OFFICIAL PLAYOFF SCENARIOS: Here’s the breakdown
Matt Ryan stepping into a throw against Seattle. (Associated Press)
FLOWERY BRANCH – Here’s how the NFC playoffs will shake out if all of the favorites win this week.
In the NFC,
1. Atlanta Falcons
2. Chicago Bears
3. Philadelphia Eagles
4. St. Louis
5. New Orleans
6. Green Bay
Outside looking in: Tampa Bay, New York Giants and Seattle.
OFFICIAL PLAYOFF SCENARIOS FROM THE LEAGUE OFFICE
2010 NFL PLAYOFF SCENARIOS FOR WEEK 17
NFC
CLINCHED: Chicago – NFC North and a first-round bye
Philadelphia – NFC East
Atlanta – playoff spot
New Orleans – playoff spot
ATLANTA FALCONS
Atlanta clinches NFC South and a first-round bye with:
3) ATL win or tie OR
4) NO loss or tie
Atlanta clinches homefield advantage with:
3) ATL win or tie OR
4) NO loss or tie + CHI loss or tie
CHICAGO BEARS
Chicago clinches homefield advantage with:
1) CHI win + ATL loss + NO loss or tie
NEW ORLEANS SAINTS
New Orleans clinches NFC South and homefield advantage with:
1) NO win + ATL loss
GREEN BAY PACKERS
Green Bay clinches a playoff spot with:
1) GB win OR
2) GB tie + NYG loss or tie + TB loss or tie OR
3) NYG loss + TB loss
NEW YORK GIANTS
New York Giants clinch a playoff spot with:
1) NYG win + GB loss or tie OR
2) NYG tie + GB loss + TB loss or tie
TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS
Tampa Bay clinches a playoff spot with:
1) TB win + NYG loss or tie + GB loss or tie OR
2) TB tie + NYG loss + GB loss
ST. LOUIS RAMS
St. Louis clinches NFC West with:
1) STL win or tie
SEATTLE SEAHAWKS
Seattle clinches NFC West with:
1) SEA win
–D. Orlando Ledbetter
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137 comments Add your comment
SawThat1nce
December 31st, 2010
3:12 pm
One of the bad side-effects of losing to NO, is all of these trolls like STD4, showing back up on these blogs.
F-Troop
December 31st, 2010
3:15 pm
Re MNF, the Saints and Falcons coaches and staff know each other so well, the “not showing your hand” theory is plausible. But this was the equivalent of a playoff game. We all know the Falcons can play just about any kind of game. I guess I expected them to adjust and become more pass oriented, but Ryan’s numbers to anyone other than RW or TG was atrocious. No cause for alarm, but the Saints game proved that RW, TG, and MT can be shutdown. In crunch time, somebody else is going to have to step up their game.
I’m confident we’ll beat Carolina, but I’m not as confident as I was before the MNF game that we’ll get to the SB.
rock
December 31st, 2010
3:25 pm
FALCONS, DO NOT TAKE THE PANTHERS LIGHTLY.
Sick & Tired Of Being Sick & Tired
December 31st, 2010
3:30 pm
I’m hoping that the Bucs can rise up this weekend and beat the Saints at the Superdome. Now that, along with a Falcons win, will make my 2011 year get off to a great start. GO FALCONS!!!!!
Hopefully Mularkey will not stiffle the offense with those same old plays that did not work against the Saints. I am still hoping that some team will come take him away from the Falcons (and I really don’t care who gets him as their head coach) so that next year we’ll have a better offensive coordinator who utilizes the talent of the skilled players on offense.
Where are the adjustments that need to be made throughout the game??????? The same is true for the defense….they blitzed Brees all day long except for the last Saints drive which is definitely the time that they should have been in his face. Conservative coaching will only take this team so far. I’m glad with the winning record this year, but I’m concerned about the coaching during the playoffs.
chipontheroad birdsrus
December 31st, 2010
3:35 pm
anybody else tired of vanilla?how bout giving them rocky-road or nut butter-crunch rise=up
chipontheroad birdsrus
December 31st, 2010
3:40 pm
it wasn’t just saints coach’s we were duping .”RAMS,Packers,and BEARS OH!MY!
SawThat1nce
December 31st, 2010
3:41 pm
Perhaps it is time for all of the bandwagon fans, to disembark.
If you can’t handle losing three out of fifteen games(2 of them to 2010 Div. winners, and 1 to the defending SB Champs) this season, making the playoffs, more than probable NFCS Championship, and home field throughout the playoffs, from a team that is in the 3rd year of a rebuild, that came out of the ashes of a total disaster.
Then might I suggest you take up golf, ping-pong, or something.
The real Falcons fans will keep cheering for them.
You Bandwagoneers can always get back up on the wagon, after the Falcons have won the SB.
chipontheroad birdsrus
December 31st, 2010
3:45 pm
it is pretty great these days to bleed black&red&grey
F-Troop
December 31st, 2010
4:03 pm
@ SawThat1once. So only bandwagoners are allowed to doubt? A dramatic statement. By your reckoning the only real fans are %100 season ticket holders behind the team win or lose. Guys like you are what’s been up with Atlanat for near 50 years. Where’s that got us? Yeah, just like I thought: nowhere.
