We’re days away from kickoff in Week 18 of the New Orleans Saints 2023 season, with the longtime division-rival Atlanta Falcons standing between New Orleans and any hope of reaching the playoffs.
Can the Saints get the job done? They’ll need a lot of help to qualify for the postseason, but it all starts with a win on Sunday afternoon. Here are our staff picks and final score predictions for what may be the last game of the year:
Saints 24, Falcons 21
The Saints have a recent habit of finding themselves in positions where they need other teams to do the work for them to either get a higher seed or make the playoffs. In essentially all of those scenarios, the Saints do their part, but the other team they need to win does not. I believe that trend continues here, as the Saints will pull off a tight win due to the slight resurgence we have seen from Derek Carr in recent weeks, but Carolina loses out to Tampa Bay to hold the Saints out of the playoffs. — Jeremy Trottier
Saints 24, Falcons 14
This was a difficult pick. New Orleans has struggled to show consistency or show up when needed. This week requires both, but my gut says the Saints will win. The Falcons don’t have a strong offense and New Orleans will have to focus on stopping the run. If they can do that, Atlanta’s offense will be limited. The Saints will make enough offensive plays in a must win game to keep their playoff hopes alive. — Darrion Gray
Saints 28, Falcons 13
The Saints will do their part and they’ll do it convincingly. It’s clear that this team decided to buy in just too late. The problem is that they need so much help to make the playoffs that winning this game will likely feel like a lost victory. The Falcons could also technically still win the division with a win, but I don’t think that they’re a better team than the Saints at this point of the season. — Dylan Sanders
Saints 23, Falcons 17
These teams are more evenly matched than either fan base would like to admit, but they both have a lot to play for. The Saints are hoping for a long-shot playoff berth. The Falcons are hoping to spoil their hopes. It’s going to be dramatic and probably sloppy. But the Saints have done a better job using the talent on their roster, and they should pull off a win. — John Sigler
