For a chance at the playoffs, the Atlanta Falcons and the New Orleans Saints need a win Sunday.
But a victory in their NFC South showdown in New Orleans won’t be enough.
Either team would also need the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to lose at Carolina in order to win the division. The Saints (8-8) could claim a wild card if they and the Bucs win and Green Bay and Seattle both lose, but the Falcons (7-9) can only get in by winning the division.
Innumerable variables are in play with a whopping 20 of the NFL’s 32 teams still alive entering Week 18.
“None of that other stuff matters if we don’t take care of business against Atlanta,” Saints head coach Dennis Allen said. “We’ve got to keep the main thing the main thing. There’s not going to be a lot of scoreboard watching. We have enough to deal with in Atlanta and what they’re doing.”
New Orleans kept its playoff hopes alive and prevented the Bucs from clinching the division title when it won at Tampa, 23-13, last Sunday. The Falcons, who lost at Chicago, 37-17 in Week 17, defeated the Saints 24-15 on Nov. 26 in Atlanta.
Atlanta, which ranks eighth in the NFL in rushing (130.1 yards per game), had the most rushing yards by a New Orleans opponent (228) in the first meeting. The Falcons’ 41 attempts were the most by a Saints opponent this season and their average (5.6) was the second highest.
“We understand the type of game it’s going to be,” Allen said. “We know how they want the game to be played. They do a really good job in the running game. We have to do a better job of stopping the run.”
The Falcons were effective when they ran the ball against the Bears last week (5.6 yards per carry), but they finished with just 24 rushes because Chicago took the lead for good midway through the first quarter and possessed the ball for more than 37 minutes, forcing the Falcons into comeback mode.
Head coach Arthur Smith said he has confidence that his team will bounce back from its most lopsided loss of the season.
“The way these guys play and prepare has been consistent all year,” Smith said. “Every game these guys have shown up ready to roll and we’ve had our chances. They’re a resilient group.”
Before the loss to the Bears, Atlanta’s previous six losses were one-score games. The first meeting with the Falcons was one of just two Saints losses that have been by more than one score.
“We’ve lost some close games and most games are close in this league,” Smith said. “Anytime we play New Orleans, it’s a big deal. Certainly, this game has a lot on the line. I know some of it is out of our control, but that’s our own doing.
“We have life. However crazy it played out, that is what the situation is.”
Falcons quarterback Taylor Heinicke (ankle) was limited in practice Wednesday. Center Drew Dalman (ankle) was the only starter who sat out practice due to injury.
Four Saints starters — running back Alvin Kamara (ankle), tight end Juwan Johnson (chest), defensive tackle Khalen Saunders (concussion) and tackle Landon Young (knee) — missed practice.
–Field Level Media