Oakland Archives - Random Cardinal Stats

Are the Falcons Really the Falcons Again?

Perhaps your memory of the 2016 Atlanta Falcons is similar to mine. As they hit their peak last year, they came out of the locker room ready to play. On their playoff run, they developed a “shock-and-awe” meme that served them very well.

On the final game of the regular season (January 1 of this year), Matt Ryan tossed 4 touchdown passes, and the running game provided 88 yards and another touchdown. And that was just the first half, as the Falcons jumped to a 35-13 lead (scoring touchdowns on their first five possessions) on their way to a 38-32 conquest of New Orleans.

Against Seattle, in the Divisional Round, it did take them a few possessions to solve the league’s third-ranked scoring defense, but the Falcons punched through with 19 second-quarter points, on their way to a 36-20 win. In the Championship Game against the Packers, they were ahead 10-0 after the first quarter and 24-0 at the half, scoring touchdowns after both Green Bay turnovers. They eventually built a 37-7 lead, and went on to win that one 44-21.

And then in the Super Bowl, Atlanta raced out to a 21-3 halftime lead. Halfway through the third quarter, they led 28-3 – again scoring two touchdowns on turnovers. In all three phases (as the familiar cliché goes), the Falcons put you on the defensive from the very beginning. It almost gave them an aura of invincibility.

This Year’s Falcons a Work in Progress

For a variety of reasons, that aspect of the Falcons has been kind of hit and miss this season. Even during their 3-0 start, they were sometimes that team and sometimes not. Some of this has been due to stubbornness on offense.

Last year’s passing attack was uncommonly explosive. Trigger man Matt Ryan tossed 38 touchdown passes and averaged a league-best 13.3 yards per completed pass. Un-coverable receiver Julio Jones was a huge cog in the machine. He finished 2016 with 1409 yards on 83 catches even though he missed two games.

For most of the season, the Falcons have been struggling to regain that trademark deep strike attack against defenses geared to prevent just that sort of thing.

Over the last two games, though, Atlanta has started to adjust. Their last two games (a 27-7 win over Dallas two weeks ago and last week’s 34-31 victory over Seattle in Seattle – gamebook) showed a similar pattern.

Crucial Wins

Both games played closely for a half. The Falcons led Dallas 10-7 after thirty minutes, and then went into the locker room ahead of Seattle 24-17.

Both games saw a resurgence of the running game in the second half. In the Dallas game, Atlanta managed 41 first half rushing yards (just 3.2 yards per carry). The first half running was even worse against Seattle – 12 yards on 14 carries. But 16 second half carries against the Seahawks produced 77 yards (4.8 per), one week after the Falcons racked up 91 yards on 21 second half carries against the Cowboys (4.3 yards per). So, over the last two games, Atlanta is a combined 27 rushes for 53 yards in the first halves of those games (1.96 yards per), and a combined 37 rushes for 168 yards (4.5 per) in the two second halves.

Off of that resurgent running game, Ryan and the Falcons have layered a more patient passing attack – one less reliant on big plays and more willing to take what the defense is offering. Against Dallas, Ryan began 11 of 17 for just 94 yards with no touchdowns and one interception. After the half, he riddled the Cowboy pass defense to the tune of 11 of 12 for 121 yards and 2 touchdowns. Similarly, he went into halftime against Seattle just 9 of 15 for 98 yards and 1 touchdown. Thereafter, he was 10 of 12 for 97 yards and another touchdown.

So – again combining the halves of the two games – Matty is 20 of 32 (62.5%) for 192 yards (6.00 per attempt and 9.60 per completion) with 1 touchdown pass and 1 interception in the two first halves – a very pedestrian 76.6 passer rating. In his last two second halves, Ryan is 21 for 24 (87.5%) for 218 yards (9.08 yards per pass and 10.4 per completion), with 3 touchdowns and no interceptions. This adds up to a passer rating of 144.1.

Looking Like Last Year’s Falcons

Against the Seahawks, Atlanta took the opening kickoff and marched 52 yards for a touchdown. The defense contributed a quick interception, setting the offense up again for a short-field touchdown. It was 14-0 Falcons after just 7 minutes of play. When the Falcons returned a fumble for a touchdown early in the second quarter, their lead swelled to 21-3 after less than 16 minutes of play – very reminiscent of the shock-and-awe Falcons at the end of the 2016 season.