Let Belichik lose in the playoffs, or any coach with any reasonable expectations of success and see what happens. Knowledgeable fans are the true fans.
truth
December 31st, 2010
5:04 pm
Here’s some REAL knowledge………….12-3. Again…………12-3. The record is what it is. This team has beat some very good football teams this year. Some that no one thought they could beat. For example, Greenbay, Baltimore, aints, the bucs(twice), seagulls….and all of those team will or will have a chance to be in the playoffs.
Falcon Fanatic
December 31st, 2010
5:05 pm
GO FALCONS!!! Take care of Business on Sunday and we control the NFC!!! I have a feeling that we might see the Packers on our first game in the divisional round, What a great season this has been so far. After the Draft in april we were 25-1 odds of winning it all. Now the Vegas odds have us at 5-1 to be Super Bowl Champions. Maybe dreams really do come true, just look at last years winner.
One game at a time, One play at a time, Please DEAR LORD Let us win it all this season!!!
Big A
December 31st, 2010
7:44 pm
A missed glorified extra point that was so automatic, it was attempted on 1st down is the only reason the Falcons were not swept by New Orleans AGAIN! The game at our home where we are supposed to be unbeatable had our Offense limited to ONE SCORING DRIVE that was HALF penaty yards! We cant keep hoping for mistakes or penalties to win us a game!
We have one game to fix our Offense against the worst team in NFL which will not help much, a week off, then see the Saints again, except this time they have Ivory and a running game! Say your prayers for more helps from refs and for them to make big mistakes because otherwise, WE ARE ONE AND DONE in PLAYOFFS! Just a fact, look at the game stats and lie to yourselves all you want, we tried our best to win and got COMPLETELY SHUT DOWN! Gotta love the Atlanta sports team DNA that always chokes in end!
Big A
December 31st, 2010
7:54 pm
The offensive play callin looked vanilla because the Sants D was taking everything away and did a spectacular job. They were able to take away Turner, White, and Gonzalez….that is 95% of the playbook! Listen to the post gam interviews, plays were called deep, intermidiate, etc, they just werent available without throwing into double or triple coverage and Brees is the only one that dares to make those throws! He might have a lot of interceptions because of it, but he also leads the league in TD’s and most of the other stats.
Really upsetting that Brees has the gaul to grab Abraham after interception and tackle him to save the game, yet when the center misnaps the ball, Ryan looks at it and jumps back like a scared little girl! Most QB’s would have dove on top of it! ANGRY!!
SawThat1nce
December 31st, 2010
9:07 pm
Big DA……Are you talking about the saints missed FG? Or do you have any idea of what you are talking about?
Ryan or no one else on the Falcons had time to react to the bad snap.
Jump off the bandwagon, get back on if they win the SB.
SawThat1nce
December 31st, 2010
9:09 pm
These crybaby fair weather fans are sickening.
Gordon
December 31st, 2010
10:53 pm
Go Saints!
Bird Droppings IV
December 31st, 2010
11:01 pm
If the sorry Aints can win a Super Bowl, any team can. Go Falcons.
Bird Droppings IV
December 31st, 2010
11:04 pm
Aint Fans,
Do you clowns have an Aints blog? Stop flooding ocurs with your crap!
You must be the most classless fans in the NFL.
falconfan 24-7
December 31st, 2010
11:07 pm
The Aint fans only jumped on the Aints bandwagon when they were given the Super Bowl because of the hurricane.
falconfan 24-7
December 31st, 2010
11:16 pm
It’s amazing that when the Aints lose, their trolls are no where to be found.
I suspect that after Sunday, once again they will be no where to be found.
SawThat1nce
January 1st, 2011
1:28 am
The odds of the Falcons making it to the SB in 2008, were set at 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000, to 1, they finish 11-5 in the regular season. Lost in the 1st round to the eventual NFC Champs.
And some of the so-called “fans” still complained about it, and continue to complain about it.
Old White Man
January 1st, 2011
10:24 am
we need a good win over carolina just to overcome that crap UGA did yesterday…
pork the one you love
January 1st, 2011
12:48 pm
Bowl update: yech and jawja both played like sh!t. I just want the Falcons to get to a bowl game haha.
dan
January 1st, 2011
7:58 pm
Hey fan since Nobis,
Vagisil will clear you problem right up!
Get on the train or get off it man. The Falcons are 12-3 for Godsakes! There have been PLENTY of teams that have lost to division rivals in the last few weeks of the season and won Super Bowls! In fact there is a very good chance that we will play play the Saints again the playoffs and when we do, we will beat them! Losses happen in the NFL, especially to division opponents. We beat them at their place, and they beat us at ours. The Falcons are 19-2 at home under Ryan. The probability of the Saints beating us TWICE at home( especially with the Falcons coming off a bye) is not high. Which would you rather have: Beating the Saints twice in the regular season and losing to them in the playoffs? Or splitting the series 1-1 in the regular season when you already have a 2 game lead in the division, and then playing the rubber match after a bye in the playoffs in a play where you hardly ever lose? Scenario 2 sounds a LOT better wouldn’t you agree?
dan
January 1st, 2011
7:59 pm
Hey fan since Nobis,
Vagisil will clear you problem right up!
