the conference record.
That said, Los Angeles has two more NFC opportunities and Seattle has one, coming against the Arizona Cardinals (3-12) in the season finale.
And so, the Falcons are left with just a 12 percent chance of making the playoffs and eight percent chance of winning the NFC South, per the New York Times' Playoff Predictor.
Atlanta hasn't won three consecutive games under Smith but will have to if it hopes to reach the postseason - and if it does, with momentum firmly in possession, believes it could capitalize on the opportunity.
"I know one thing - we get in the playoffs, it's not a lot of teams that want to see us, I think," safety Jessie Bates III said Sunday.