With these two crucial victories, the Falcons have pushed their way – temporarily – into the playoff picture. But it will be an almost weekly grind for this Atlanta team. Now 6-4, their last 6 games will feature two games against the 4-6 Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The rest of the schedule will be two games against the 8-2 New Orleans Saints, and games against the 9-2 Minnesota Viking and the 7-3 Carolina Panthers.

The up-and-down Falcons cannot afford to take any more weeks off – even against Tampa Bay. The path before them is very daunting.

Seattle Footnote

The Seahawks have now lost two consecutive home games and barely survived Houston the game before. None of these teams seemed overly disturbed by the intense noise generated by the crowd. This was especially true of the Falcons – who have now been exposed to it several times over the last few years.

Don’t Look Now

The Falcon’s opponents in that last Super Bowl have been on a roll of their own. After losing two of their first four games, the New England Patriot’s secured their sixth straight victory with a 33-8 domination of the Oakland Raiders (gamebook).

Part of this was fairly expected. Pass defense has been an inviting Raider weakness all season. They entered the game allowing opposing passer’s a devastating 110.5 rating against them. Not an encouraging situation when facing Tom Brady and the heralded Patriot passing attack. Brady flayed them to the tune of 30 of 37 for 339 yards and 3 touchdowns. Of course, he threw no interceptions – leading to a 131.9 passer rating. New England started the game 5 of 6 on third down, and then averaged 8 yards per offensive play in the second half.

The Patriots’ Pass Defense is a Thing

But the thing to take strong notice of with the Patriots is the defense – especially the pass defense. Mostly disorganized and something of a mess early in the season, New England’s first four opponents exploited the Patriots’ re-constructed pass defense. They completed 69.7% of their passes against them, averaging 13.5 yards per completed pass. In those first four, New England allowed 11 touchdown passed while intercepting just 3 passes. It all added up to a distressing 116.5 passer rating against.

Over the next three games, the pass defense started to show improvement. The completion percentage dropped to 63.5%. The yards per catch also diminished to 11.5. Over those next three games, New England allowed just 4 touchdown passes, with their 2 interceptions bringing them to a more normal 89.4 passer rating against. (NFL averages are currently 62.5% completions, 11.3 yards per completion, and an 88.2 passer rating.)

Over their last three games, Patriot opponents have now completed just 56.3% of their passes, gaining just 10.6 yards per completion. The touchdowns and interceptions have been equal at 3 each. The passer rating against them over those games has been just 71.7. While one of those contests was against Brock Osweiler and the struggling Denver offense, the other two have been against the Chargers and Raiders with dangerous quarterbacks Philip Rivers and Derek Carr. Rivers entered that game with an 89.9 passer rating. Carr’s was 91.8. They combined for a 71.1 rating in their games against New England.

Especially in these last three games, the Chargers, Broncos and Raiders played very well for most of the game. But every time they had a little lapse, they paid for it. And every one who plays New England understands that this is how it is when you play the Patriots. They will make you pay for all of your mistakes.

Just like last year.

The AFC Playoff Picture

With Kansas City’s surprising loss, the Chiefs – once 5-0 on the season – are starting to slip behind the crowd fighting for the number one seed. The Week 15 contest between New England and Pittsburgh still looks like it will decide the AFC’s top seed. Jacksonville now pushes ahead of the Chiefs for the number 3 spot. Tennessee currently leads Baltimore for the fifth wildcard spot, but as the teams come down the stretch, I’m expecting the Ravens to swap places with the Titans. Baltimore still looks out of sync on offense, but Tennessee has three road games in their next four, and when they finally come home they will have the Rams and the Jaguars to face them – too tough for a team that I don’t really believe in yet.

Speaking of the Rams

In one of the season’s more anticipated games, the Los Angeles Rams (then 7-2) visited the Minnesota Vikings (then also 7-2). Most anticipated was the clash between the Ram offense – leading the NFL in scoring at 296 points, while ranking third in total offense, fifth in rushing (128.8 yards per game) and sixth in passing (led by hot second-year quarterback Jared Goff and his 101.5 rating) – and the Minnesota defense – ranked third against the run (just 81.3 yards per game), fifth in total yardage, and tenth in allowing fewest points (just 165). Opposing passers struggled to an 80.8 rating against Minnesota – the eighth lowest rating in the NFL.

