The Atlanta Falcons' Week 18 clash with the New Orleans Saints may not look very important on paper, but it's arguably the most important game of the day. After the Bucs beat the Panthers on Saturday night, the outcome of the Falcons- Saints matchup will decide who wins the NFC South.
It's certainly not what anyone expected, but this is a scenario that fans have been aware of since the Dirty Birds beat the Rams on Monday night. Neither team can clinch the playoffs for themselves, but Falcons' legend Matt Ryan is one of many who is here for the chaos that will be going down in Atlanta.
"Outside of Baltimore-Pittsburgh ... who would have said Week 18, the most important game is going to be Saints-Falcons."@M_Ryan02 pic.twitter.com/6VAXLPC9az
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) January 4, 2026
During an appearance on The NFL Today on CBS, the ex NFL MVP didn't just allude to the stakes at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Both teams have been playing some of their best football as of late, which means both Bucs and Panthers fans will likely be on the edge of their seats tuning into this game.
Matt Ryan is expecting chaos in the Falcons' Week 18 matchup vs. Saints
Matty Ice is obviously pulling for the Falcons, especially now that he's circling a front office role with the team, but that doesn't change the reality. A game that was expected to only decide draft position or Raheem Morris' future is now going to dictate who represents the NFC South in the postseason.
The only reason Ryan called the Ravens and Steelers game more important is because that is a win or go home game that will directly decide who wins the AFC North, while this game will decide the fate of the Bucs and Panthers for them, which makes for a chaotic scenario in an evenly-matched division.
The Falcons enter this one winners of three straight, but the Saints have won four in a row after losing to Atlanta in New Orleans earlier this year. Like the four-time Pro Bowler said, rookie QB Tyler Shough has been turning a corner these last few weeks, but he'll be without his top receiver this afternoon.
However, he followed that up by saying Atlanta has some momentum of their own. They just stunned the Rams on primetime, and a victory today could be what officially saves Morris' job for another season, since it's not confirmed he'll be back at the helm even though it's become increasingly likely.
The Falcons have a lot on the line this afternoon, and only half of it affects them. A win will send the Panthers to the playoffs by virtue of a three-team tiebreaker, while the Bucs need a Saints' victory to clinch the division for the fifth consecutive season and a playoff berth for a sixth straight year.
And with Atlanta vying for a season sweep of their hated rivals, their best player in franchise history is seated for the drama.