Saints-Falcons making for must-watch Christmas TV

Published 8:09 pm Friday, December 22, 2017

The NFL may not know a legal pass reception from a can of pickled asparagus, and the “face” of the league may seem to wear a striped shirt and white cap every week.

But give the league credit here.

It sure knows how to do itself some dramatic scheduling.

Surely you don’t think it’s mere coincidence that the NFC South finishes the season playing a convenient intradivision round-robin over the final two weeks?

It still seems oddball that the Saints and Falcons will play on Christmas Eve for the second time in three weeks.

But it’s high drama for what, this year, is the toughest division in the NFL.

It’s must-see TV, even if you get one of those busy-body officials intent on making the game as unwatchable as it is ungovernable on kick returns.

The Saints’ turnaround from that 0-2 start — in which those Aints looked to be the worst team in the NFL — has been remarkable.

From 0-2 to two games left, the only fear might be if the Saints didn’t peak too soon.

In some ways, this team has looked even stronger than the fleur de lis Super Bowl winners. Just a couple of weeks ago learned football minds were speculating that it might be the best team in the NFL.

So at 10-4, in the parity plagued NFL, you’d think New Orleans would have clinched something by now.

Most years, most divisions, probably so.

But not this year, not in this division.

Barring a lot of what-ifs, the NFC South can be the first NFC division since 2007 to provide the playoffs with a champion and both wildcards, which would be half the playoff field on that side.

But there’s still a lot of shaking out to be done.

The Saints have looked like a Super Bowl contender much of the year. Yet look to the side and there are the Panthers, neck and neck. Look in the rearview mirror and the Falcons are tailgating you like a pickup truck on I-10.

There could still be more paint-swapping to come. 

The Saints have already swept the Panthers, but can’t shake them —— Carolina, which played awful both times, has otherwise lost only two other games and is also 10-4 (yes, the Saints would own the tie-breaker but have to hold serve to make sure it’s still applicable).

The Saints are one game ahead of the Falcons (9-5), but have to win Sunday — or Atlanta will own a sweep over the  Who Dats and the tie-breaker (which would suddenly be in play).

Tampa Bay is sitting out this battle royale, but is quite capable of beating Carolina this week or the Saints the next.

It’s that kind of division. Just look at the quarterbacks — Drew Brees, Matt Ryan, Cam Newton and Jameis Winston.

Winston did everything but beat the Falcons Monday night. You can’t sleep on the Bucs, even at 4-10.

In 2006, the first Drew Brees-Sean Payton season, the Saints went 10-6 and got a first-round bye in the playoffs (as the NFC’s No. 2 seed). If they end up 10-6 this season, they could miss the playoffs.

Not likely. But possible.

Best anybody can tell, the Saints’ playoff chances look something like this:

To clinch a wildcard spot, all New Orleans has to do is win one of these last two games against Atlanta or at Tampa Bay. A wildcard would be possible even with two losses to finish, but it’s not something you’d try at home with kids present.

Their sights are set higher than that anyway.

If the Saints win both, they are your NFC South champions. Pretty simple.

After that’s it’s complicated.

If they beat the Falcons Sunday, a Panthers’ loss to the Bucs would clinch the division for the Saints with a week to spare.

If both the Saints and Panthers win this week, the Saints would have to beat the Bucs next week to win it or, failing that, have the Falcons beat the Panthers.

If both the Saints and Panthers lose, then the Saints would have to beat the Bucs and have the Panthers then beat the Falcons.

If the Saints lose to the Falcons and the Panthers beat the Bucs, then the Saints can’t win the division. With tie-breakers in play, the Atlanta-Carolina game would be for the division title.

Bottom line, the Saints had best beat their most bitter rival Sunday in the Superdome.

Just like the schedule maker drew it up.