Somehow, the Atlanta Falcons still have a shot in Week 18 with a win over the New Orleans Saints to secure the NFC South division and make the playoffs. However, the chances are very small.
A victory won't be sufficient to propel the Falcons (7-9) back to the postseason for the first time since the 2017 season. They'll also need the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to be upset by the Carolina Panthers, a scenario the Falcons themselves are familiar with.
The Panthers' game back in Week 15, coupled with Atlanta's loss to the Buccaneers the week before, is what placed the Falcons in such a precarious position to begin with. This is rumored to be the beginning of tensions with head coach Arthur Smith and the team, where possibly his job is at risk after this weekend.
The NFC South as a whole has been a twisting, turning disaster all season long. Even the Buccaneers, who, with a win over the Saints last week, would have secured their third straight division title, couldn't get it done, making Week 18 the de facto title game.
The Saints (8-8) likewise don't have an easy path to the playoffs, needing more than just a win on Sunday. A Saints win and Buccaneers loss get New Orleans in, but with a loss, they would need both the Seattle Seahawks and Green Bay Packers to lose to clinch the 7th and final seed in the NFC.
It would take a miracle for the Falcons to find themselves in the playoffs, not only because they need the Buccaneers to lose, but because they themselves have been terribly inconsistent as a team, losing three out of their last four. With that said, let's delve into some Falcons Week 18 bold predictions.
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Taylor Heinicke starts, but Desmond Ridder finishes the game
As of Thursday afternoon, according to the Falcons website, Taylor Heinicke, the starting quarterback over the last two weeks, was limited in practice and is listed as questionable for Sunday's game in New Orleans. Heinicke will probably get the nod, but there's a high possibility that Desmond Ridder will find his way into the game eventually, much like he did last week. And that's not because he will give the Falcons a better shot at winning, but because if Heinicke is that beat up, he'll likely be taken out again.
Jessie Bates III picks off Derek Carr
Jessie Bates, one of only two Falcons players to make the Pro-Bowl, has been tremendous for the Falcons this season, one of the few bright spots on this team as it has fluttered back and forth between wins and losses. He's third in the NFL with six interceptions, with his last just two weeks ago against the Indianapolis Colts. Bates finishes the year by picking off Derek Carr at least once, who has thrown eight on the year.
Falcons are held to under 300 yards of total offense
The last time these two faced off back in Week 12, the Falcons posted almost 400 yards of total offense, which largely came from the running game (228 yards). That may be a bit different on Sunday. Granted, the disadvantages of the snowy weather in Chicago against the Bears did them no favors last weekend when Atlanta only put up 307 yards of total offense, but still, this team is reeling.
If the rumors are true and Smith has lost the locker room and this time knows they have little chance of making the postseason, there's probably little inspiration to play, with many possibly hoping it costs Smith his job. Add in the uncertainty, not to mention the inconsistencies, at quarterback, and this doesn't look good for the Falcons.
Falcons lose to the Saints by two scores
In last week's game against the Buccaneers, the Saints didn't necessarily do anything spectacular; it's that Tampa Bay had four turnovers. As has been said ad nauseam at this point, the quarterback position has been the problem this season for Atlanta, and even Heinicke was brought back down to size last weekend.
The Falcons are 10th in the league in giveaways, while the Saints are 8th in the league in takeaways. That's a bad matchup for Atlanta. That's how New Orleans wins this game convincingly and ends Atlanta's season.
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