For as anticipated as the matchup was, the result was disappointingly one-sided. The impressive Viking defense smothered the Rams’ running game. Todd Gurley ended the day with just 37 yards on 15 carries, never gaining more than 8 yards on any run. They also eliminated the big-play passing attack. The Rams had no completion over 23 yards. In the game’s second half, they had no play longer than 15 yards. Goff completed 12 second half passes for only 107 yards (8.92 per completion). He finished the game with a very modest 79.2 rating.

Meanwhile, the Vikings capably exploited Los Angeles’ defensive weakness against the run. The Rams came in allowing 118 rushing yards a game (ranked twenty-fourth). Minnesota pounded then to the tune of 171 yards – running the clock for 20:06 of the second half – on their way to a convincing 24-7 win (gamebook).

More about Minnesota next week.

Next Up New Orleans

For the Rams, this is a sobering dash of cold water one week before one of the defining games in the NFC this season. The Rams have some issues to address before facing the New Orleans Saints – currently riding an eight-game winning streak and boasting the top offense (by yards) in the NFL and the third best running attack (144 yards per game). At 4.8 yards per rushing attempt, the Saints have the most explosive running game in the league. After last week’s pounding, the Rams are now twenty-seventh in the NFL in yards per rushing attempt (4.5) and twenty-eighth in rushing yards allowed per game (123.3).

In a contest that will significantly impact home field advantage in the playoffs, the Rams have this game at home. But they will have to find some way of stopping the New Orleans running attack without leaving themselves too vulnerable to Drew Brees and that passing attack.

It will be a tall order.

Football

Raiders Save Season with Wild Finish

Week Seven began with one of the season’s wildest and most enjoyable games as the Raiders – trailing by 10 in the fourth quarter – salvaged their season (for the moment, anyway) by rallying for a 31-30 victory over Kansas City (gamebook). The win improves them to 3-4 and keeps them two games behind the Chiefs in the division (a loss would have spilled them four game behind).

As the score suggests, this was an offensive fireworks display. The two quarterbacks (Alex Smith and Derek Carr) combined for 422 passing yards. And that was just the first half. By game’s end, the two teams had combined for 930 total yards (748 of them passing yards) and 7 touchdowns. They also combined to go 14 for 28 on third down, and 1-for-1 on fourth down.

The teams combined for 8 plays over 30 yards, including a 38-yard touchdown pass to from Carr to Amari Cooper (Cooper finished with 11 catches for 210 yards and 2 touchdowns) off a “flea-flicker,” and a deflected almost-interception that landed right in the arms of the Chiefs’ Albert Wilson for a 63-yard touchdown. It also featured one of the wildest finishes that I’ve seen lately – so the enjoyment factor of this game was pretty substantial.

Derek Carr has now started 53 NFL games, and led his team to fourth-quarter, come-from-behind victories in 13 of them. Slightly more than half of his 25 career wins have been in this kind of game.

Kudos for the Raiders’ Defense?

By game’s end, Kansas City had put up 30 points, scored 3 touchdowns, racked up 425 yards, and averaged 7.1 yards per play. Not necessarily a defensive performance that you would be inclined to celebrate. Yet the Raider defense did prevent the Chiefs offense from controlling the game on the ground.

Boasting the fourth ranked running offense in the NFL (at 134.8 yards per game), and facing a Raider defense that was struggling to stop the run (they entered ranked twenty-first allowing 117.2 yards per game), the Chiefs wanted very much to run some clock and keep Carr’s explosive offense on the sidelines.

They opened the game with four straight running plays (gaining only 10 yards) and ran five times (for 12 yards in their opening drive), but never were able to establish their ground game. Rookie running back Kareem Hunt broke off one run of 34 yards, but managed just 54 yards on his other 17 carries. The talented running back – who has already picked up more than 100 yards in the second half alone of a couple games this season – carried 11 times in the second half of this game for just 39 yards (3.5 per carry). KC finished the game with just 94 rushing yards, and only controlled the clock for 30:36. They scored points, but kept leaving Oakland time to answer.

The Longest Eight Seconds

But all of that was just prologue.

The game had 23 seconds left, and Oakland was still down 30-24. They faced a third-and-10 on the Kansas City 29. Carr slid slightly to his left in the pocket and launched a pass toward the pylon at the left corner of the end zone. For the second straight play, the Raiders had two receivers in the area of the pass. But his time the deeper receiver (Jared Cook) was far enough behind the other receiver (Seth Roberts) that the two didn’t collide. Cook elevated, made the catch, and tumbled into the end zone. Touchdown. The game – for the moment – was tied, and there was much rejoicing in the stadium as everyone awaited the extra-point.

