Atlanta Falcons: Can NFC South send two teams to playoffs?
A wild-card berth is the Atlanta Falcons’ most likely route to the playoffs. Can the NFC South send two teams to the postseason?
Not since the New Orleans Saints landed a wild-card berth in 2013 have we seen two NFC South teams in the postseason. Since that year, the Carolina Panthers have held a vice grip on the division, shutting the Atlanta Falcons out of January football since 2012.
Can that change this season? Once again, the NFC will face a congested battle for playoff spots. To truly understand whether the NFC South can send two teams to the postseason, we need to analyze each of the four divisions.
Of course, four of the NFC’s six playoff berths belong to division winners. This leaves just two spots for 12 teams to fight for.
The NFC East feels a lot like the NFC South did a year ago, the division wounded from a poor season and in a state of rebuild. It’s tough to gage which of the four teams will win the division, although a case can be made for each outfit.
Washington will look to defend their title on the back of quarterback Kirk Cousins, who struck together a golden end to the season that featured 16 touchdowns to just one interception over his final six games. With wide receiver Josh Doctson added to the mix, Washington will believe they have a shot.
Over to the Dallas Cowboys, who were a sleeping giant in 2015 due to a host of injuries. If Tony Romo, Dez Bryant and Ezekiel Elliott stay healthy behind the league’s best offensive line, look out. The Cowboys are my pick to win the East.
Don’t overlook the Philadelphia Eagles or New York Giants, however. The Eagles’ future hangs on the play of second overall pick Carson Wentz, who will likely feature at some point this season. The Giants threw money around in free agency, and if it sticks they will have a roster to contend inside the division.
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The NFC North sent two teams into January last season in the Minnesota Vikings and Green Bay Packers. Minnesota’s defense looks scary good this year, and the addition of receiver Laquon Treadwell should help young quarterback Teddy Bridgewater shine. Green Bay should bounce back on offense with the return of Jordy Nelson and an in-shape Eddie Lacy. The Packers boast arguably the league’s best secondary and should return to the playoffs for an eighth straight season.
At this stage, it feels like the Vikings and Packers will be battling for playoff seeding as they did last term.
The Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals are the two shining stars in the NFC West. Seattle will once again be loaded on defense and with some better play offensively can make a third trip to the Super Bowl in four years. Arizona’s success will lie with the health of injury prone quarterback Carson Palmer, who will turn 37 in December. An inexperienced offensive line could be the team’s downfall.
Los Angeles might surprise a few with young quarterback Jared Goff, but San Francisco are a million miles away from January.
Assuming the Carolina Panthers win a fourth straight NFC South title, the division will likely need either a regression from either the Vikings or Cardinals. Neither team is guaranteed to replicate their success of 2015 this time around.
Next: Offseason key for Falcons to get in sync
With a tough schedule awaiting, it won’t be easy to send two NFC South teams into the playoffs. What are your thoughts, Falcons fans?