The New Orleans Saints lost to the Atlanta Falcons and in turn lost their lead on the NFC South. The Falcons remain undefeated in division play.
That becomes a big deal when evaluating tiebreakers. The Falcons have the head to head tiebreaker over New Orleans, which puts Atlanta at first place. The Saints have no chance to sweep the season series, and likely won’t have a better divisional record. It’s on the Saints to have a better record than Atlanta. A tie doesn’t favor the Saints.
The Falcons were the only team in the NFC South to win a game in Week 12. Their victory was the most impactful at the top of the division. New Orleans’ loss gives Atlanta the head to head tie breaker, at the moment. Tampa Bay and Carolina lost in out of conference games.
1
Atlanta Falcons (5-6)
Points differential: -19
Divisional record: 3-0
Conference record: 4-4
Upcoming games: Week 13 vs. New York Jets, Week 14 vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2
New Orleans Saints (5-6)
Points differential: +7
Divisional record: 1-2
Conference record: 2-4
Upcoming games: Week 13 vs. Detroit Lions, Week 14 vs. Carolina Panthers
3
Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-7)
Points differential: -15
Divisional record: 1-1
Conference record: 4-3
Upcoming games: Week 13 vs. Carolina Panthers, Week 14 at Atlanta Falcons
4
Carolina Panthers (1-10)
Points differential: -129
Divisional record: 0-2
Conference record: 0-7
Upcoming games: Week 13 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Week 14 at New Orleans