As it turned out, the celebrating was a might premature. There was actually a lot of football left on this night.

As they kept watching the replay, it became apparent that Cook’s rear end had plopped to the turf while the football was still on the half-yard line. There were eight seconds left, and Oakland had first-and-goal.

Michael Crabtree would get the first opportunity. Lined up wide right, Crabtree raced into the end zone where he was met by KC defensive back Marcus Peters. Carr delivered the ball, and Crabtree gave Peters a gentle push that sent Peters’ legs out from under him. Crabtree caught the pass, but flags flew immediately. Offensive pass interference. Now there were three seconds left, and Oakland had first-and-goal from the 10.

Was it a penalty? Well, it was a push. Crabtree did extended his arms to gain separation. In honesty, you frequently see worse than that get ignored. But there was a push, so the call was mostly legit.

Before Carr even delivered the next pass (which was high and off the fingertips of Cook in the end zone) there was already a flag in the end zone. Ron Parker had been called for holding Cook. There were all zeros on the scoreboard clock, but the Raiders would get one un-timed down (since a game can’t end on a defensive penalty). First and goal from the five.

Was it a penalty? Well, Parker didn’t truly impede Cook, but he did latch on and go for a bit of a ride. Frankly, he was more staggering and holding on for balance than trying to keep Cook out of the end zone. Not the worst hold I’ve ever seen, but yes. A penalty.

Now it would be Cordarrelle Patterson – lined up in the slot to the left – working against Eric Murray. As Patterson streaked past, Murray latched on to him and hung with him to the back of the end zone, where he pushed Patterson over the line as the ball was arriving. Some of the Chiefs were starting to celebrate, but most saw the flag on the ground.

That holding call brought the ball back to about the two yard line – almost exactly where it was ten minutes ago after Cook’s first catch – where Oakland would have yet another untimed down.

Now they would go back to Crabtree – lined wide left this time. Derek rolled to his left and delivered a strike to Crabtree just a step beyond the same pylon that Cook had fallen in front of. He collected the pass, and the game (finally) was over.

The win broke a four-game Raider losing streak, during which they had not scored more than 17 points. It was the first time since Week Two that the Raiders had looked like the Raiders. They have put themselves a bit behind in the playoff chase, but there is still a lot of football to be played.

Rematch in the Fog

Last February, the New England Patriots and the Atlanta Falcons got together in Houston for that Super Bowl thing. In a game for the ages (discussed here), the Patriots trailed 21-3 at the half, and 28-9 through three quarters before rallying to a 34-28 overtime win.

Last Sunday night, they re-convened in Foxborough for a regular season re-match. The story-lines this time, though, were slightly different. The defending champion Patriots began the season with their re-built defense not really ready for prime time. In a 2-2 start, the Patriots allowed 32 points and 456.8 yards per game (132.8 of them rushing yards). In their previous two previous games, they had held Tampa Bay and the Jets to 14 and 17 points respectively. Progress, yes, but against two fairly middling offenses.

The Atlanta narrative was more concerning. After a 3-0 start, the Falcon’s had lost their two previous games at home against Buffalo and Miami, scoring just 17 points in each. So they hit the turf as a team searching – a little bit, anyway – for answers. They wouldn’t find any that night. At least not early.

Fixing the Falcons

Thirty minutes into the game, the teams headed for the locker rooms with the Patriots holding a 17-0 lead. The once dominant Falcon offense had managed just 130 yards and 7 first downs. Quarterback Matt Ryan had completed just 9 of his first 16 passes – only 2 of them to All-World receiver Julio Jones for 30 yards.

This offensive brown out had many people scratching their heads. The answer proved to be fairly fundamental. The Falcons’ difficulties traced to a struggling running game.

People may not remember that during the Super Bowl, the Falcon’s set the tone with their running game. Five of their first nine offensive plays were runs – gaining 56 yards. They hit the halfway mark of that game with 86 rushing yards. They were especially effective getting around the corner. Nine times they tested the edge of New England’s run defense in Super Bowl LI, averaging 7.6 yards per.

