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Atlanta Falcons Should Easily Make 2015 Playoffs

By John Buhler

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The Atlanta Falcons are 6-1 heading into Week 8. With the hardest part of their season behind them, the Atlanta Falcons should easily make the 2015 NFC Playoffs.

Since realignment in 2002, the NFL averages an annual turnover of five playoff teams between the 12 playoff spots. It is a testament to the razor-thin margin of victory in some games and how well teams can build through the NFL Draft and free agency.

-= Related: Atlanta Falcons: NFC Power Rankings, Week 8 =-

Last season the Baltimore Ravens and the Pittsburgh Steelers got back into the postseason in the AFC, with the Kansas City Chiefs and the San Diego Chargers missing out after a 2013 appearance. In the NFC, the Arizona Cardinals, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Detroit Lions took the spots of the New Orleans Saints, the Philadelphia Eagles, and the San Francisco 49ers.

History indicates that 4-5 different teams will make the playoffs in 2015, as will 6-8 head coaches be replaced this offseason. Entering Week 8 of 2015, I can convincingly say that these three teams are not retaining their playoff spots in 2015: the Baltimore Ravens, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Detroit Lions. Those teams have combined to win four games in seven weeks!

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So who are the best bets to replace those three teams fallen from grace? I’d have to say the New York Jets seem most likely playoff bound in the AFC. In the NFC East, it looks like the New York Giants have the most going for them to win the division. Then there’s your Atlanta Falcons, sitting at a comfortable 6-1, and unless implosion happens, this team is making the 2015 NFC Playoffs.

Why do I feel so confident about a 6-1 team making the playoffs that hasn’t looked great since September? Just look at the Atlanta Falcons’ remaining nine games on their schedule and tell me how they go worse than 10-6. To me, 10-6 will win the NFC East and get the 4-seed, as well as clinch the 6-seed in this conference.

Atlanta’s remaining schedule is as follows: Tampa Bay Buccaneers, @San Francisco 49ers, Bye, Indianapolis Colts, Minnesota Vikings, @Tampa Bay Buccaneers, @Carolina Panthers, @Jacksonville Jaguars, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints. Will the Atlanta Falcons go worse than 4-5 in their final nine games? I can’t see it.

Essentially, the Atlanta Falcons are fighting for one of three available playoff spots: the NFC South Division Championship or either Wild Card berth. In the South, the Carolina Panthers look like a sure-fired lock to make the playoff. They will either win the division or get the 5-seed with the way their team is playing. If any division in the NFC will get a Wild Card team in 2015, it is the NFC South. Atlanta and Carolina have lost one combined game through seven weeks. At this point, their both locks to make it.

So who are the main competitors in the NFC Playoff hunt for the Atlanta Falcons outside of the division? Since I feel that the NFC East isn’t going to have a wild card caliber team, I’d have to say that there are four teams Atlanta Falcons’ fans need to keep an eye on for playoff position going forward: the Minnesota Vikings and the top three teams in the NFC West, the Arizona Cardinals, the St. Louis Rams, and the Seattle Seahawks.

Minnesota seems like a Wild Card contender in the NFC North and is probably the second best team in that division behind the Green Bay Packers. Not all that impressive since both the Chicago Bears and the Detroit Lions will not get to .500 in 2015. At 4-2, the Vikings have gotten off to a strong start, but their four wins aren’t spectacular (Lions twice, Chiefs, and Chargers). Looking at their remaining schedule, it might stand as the most brutal in football. The Vikings could tailspin to a 6-10 record, worst case scenario. They should finish at .500 and not make the playoffs.

The NFC West is an intriguing one, with three teams that could very well make the playoffs. Arizona is 5-2 and has looked fantastic at times. However, their best win of the year was against the Saints at home. How will the Cards fare against the better teams in football? St. Louis is at 3-3 with a dominant defense and a powerful running game thanks to the brilliance performances of rookie running back Todd Gurley. Go Dawgs! Let’s not forget that Seattle is still in the mix at 3-4 as the 2x reigning NFC Champions.

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This division probably has a Wild Card team in it, especially since the Vikings may struggle down the stretch. I expect the Cardinals, Rams and Seahawks to beat up on each other win the division winner boasting an 11-5 record and second place getting to 10-6. That mark should get the West a 5 or 6-seed, too.

The stars are aligning for the 2015 Atlanta Falcons to get back into the postseason after a two-year playoff drought. A 6-1 record and an easy schedule should give the Dirty Birds more lift than any contending team in the North or West. Keep in mind that the Atlanta Falcons hold every tiebreaker in the NFC East, after going 4-0 in that division this year. This team should go no worse than 10-6 and that’s a strong enough of a record to at least get a Wild Card berth in the NFC in 2015. Rise Up!

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