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The Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers each came into Thursday’s game under .500, but there were still playoff implications.
Carolina was 4-5 coming into play and just a half-game behind the 4-4 San Francisco 49ers for the final wild-card spot in the NFC. It was also tied with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers atop the NFC South with the chance to jump into first place.
Taking care of business against poor teams like Carolina is the best way to sneak into the postseason, but the Falcons instead missed their opportunity during a 25-15 loss and fell to 4-6.
Here is a look at the playoff picture and tiebreaker scenarios after Carolina’s win over Atlanta:
NFC
1. Philadelphia Eagles, 8-0
2. Minnesota Vikings, 7-1
3. Seattle Seahawks, 6-3
4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 4-5
5. Dallas Cowboys, 6-2 (wins tiebreaker over NYG because of head-to-head)
6. New York Giants, 6-2
7. San Francisco 49ers, 4-4
8. Washington Commanders, 4-5
9. Atlanta Falcons, 4-6
10. Los Angeles Rams, 3-5
11. New Orleans Saints, 3-6 (wins tiebreaker over GB because of strength of victory and AZ because of win percentage in NFC games)
12. Green Bay Packers, 3-6 (wins tiebreaker over CHI because of head-to-head and AZ because of win percentage in NFC games)
13. Arizona Cardinals, 3-6 (wins tiebreaker over CHI because of win percentage in NFC games)
14. Chicago Bears, 3-6
15. Detroit Lions, 2-6
16. Carolina Panthers, 3-7
AFC
1. Buffalo Bills, 6-2 (wins tiebreaker over KC because of head-to-head)
2. Kansas City Chiefs, 6-2
3. Baltimore Ravens, 6-3
4. Tennessee Titans, 5-3
5. New York Jets, 6-3 (wins tiebreaker over MIA because of head-to-head)
6. Miami Dolphins, 6-3
7. Los Angeles Chargers, 5-3
8. New England Patriots, 5-4 (wins tiebreaker over CIN because of win percentage in AFC games)
9. Cincinnati Bengals, 5-4
10. Indianapolis Colts, 3-5-1
11. Cleveland Browns, 3-5 (wins tiebreaker over DEN because of strength of victory)
12. Denver Broncos, 3-5
13. Jacksonville Jaguars, 3-6
14. Las Vegas Raiders, 2-6 (wins tiebreaker over PIT because of win percentage in AFC games)
15. Pittsburgh Steelers, 2-6
16. Houston Texans, 1-6-1
There is no doubt what the best game of Week 10 is with the Buffalo Bills facing the Minnesota Vikings.
While each team will have more important games against opponents in their own conference, there are plenty of implications for the No. 1 seed in the AFC and the NFC. Minnesota is one game behind the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles but will have to make up more ground than that considering it lost the head-to-head matchup.
And Buffalo is trying to hold off the Kansas City Chiefs, which it defeated in their head-to-head showdown.
The biggest storyline for the game and perhaps beyond when it comes to the AFC representative is Josh Allen’s health.
The quarterback is dealing with a right elbow injury and missed practice Thursday. ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported it is an injury to the ulnar collateral ligament and related nerves, which means he may miss Sunday’s contest.
If he cannot play, the Bills will likely turn toward former Vikings quarterback Case Keenum.
Keenum is far from the only connection between these two teams, as Minnesota running back Dalvin Cook and Buffalo running back James Cook are brothers. What’s more, the Vikings traded Stefon Diggs to the Bills in 2020 and landed the No. 22 pick of that year’s draft, which they used to select Justin Jefferson.
Now Diggs and Jefferson are two of the best wide receivers in the league.
“I just love the way he carries himself,” Jefferson told reporters when speaking about Diggs. “… He wants to be out there making plays for his team, and I can’t argue that. I got to talk to him more after we (were) traded, and got to really know each other. I definitely love him as a person and respect his game, and only want the best for him.”
They may each put on a show Sunday, which will make this game even more of a must-watch than it already was given the teams’ respective places in the standings.
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