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Things are off to a great start for the New Orleans Saints in Week 17. They’re set up to go into halftime with a 35-3 lead over the Carolina Panthers, while the Green Bay Packers are stewing over a 17-3 deficit against the Detroit Lions. These situations combine for serious implications for the NFC playoff standings.
If the Saints and Lions both hold onto their leads and win their games, the Saints would clinch a first-round bye in the playoffs, demoting the Packers to the third seed. While that alone won’t guarantee the road to Super Bowl LIV runs through New Orleans, the extra time to rest up would do a lot to help a Saints team managing injuries at multiple important positions — starting defensive backs Vonn Bell, Marcus Williams, and Eli Apple were each inactive against Carolina with various issues.
In order to get the first seed in the NFC, the Saints need the Packers to lose to the Lions while the San Francisco 49ers lose to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday night. That would give the Saints and Seahawks first-round byes as the top two seeds, while the Packers would have to host a playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings next week. The wild-card 49ers would have to go on the road to play the NFC East winner, which has yet to be determined.
It’s a lot to keep track of, but we’ve got you covered. Check back later for updates, and keep rooting for the Lions to pull off this upset.
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