Anyone who remembers the Falcon offense from the end of last season, will remember the great energy that surrounded it. That energy came from the very aggressive, explosive running game. As good as Ryan and Jones are – and they are both plenty good – the key to the Atlanta offense is their running game. When it misfires, the whole Falcon offense looks out of sync. That was the story of the first half.

Even though Atlanta finished the game scoring just 7 points in a 23-7 loss (gamebook), the second half proved much, much better – and it began with the running game.

After their initial first down of the third quarter, the Falcons ran on four consecutive plays for 34 yards. Atlanta pushed on for 90 rushing yards in the second half – 56 by Devonta Freeman – and the passing game responded with Ryan hitting 14 of his last 17 passes. Even though only 7 points came from them, all three of Atlanta’s second half drives lasted at least 10 plays, all gained at least 55 yards, and all ended in the red zone. They missed a 36-yard field goal when Matt Bryant hit the left upright. Another drive fizzled when the Falcons failed on fourth-and-goal from the one – so things could have been much better. Now 3-3, the Falcons trail 4-2 New Orleans by one game in their division. They are still very much in the discussion.

Coming Together in New England

As for the Patriots, they are now suddenly 5-2 and a half-game ahead of Buffalo in their division. Their victory depended on two significant achievements.

First, the new-look defense was surprisingly successful in eliminating the big play from the Atlanta offense. Even in the second half the Falcons managed only two plays of more than 20 yards – and they were just barely over 20 yards. One of Freeman’s runs gained 21 yards in the third, and one of Ryan’s fourth-quarter completions went for 22 yards to Justin Hardy. Ryan’s 14 second half completions totaled just 123 yards. Jones finished the game with 9 catches, but none of them for more than 16 yards.

The other important thing they did was run the ball. Thirty six times they probed the Falcon run defense, racking up 162 rushing yards. This is becoming a growing concern for the Falcons. After holding the Packers to just 59 rushing yards in Week Two, their rushing yards allowed has risen every game since.

New England finished with 34 minutes and 5 seconds of ball control. For all of their early season vulnerability, the Patriots seem to have figured some things out.

And the Fog

What ended up being a very well-played, informative game was played against the strange backdrop of an intense fog that rolled in from the bay. It was thick enough to make punts and arching passes something of an adventure. The players were mostly unaffected, but the fog took its toll on the spectators. TV audiences – thanks to the crawling spidercams – were treated to what was undoubtedly the first broadcast in NFL history that showed almost the entire game from the quarterback’s perspective.

An interesting view for anyone who ever wanted to read coverage.

Football

One Game More to Decide Playoff Teams

With surprising victories by Miami and Jacksonville, much of the drama that might have hung over Week 17 has been resolved. We go into the last week of the season with the playoff teams mostly decided – if not yet seeded. Here – essentially – is what is still to be decided:

AFC Eastern Division

New England (13-2) has been sitting on top of this conference virtually the entire season – in spite of the fact that All-Everything Quarterback Tom Brady was forced to sit out the season’s first four games. They are currently the top seed in the conference, but Oakland is only one game behind at 12-3. Should both teams finish at 13-3, Oakland will get the seed. In that event, Oakland will be 5-0 against teams that both Oakland and New England have played, while the Patriots will be 4-1 in those games.

Oakland has beaten Baltimore (28-27), Denver twice (30-20 and they will have to beat the Broncos on Sunday to finish at 13-3), Houston (27-20), and Buffalo (38-24). New England has wins over Houston (27-0), Buffalo (41-25), Baltimore (30-23), and Denver (16-3). But in Week Four – the last week of Brady’s exile – the Pats were shutout by Buffalo 16-0. That lonely loss is the only possible lasting impact of the Brady suspension – and for that loss to drop New England into the second seed, Oakland will have to win in Denver without their starting quarterback and Miami will have to beat New England (also without their starting quarterback) on Sunday.

Neither of those outcomes is unthinkable.

The Denver-Oakland game we’ll deal with in a minute.

As for Miami, the Dolphins won a defining game (and punched their playoff ticket) last Sunday when they went into freezing Buffalo and won in overtime with their backup quarterback. That victory establishes them as one of the wildcard teams (currently the sixth seed). If they win their last game against the Patriots and Kansas City loses on the road in San Diego, the Dolphins could finish as the fifth seed, pushing KC into the sixth slot.

