FLOWERY BRANCH — The NFC South title race could go down to the wire.
The Bucs, Falcons and Saints are tied with 6-7 records, with four games to play. The Bucs won the division last season with an 8-9 mark.
The Falcons play the Panthers (1-12), while the Bucs are at Green Bay (6-7) and the Saints host the New York Giants (5-8) on Sunday.
“It’s never easy,” Falcons defensive end Calais Campbell said. “Anything worth having is definitely something that you’re going to have to fight for. We would have loved to have won that (game Sunday versus Tampa Bay) and created some distance; we’d be in a better situation. That wasn’t what happened, so now we have to deal with it.”
Here’s the NFC South breakdown:
-The Falcons (.365, 19-33) have the easiest schedule down the stretch based on the opponents’ won-loss records. After Carolina, the Falcons host the Colts (7-6), play at the Bears (5-8) and close on the road at New Orleans (6-7).
“Yeah, I think at this point in the NFL, just about every team right now with the exception of a few, it’s crunch time,” Falcons coach Arthur Smith said.
The Bears might be problematic for the Falcons, as they defeated the Lions on Sunday. The Lions drilled the Falcons 20-6 earlier in the season.
The Falcons also will need the Giants and quarterback Tommy DeVito, who upset Green Bay on “Monday Night Football,” to pull off another upset against the Saints.
-Tampa Bay (.404, 21-31) is in first place based on their record (4-2) against common opponents. The Falcons are 3-3 in that key tiebreaker. The Bucs also are 5-4 in the conference, and the Falcons are 4-5, while they split the head-to-head meetings.
After traveling to Green Bay, the Bucs play two of their final three games at home. It hosts Jacksonville (8-5), New Orleans (6-7) and closes at Carolina (1-12).
-New Orleans (.442, 23-29) is the strongest team based on point differentials. They are a plus-24. The Falcons are a minus-18 and the Bucs minus-8. The Panthers are minus-144.
After the Giants, the Saints play at the Los Angeles Rams (6-7), at Tampa Bay (6-7), and closes by hosting the Falcons (6-7) in what could be a battle royale for the title.
Here’s how the NFC playoff picture looks heading into Week 15.
-San Francisco is the No. 1 seed, followed by Dallas (10-3), Detroit (9-4) and Tampa Bay (6-7). The three wild-card teams would be the Eagles (10-3), Vikings (7-6) and Bucs (6-7).
-On the outside looking in are the Rams, Seahawks, Falcons and Saints, all at 6-7. Followed by the Giants (5-8), Commanders (4-9) and Cardinals (3-10).
-Carolina (1-12) has been eliminated.
The Falcons, who have only one win over a team with a winning record – Houston 7-6 – have bad losses to the Commanders, Cardinals, Vikings, Bucs and Titans, who have a combined record of 25-40 and only the Vikings have a winning record.
“I think we are definitely up for the challenge,” Campbell said. “We definitely have to go out here and win some ballgames. If we do, if we can win all four straight, I guarantee that we will be in the playoffs. I’d be shocked if we weren’t. At the end of the day, it’s in our hands. We just have to do what we have to do.”
The Falcons are hoping to get back linebacker Nate Landman (left knee), defensive tackle David Onyemata (ankle) and cornerback Jeff Okudah (ankle) for the game against the Panthers. Also, center Drew Dalman looks like he’s ready to return after missing the game Sunday. Offensive tackles Jake Matthews (knee) and Kaleb McGary (right knee) could be game-time decisions.
“We must have guys step,” Campbell said. “Hopefully, we’ll get some guys back, too. I think we have a lot of talent on this team.”
The Falcons don’t plan to look past the Panthers, who beat them 25-15 last season Nov. 10 in Charlotte.
“They are a NFL team as well,” Dupree said. “They’ve got guys who are making a lot of money. They got guys who have been the best at their positions throughout their careers. … We have to go in there ready to fight. We know it’s going to be a tough one. Everybody has to strap their boots up.”
The key will be stopping the Panthers’ rushing attack, which is led by running backs Chuba Hubbard and Myles Sanders.
“They are running ball pretty good,” Dupree said. “Them boys are definitely coming out here and putting on (video) each and every week that they are going to be aggressive downhill backs. They are hard to tackle.”
Linebacker Kaden Elliss said, “Honestly, Hubbard, he’s getting behind his pads right now. He’s looking to come downhill and force some contact. You know what I mean? He’s coming in hot. Sanders is obviously using a little bit more wiggle with him.”
The Bow Tie Chronicles
About the Author
