3 reasons why Saints will win NFC South in Week 18
Here’s how the Saints will end up atop the NFC South.
In the NFC South, sometimes known as the Land of Mediocrity, everything is on the line. There is still a potential for three teams, none of which had a winning record going into Week 18, to win the division and secure a home playoff game. By the end of the NFL regular season, which team will be at the top of the standings—the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the Atlanta Falcons, or the New Orleans Saints?
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the clearest route to the divisional championship. They can pursue their goal without help from other teams. The team led by Todd Bowles wins and moves on. Furthermore, the Carolina Panthers, the NFL’s poorest club by a wide extent, are the team obstructing the “win” portion.
As for the Falcons and Saints, they will be facing off against one another in the regular season finale. A win for either team, coupled with a Bucs loss, would be enough to win the division. For Atlanta, it’s NFC South or bust, whereas New Orleans can earn a wild card berth with a win, a Seattle Seahawks loss/tie, and a Green Bay Packers loss/tie.
With that all laid out, what reason is there to believe the Saints will end up hosting a playoff game at the Superdome next week? Let’s run through three of them below.
New Orleans’ home field advantage
This week, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis expressed his expectation that, as usual, the home game against the Patriots in Week 18 would be boisterous. And that could prove to be the deciding factor in the Falcons vs. Saints game.
It’s not as though the 2023 squad led by Dennis Allen has been unstoppable at home. In the Superdome, the Saints are winning—barely. However, home field advantage is granted because four wins is greater than three loses.
In related news, the Falcons have had difficulty playing away from home. The record of Arthur Smith’s team away from Atlanta is 2-6. The two triumphs? a 13-8 triumph over the Tim Boyle-led New York Jets and a 16-13 triumph over the Bucs. That’s plenty to say.
The quarterback battle
Saints fans probably aren’t thrilled with Derek Carr, but the fact of that matter is, he’s been more or less what he’s always been as an NFL passer. Will he carry a team to a Super Bowl victory? No, not likely. But he can do enough to be a part of an average/slightly-above offense
ew Orleans has won three of its last four games, and across that stretch, Carr has thrown 10 touchdowns to two interceptions, while completing nearly 75% of his passes. He isn’t the team’s biggest issue.
In contrast, the Falcons own a collection of ostentatious vehicles that they keep secured in the garage. TE Kyle Pitts, WR Drake London, and RB Bijan Robinson, Atlanta’s quartet of first-round picks, have not been able to elevate this offense to a new level.
There is undoubtedly a problem with Arthur Smith’s offensive and play-calling mindset here. An additional problem? The quality of play at quarterback that Taylor Heinicke and Desmond Ridder delivered.
It doesn’t take a Derek Carr believer to realize that he is superior to that combination and will offer the Saints a better opportunity on Sunday.
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