Atlanta Falcons have to play for the win against New Orleans Saints

The Atlanta Falcons have the incredible opportunity to beat the Saints and clinch a playoff bye on Sunday. They would be crazy to not take advantage.

Earlier today, I suggested the Atlanta Falcons may not want to risk injury by playing to secure the 2-seed on Sunday. It didn’t take long for fans to dismiss the idea on our social media accounts. They’re right and I completely agree.

It wasn’t long ago when the loss to Kansas City felt as if the Falcons were poised for that late-season regression. More than three weeks later and here we are, Atlanta has a chance to steal the NFC’s 2nd seed. It would be absolutely absurd for Dan Quinn to not consider taking advantage. I also think it’s absurd to suggest the Falcons rest their starters at home and let the Saints have a win.

I dislike New Orleans just as much as any Falcons’ fan does.

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Late season injuries are very much concern for any team. If they weren’t, then the conversation to sit starters in Week 17 of any season doesn’t exist. The few key injuries suffered around the NFL last week certainly has some playoff bound teams thinking. For the Falcons, I don’t see much cause for concern. Other than a couple of recent concussions, the team hasn’t lost a player to serious injury in several weeks. That’s not imply it can’t happen, but there’s no need for the“what if” game so late in the year.

My only concern over a Falcons’ playoff bye would be loss of momentum. Atlanta is playing high-octane football right now and the last thing I want is to see is the team put on ice. But it’s worth noting the Falcons beat the Cardinals up pretty good coming out of their bye week in November. Recent history also looks pretty good for playoff teams with first round byes. All four of the NFL’s top seeds advanced to the conference championship round in 2015. The year prior, three of four advanced.

So while the wildcard teams beat each up next week, I’m content with the Atlanta Falcons enjoying a much-needed week off. There’s also a lot to like with the Falcons playing the entire postseason indoors. And should Atlanta lay an egg on Sunday, there’s two weeks to diagnose problems and make corrections a playoff game.

Next: Atlanta Falcons' 2017 opponents