The picture in the NFC South is much clearer with three games to play.
The first team to 7-9 or better will win the title, go the playoffs and host a game in the wild-card round.
The Falcons and Saints, who are tied at 5-8, control their outcome.
The Falcons could lose to Pittsburgh, beat the Saints and Panthers and win the division at 7-9.
The Saints could win three to finish 8-8. They could get in if they beat the Falcons and Tampa Bay. The second tiebreaker is conference records.
The Falcons are 5-5 in the NFC with two conference games left. The Saints are 4-5 in the NFC with three conference games left.
The Panthers, who could be without quarterback Cam Newton because of injuries suffered in a car accident Tuesday, could win three and take the division with a 7-8-1 record.
The Bucs were eliminated after Week 14’s games.
“Whichever teams gets hot going into the fourth quarter (of the season) and going into the playoffs is going to win the Super Bowl,” Falcons fullback Patrick DiMarco said. “It’s up in the air. If we win out, we win the Super Bowl.”
The Falcons need wide receiver Julio Jones healthy. He was walking under his own power in the locker room after the game Monday night in Green Bay. He left early with what was announced as a hip injury. Falcons coach Mike Smith did not update his status and said the team would know more in 48 hours.
Jones put on a dazzling, record-breaking show against the Packers. Jones had 11 catches for 259 yards and a touchdown. He helped the Falcons rally from a 31-7 halftime deficit and pull within six points with 2:11 to play.
“Everybody knew that we had the resiliency to fight,” DiMarco said. “That’s what we were looking for. We were never going to give up. We were going to fight until the last second.”
But the 24-point hole was too deep.
“We just about got out of that hole,” DiMarco said. “We were so close. We played hard and fought.”
Jones led the charge after getting it started with a 79-yard reception on the first play from scrimmage in the third quarter.
“That sparked us,” DiMarco said. “We rallied behind that. Matt (Ryan) got going, our receivers got going and our backs got going.”
The Falcons are trying to move forward after losing 43-37 to the Packers. They face the Pittsburgh Steelers at 1 p.m. Sunday at the Georgia Dome.
But the Falcons’ run defense must improve.
After holding Arizona to a season-low 35 yards rushing, the Packers powered through the Falcons’ defense for 179 yards on 30 carries. Green Bay running backs Eddie Lacy and John Starks each rushed for more than 70 yards.
“There were some good plays on run downs, but then you give them both two or three where they go about the whole field where there is a missed communication or we are not fitting right,” linebacker Paul Worrilow said. “They basically had some holes. There was too much of that.”
Pittsburgh, which is in a battle to win the rugged AFC North, features running back Le’Veon Bell, who’s second in the NFL in rushing, with 1,231 yards.
The Falcons were 0-4 against the NFC North this season and are 0-3 against the AFC North, with losses to Cincinnati, Baltimore and Cleveland.
“We still have to work on the run-stop,” defensive tackle Paul Soliai said. “That’s the main thing. We have to gang-tackle. We have to get ready for Pittsburgh.”
Bell, a second-year player from Michigan State, is turning in a monster season.
“We just have to watch film to see what he is doing,” Soliai said. “We have to win our one-on-one matchups up front and take it from there.”
Worrilow knows that the pressure is on the defense. Bell presents a challenge, and Carolina’s rushing attack showed signs of life last week against the Saints.
“He’s up there with the best of the backs this year,” Worrilow said.
The Falcons have been talking about going 1-0 each week, but even they know their easiest path to the postseason is to win their remaining games.
“Yeah, the goal is to win-out,” Worrilow said. “What needs to be done, will be addressed. Stopping the run will play a big part in that.”
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