New Orleans Saints: Predicting the NFC playoffs round-by-round

ATLANTA, GA - NOVEMBER 28: Justin Hardee #34 reacts with Vonn Bell #24 of the New Orleans Saints and teammates following a defensive play during the second half of a game against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on November 28, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /

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(Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /

The NFC playoff seeding race is shaping up to be decided in week 17; however, with the current standings, how do the New Orleans Saints fair?

The New Orleans Saints are already looking toward the playoffs with an 11-3 record, currently second-best in the NFC side of the playoffs. If that stands currently, they will have a pretty easy ride through the playoffs to the Super Bowl.

The current NFC rankings through week 15 are No. 1 Seattle Seahawks (11-3), No. 2 New Orleans Saints (11-3), No. 3 Green Bay Packers (11-3), No. 4 Dallas Cowboys (7-7), No. 5 San Francisco 49ers, No. 6 Minnesota Vikings.

Most of those teams are locked into the playoffs, with the exception of the Dallas Cowboys because the Philadelphia Eagles are 7-7 as well in the hunt to win the division. Whoever wins the division gets the fourth seed.

The question is what seed will each team get.

Let’s assume, though, before getting into the play, that San Fran defeats Seattle in the team’s second matchup, placing the NFC West winner as the No. 3 seed, allowing New Orleans to bump to up to No. 2 with Green Bay at No. 1.

That said, the New Orleans Saints are poised for a Super Bowl run. Can they make it through the minefield of good teams the NFC has to offer? Here are our current predictions for the 2019 NFL playoffs on the NFC side.