The State of The NFC South, Week 16: The Falcons Are Not In First

The Falcons head into Week 16 out of first place for the first time in nearly a month, and that's the painful, stark reality in a season loaded with wheelbarrows full of the stuff. They're actually now in third place.

The good news is that they still have a shot at a playoff spot—if you're into that sort of thing—thanks to upcoming games against the Saints and Panthers.

On to the standings.

NFC South Standings, Week 16

Saints: 6-8
Panthers: 5 -8-1
Falcons: 5-9
Buccaneers: 2-12

The Buccaneers are mathematically eliminated and vying for the top spot in the draft, where they'll likely look for their future starter at quarterback if they're not sold on Mike Glennon.

The Panthers, Saints and Falcons are all in a dogfight. The Panthers should get Cam Newton back in time for the Falcons game, if not this upcoming weekend, and while they're not exactly boasting a loaded roster, Cam, Kelvin Benjamin and a few turnovers on defense the next two weeks could propel them into the playoffs.

The Saints, meanwhile, have been horribly inconsistent. While the Bears are putrid, New Orleans just managed a win against them that featured seven sacks and three interceptions, and they get the Falcons at home. They are also in sole possession of first place, which is highly annoying.

The Falcons now have two straight losses against quality teams after dismantling the Cardinals in the Georgia Dome, and while I'd like to believe that's enough for them to beat the holy hell out of the Saints and Panthers, they're far too inconsistent for me to roll into Week 16 with a ton of confidence. We'll just hope for the best.

As always, in other words, this is a tire fire, and the wind might blow burning rubber in any direction. We'll just have to see who walks out of here with the sole playoff spot on the table.

Your prediction for the final NFC South standings?