NFC Playoff Picture: Atlanta’s big win keeps them in the hunt

We’re now nearly through twelve full weeks of the 2016 NFL season, and the Atlanta Falcons are still on track for a playoff spot. This is better than most of us anticipated, so let us bask in its glory for a brief moment.

Done? Good, let’s take a look at the playoff picture this week.

NFC Playoff Picture

1. Dallas Cowboys (10-1)
2. Seattle Seahawks (7-3-1)
3. Atlanta Falcons (7-4)
4. Detroit Lions (7-4)
5. New York Giants (8-3)
6. Washington Redskins (6-4-1)

For another week, this playoff picture is relatively unchanged, with three NFC East teams, the Detroit Lions hanging on for dear life atop the NFC North, and the Falcons holding a one game lead atop the NFC South. For now, at least, the Falcons are on track to match up against Washington, a pretty tough matchup given their potent offense. The Giants have the second-best record in the conference and are on track to be a wild card, because life is profoundly unfair.

The movement, if it happens, will impact the Falcons and Lions (who both have slim divisional leads) and the NFC East teams trailing behind the Cowboys. The Buccaneers, Vikings, Eagles and arguably Saints are still in this thing and could make life interesting in the coming weeks, though we’ll hope they do not. If we’re very lucky and the Seahawks slip a little, the Falcons may actually get a first round bye, though I’m not allowing myself to think terribly hard about that.

Where do you think Atlanta will wind up?