What has to happen for the Atlanta Falcons to make the playoffs

Can the Atlanta Falcons make the playoffs after starting 0-5?

Most Atlanta Falcons fans realize that the playoffs are not happening in 2020, but there are some fans that are holding out hope that they can somehow make a run. What would have to happen for the Atlanta Falcons to make the playoffs – let’s take a look.

Here are the seventh through 13th seeds in the NFC, through all games, played Sunday evening.

7th- Arizona Cardinals

8th – Minnesota Vikings

9th- Chicago Bears

10th- 49ers

11th- Detroit Lions

12th- Washington FT

13th – Atlanta Falcons

After tie-breakers are taken into account, the Falcons currently sit in 13th place in the NFC and have an uphill mountain to climb to get there. They lose the tiebreaker to the Washington Football team who has tie break over Atlanta based on best win percentage in conference games.

The Lions currently hold the tiebreaker simply for beating the Falcons a few weeks ago, while the Atlanta Falcons hold the tiebreaker over the Vikings.

The Atlanta Falcons have to go 4-1 over their last five games. If they in fact do beat the Saints, Broncos, and then either the Bucs twice or Bucs once and Chiefs, here is what the other teams in front of them would have to do.

Arizona Cardinals:

• Remaining games: Rams, at Giants, Eagles, 49ers, at Rams

The Cardinals would have to go 1-4 or worse in order to give the Atlanta Falcons a chance to sneak into the 7th playoff spot. If the Falcons went 4-2 or 3-3 in the division, it means that the Cardinals must 1-2 in their remaining division games and 0-2 against the Giants and Eagles.

Minnesota Vikings

• Remaining games: Jaguars, at Buccaneers, Bears, at Saints, at Lions

The Falcons own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Vikings, so the Vikings would have to go 3-2 or worse if the Falcons went 4-1.

Chicago Bears

• Remaining games: Lions, Texans, at Vikings, at Jaguars, Packers

Like the Vikings, the Bears are 5-6 but they own the tiebreaker against the Falcons, which means that the Bears cannot win more than two of their remaining games and ideally, they would beat the Lions and Texans or Lions and Jaguars.

49ers

• Remaining games: Bills, Washington, at Cowboys, at Cardinals, Seahawks

Another team sitting at 5-6 through 11 games. To avoid any of the tiebreakers, the Atlanta Falcons should hope that this team goes 1-4 in their remaining five games. Hopefully playing their next two home games in Arizona will help.

If their one win managed to be against the Bills, it would be even better.

Detroit Lions

• Remaining games: at Bears, Packers, at Tennessee, Buccaneers, and Vikings

The Lions are 4-7 but they own the tiebreaker against the Falcons, which means that the Lions cannot win more than three of their remaining games and ideally, they would go just 1-4 and beat Tennessee.

Washington FT

• Remaining games: at Pittsburgh, at San Francisco, Seattle, Carolina, at Eagles

Another 4-7 team but currently own the tiebreaker over Atlanta because they have more division wins. Like Detroit, it would best if this team went 1-4 or 2-3 and their wins would come over Pittsburgh and Carolina.

As we see, there are a lot of dominoes that have to fall for the Atlanta Falcons to make the playoffs, and that only happens if they are somehow able to win four of their final five games – four of which are against teams currently slated in either NFC or AFC playoff spots.