Get on the train or get off it man. The Falcons are 12-3 for Godsakes! There have been PLENTY of teams that have lost to division rivals in the last few weeks of the season and won Super Bowls! In fact there is a very good chance that we will play the Saints again in the playoffs and when we do, we will beat them! Losses happen in the NFL, especially to division opponents. We beat them at their place, and they beat us at ours. The Falcons are 19-2 at home under Ryan. The probability of the Saints beating us TWICE at home( especially with the Falcons coming off a bye) is not high. Which would you rather have: Beating the Saints twice in the regular season and losing to them in the playoffs? Or splitting the series 1-1 in the regular season when you already have a 2 game lead in the division, and then playing the rubber match after a bye in the playoffs in a play where you hardly ever lose? Scenario 2 sounds a LOT better wouldn’t you agree?
LOS-GRID IRON
January 1st, 2011
9:02 pm
defense win 99 percent of the time get out of that old scheme 4/3 step into the big boy league 3/4 hybrid, we could match up better w/ those 4 & 5 wide receiver sets the pressure would not allow the receivers time to get out on there routes. You see what happens when you blitz you create more miss matches the saints kept the backs in to block instead out in there routes.
Roy Munson
January 1st, 2011
10:16 pm
Its amazing to me how fast the “fair weather fans” jump off the bandwagon. Yall make me and the real fans sick. Rise Up Atlanta.
CJ
January 1st, 2011
11:00 pm
Take away the turn-overs,, Monday and Falsons wins period. Atlanta simply has a better team than NO. NO’s sucess last year was built on a easy schedule and this years partly due to luck and them believing in themselfs. They have no running game. You know which NO players to take out and you MUST put presure on Brees.
CJ
January 1st, 2011
11:08 pm
Brees demonstrats time after time that he comes apart with presure. Actually he’s amussing to watch under persure when he is throwing under-handed wildly, come on… have you ever seen Ice do that? You Must presure brees to whip NO.
CJ
January 1st, 2011
11:10 pm
I bet TB does it and slips in as a wild-card, Would’nt that be something for the NFC south. the number 1 seed and both Wild cards.
Me
January 2nd, 2011
1:16 am
falcons got everyone’s hope up but they laid many eggs on Monday. falcons are looking more and more like 2010 braves. they keep saying that they can get better but we have not seen it then again, that is as good as they can only get.
Daniel
January 2nd, 2011
3:30 am
The Saints had Lady Luck on their side..let’s not forget that. It was a fluke. Their first touchdown was on a fluke dropped snap. Falcons probably would’ve scored but Turner fumbled it for the first time in over 400 touches (it was the longest active streak in the NFL)…obviously a fluke. They had two punts that went about 15 yards, followed by a 35 yard bounce. Should the Falcons have played better? Without a doubt. With a little less luck going towards the Saints, the Falcons win that game. Anyways, it won’t matter provided we win tomorrow.
Jeff
January 2nd, 2011
10:55 am
The offense was atrocious on Monday. I expect it to be better when they get a rematch after the wild card game. The defense kept the game close. I can wait for the Falcons to put together a game when Offense, Defense and Special Teams have great games. As for not winning the big games, the winning tradition has begun under the Mike Smith era. Three winning seasons in a row, top 3 record over the last three years. Exciting Stuff!
Me
January 2nd, 2011
11:07 am
If the falcons cashed in all opportunities, they would be 29-0 in a 16 games season. falcons had over 3 minutes to score and go ahead. they did not because they are not that good. Other words, falcons should have been 4-11 going to the final game:
Lost Pittsburgh 0-1
Won Arizona 1-1
*Lost New Orleans 1-2
*Lost San Francisco 1-3
*Lost Cleveland 1-4
Lost Philadelphia 1-5
*Lost Cincinnati 1-6
*Lost Tampa Bay 1-7
*Lost Baltimore 1-8
Won St. Louis 2-8
Lost Green Bay 2-9
*Lost Tampa Bay 2-10
Won Carolina 3-10
Won Seattle 4-10
Lost New Orleans 4-11
* Should have been.
falcons are not going to the Superbowl because they are super chumps. Any questions.
Me
January 2nd, 2011
11:10 am
they lose today, they are the wild card team and playing in Seattle then lose just like the braves. Agree?
Trey
January 2nd, 2011
11:32 am
‘Me’ is a very ignorant individual. He knows nothing about the Falcons; he must be a Saints fan.
Roy Munson
January 2nd, 2011
12:32 pm
I have a question for you me. What’s it feel like to be the worlds biggest dumba$$? Me is the type of person who quits every tough challenge life has to offer. The Falcons dont quit thats why their 13-3 instead of the 4-11 you would like them t be. Rise up Atlanta.