So much talk about the New Orleans Saints’ playoff hopes have centered on the NFC South title, and that’s easy to understand. Whichever team wins the worst division in pro football will secure a home playoff game, so it’s seen as the Saints’ easiest path forwards.
But it’s not the only road they can take. There’s a non-zero chance of the Saints reaching the postseason as the final wild-card seed in the NFC playoff picture. It’s just a significantly more challenging journey to take. The first step: beating the Los Angeles Rams on Thursday night.
The Rams are slotted in just ahead of the Saints in the NFC playoff standings; if the postseason started today, Los Angeles would round out the playoff picture as the No. 7 seed, with New Orleans watching from home at No. 8. A win at SoFi Stadium on Thursday wouldn’t clinch anything for the Saints, but it would be a powerful statement that their playoff ambitions are just as legitimate as the Rams’ are.
And of course it’s the Rams. They’re one of the Saints’ oldest rivals, dating back to their shared history in the old NFC West. New Orleans has logged more wins (35) and losses (43) against the Los Angeles than many other teams even if they aren’t playing each other as often as they used to. It’s almost karmic that they are the hurdle between the Saints and a playoff berth.
But again, a win on Thursday night won’t seal the deal. It would certainly bode well for what comes next, with New Orleans headed for rematches against the same Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons teams that beat them earlier this year.
Three of the seven playoff seeds are already accounted for: the Dallas Cowboys, Philadelphia Eagles, and San Francisco 49ers have all clinched postseason berths already. The Saints are likely going to have to take it down to the wire in Week 18, but they’ve got a chance to make the cut. They just need to keep winning. Let’s see if they have it in them.
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