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The New Orleans Saints improved to 12-3 on Sunday after defeating the Tennessee Titans on the road, but they benefited from the results of a few other games. Chief among them was the shocking upset of the Seattle Seahawks, who fell to the Arizona Cardinals in a 27-13 landslide.
This sent a shockwave through the NFC playoff picture. It’s opened the door for the Saints to not just earn a first-round playoff bye, but win the conference’s top playoff seed. Here’s how.
First, the Saints have to win the regular season finale over the Carolina Panthers. While that’s no sure thing, it should be an easier Week 17 than the Saints have enjoyed in past years, given the Panthers’ sub-par quarterback situation and interim coaching staff. But for the sake of this exercise, we’ll assume the Saints pull it off.
Next, they need some help. The Green Bay Packers must lose or tie either of their remaining games (Monday against the Minnesota Vikings, or Week 17 with the Detroit Lions), and the San Francisco 49ers have to lose next week’s game with the Seattle Seahawks. If the Packers and 49ers each lose or tie one more game, the Saints will get a top-two seed. And if the Packers and 49ers each lose or tie all of their remaining games, the Saints would have the first seed.
The only scenario in which the Saints remain the third seed would be if the Packers win both of their last two games, while the 49ers win their final game. Let’s lay it out a little more clearer:
- Saints get the first seed if: Packers lose to or tie Vikings and Lions, 49ers lose to or tie Seahawks
- Saints get the second seed if: Packers lose to or tie Vikings or Lions, 49ers beat Seahawks
- Saints get the second seed if: Packers beat Vikings and Lions, 49ers lose to or tie Seahawks
- Saints get the third seed if: Packers beat Vikings and Lions, 49ers beat Seahawks
There’s one other scenario at play where the Saints can get the second seed if they lose to the Panthers next week (going 12-4) — it would require the Packers to win out (going 13-3), while the Seahawks beat the 49ers (who would each be 12-4, with Seattle winning the NFC West). But hopefully it won’t come to that.
So for Saints fans, they have to root for their team to beat the Panthers next week, then hope for either the Packers or 49ers to get tripped up down the stretch. That’s easier said than done considering the Packers have to visit the 3-11-1 Lions after Monday’s game with the Vikings, and the 49ers will get the benefit of a Seahawks team missing left tackle Duane Brown, and running backs Chris Carson and C.J. Prosise. Odds are still good (unfortunately) that the Saints will end up being the NFC’s third seed.
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