I don’t know that the difference in seeding is enough for the Dolphins to give maximum effort in their last game. I do think the fact that they will be playing at home against the hated Patriots is reason enough. There are other reasons, too. Matt Moore – the man at the helm in Ryan Tannehill’s absence – needs all of the real-time reps he can get. Plus, the Dolphins are not so established that they can turn things off and turn them back on. I don’t think that they think they have the luxury of resting starters.

All of that being said, I don’t believe that they could handle New England’s best game. I don’t know, though, that they will get New England’s best game. There is little on the table for the Patriots. The slide from first to second will only matter if both New England and Oakland win their divisional round matchups – and the Raiders won’t have their starting QB. I don’t truly expect to see Brady on the field too long – maybe the first half, or maybe just the first drive. Some other notables (like LeGarrette Blount) may also be done early. The Patriots may surprise me, but I think that this game is there for the Dolphins to take, if they want it.

AFC North

The 10-5 Pittsburgh Steelers wrapped up their division title with a gritty victory over the game Baltimore Ravens. They are locked in as the number three seed. The AFC South champions in Houston could finish at 10-6 if they win in Tennessee on Sunday, but for Pittsburgh to also finish at 10-6, they would have to lose at home against the one-win Cleveland team. Even if that happens, Pittsburgh’s strength-of-victory index will be better than Houston’s.

AFC West

Oakland (12-3) leads the division, holds the second seed, and has a chance at the number one seed. But they haven’t locked up the division, yet. Kansas City sits right behind them at 11-4, holding the tie breaker by virtue of winning both games against the Raiders this season. They (KC) finishes the season on the road against a fading but dangerous San Diego team, while the Raiders and backup QB Matt McGloin journey into Denver to play last year’s champions.

The disappointed Broncos will certainly give Oakland its best game, but I legitimately wonder if Denver can take Oakland even if they are playing at home against the Raiders’ backup signal caller. The Bronco offense has creaked to a halt during the season’s final weeks. During their current three-game losing streak, Denver has failed to score more than ten points in any of them. However, the Raiders Achilles Heel even before the loss of Derek Carr was its defense (ranked twenty-eighth overall and allowing 24 points per game). Denver managed 20 points against them in Oakland earlier this season. If they can manage that many at home on Sunday, they can put the game in McGloin’s hands – and Denver still has football’s best pass defense.

While Denver is flawed, Oakland – minus its QB – is, I think, more flawed. I expect to see Oakland lose this game (giving New England the number one seed, regardless). I’m less clear on what to expect from the Chargers and Chiefs. While the Chargers are always dangerous, they have mostly found ways to lose games this year while KC has mostly found ways to win games this year. In the final analysis, I just don’t see Kansas City – with so much at stake – losing it all to a 5-10 team, even if they are a division opponent playing at home. My best guess at the way this plays out has KC pulling off the division title and the second seed on the last day of the season, sending Oakland to the fifth seed and sending them on the road to open the playoffs in:

AFC South

Houston. The Texans (now 9-6) have yet to lose a division game all season (they are 5-0 so far). When 3-12 Jacksonville rose up last Sunday to rend the now 8-7 Tennessee Titans, they dropped Tennessee to 1-4 in the division. So even though Tennessee could tie Houston at 9-7 with a win at home against them Sunday, the Texans own the tie breaker. They are locked into the fourth seed and likely to draw the Raiders in the wildcard round of the playoffs, while Pittsburgh will most likely match up with Miami.

None of the AFC participants can change. The only thing Week 17 can alter is the seeding.

NFC South

The Atlanta Falcons (10-5) are two games up on their closest competitor (Tampa Bay is 8-7) with one game left. They are the division champion. They are currently sitting in the second seed with its corresponding first-round bye. A final week victory over New Orleans (at home) will clinch that seeding. New Orleans is 7-8 and kind of a more dangerous version of the Chargers. The Saints have averaged 29.1 points a game this year (making them the NFL’s second-highest scoring team this year). They are also number one in yardage and number one in passing yards. Furthermore, this offensive juggernaut will be working against the Falcons’ twenty-third ranked defense (number 26 against the pass) that is allowing 24.9 points a game (the twenty-fifth ranked scoring defense in the NFL).

On the other hand, Atlanta is scoring 33.5 points a game (making them the NFL’s number one scoring offense) and ranks second in yards (behind New Orleans) with the number 3 passing attack and the number 7 running attack. New Orleans answers with the number 30 scoring defense (allowing 27.7 points a game) and the number 25 defense by yardage allowed (number 30 against the pass).

To put it lightly, America is expecting a shootout. The Falcons won the first meeting of these teams in New Orleans 45-32. This is, by no means, a lock – although you have to think that the home-standing Falcons should prevail.

Behind them are the young and inconsistent Buccaneers. Tampa Bay finishes at home against the dethroned Carolina Panthers. If Tampa prevails, they will finish at 9-7, putting them (theoretically) in the mix for that final playoff spot. The loser of the Detroit-Green Bay tilt will also be 9-7. Washington currently sits at 8-6-1, and could finish at 9-6-1 with a playoff berth if they finish up their season with a win.

So while Atlanta controls its own fate, Tampa Bay decidedly does not. My strong expectation is that they will lose to the Panthers on Sunday anyway, obviating any tie-breaking scenarios.

NFC East

As the Dallas Cowboys sliced and diced the Detroit Lions last week, they locked up their division title and the first seed. Their final game in Philadelphia is meaningless, although the statements coming from the Dallas camp suggest that they will keep the pedal down.

Also locked up is the first wildcard spot (the fifth seed). That belongs to the 10-5 New York Giants.

Behind them are the 8-6-1 Washington Redskins. They play at home Sunday afternoon with everything to play for against the Giants whose only real motivation could come from knocking the Redskins out of the playoffs. And because of the tie on their record, Washington will either be in or out depending on the result. At 9-6-1 their record would be better than any of the teams that could be 9-7. At 8-7-1, they would finish behind any 9-7 teams (and there will be at least one of those).

My expectation here is that Washington will take care of business. I am not all that impressed with the Giants (although their defense can certainly rise to the occasion), and I don’t expect to see them win this game on the road against a desperate (and pretty good) Washington team. In the world of most-likely-outcomes, Washington should win and complete the playoff field.

NFC West

At 9-5-1, Seattle will be the only team from this division to finish over .500. They have already won the title, but lost control of the number two seed with a surprising loss at home against Arizona last week. Should Atlanta fall to New Orleans, then the second seed will be theirs if they can beat the two-win San Francisco team (in San Francisco). Seattle would fall to the fourth seed should they lose, as the winner of the Packers-Lions game will be 10-6. Don’t see that happening. The Seahawks have been wildly inconsistent at the end of the season, but should still be better than the struggling 49ers.

NFC North

The season ends on Sunday night in Detroit where the 9-6 Lions will square off against the 9-6 Green Bay Packers. At stake will be the division title in a winner-take-all showdown.

The loser will probably be home for the playoffs – assuming Washington takes care of the Giants. Should New York rise up and knock Washington out of the playoffs then both these teams will go into the playoffs – the winner as the division champion and possible number two seed, and the loser as the number six seed.

If Detroit wins (and Atlanta and Seattle lose), the Lions and Falcons would both finish at 10-6. The tie-breaker here would fall to Detroit on record against common opponents. The Lions would have four wins (Philadelphia, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and Green Bay) against just one loss (Green Bay). Atlanta would finish 3-2 against these same opponents, with wins against New Orleans, Green Bay and Los Angeles; and losses to Philadelphia and New Orleans (if they lose that last game). A Falcons loss to New Orleans could push them down as far as fourth.

If it ends up Green Bay vs Tampa Bay for the last wildcard spot – with both teams at 9-7 – the Packers would get the nod based on strength of victory.

If the Sunday night game tilts the other way, with Green Bay winning the division, they would lose any tie-breaker to Atlanta (by virtue of a 32-33 loss to them in Week Eight). So the highest the Packers could climb is the third seed (and it would take Seattle losing to San Francisco for that to happen).

If it comes to a tie-breaker between Detroit and Tampa Bay, Detroit would win on record against common opponents. The Lions would be 3-2 (beating Los Angeles, New Orleans and Chicago; and losing to Chicago and Dallas). Tampa Bay would be 2-3 against those same opponents (beating Chicago and New Orleans while losing to Los Angeles, Dallas and New Orleans).

So Tampa Bay isn’t really in the mix, regardless.

Under the most likely scenarios, the NFC seeding should end up Dallas, Atlanta, Seattle, NFC North Champion, NY Giants and Washington.

And who wins the NFC North showdown? Green Bay. And they’ll be a dangerous team to deal with in the playoffs.

At least that’s how I see it all playing out.