Falcons Playoff Picture 2017: Chances Atlanta Makes Postseason, NFC Wild-Card Tiebreaker Scenarios

The Atlanta Falcons still have some work to do to secure their place in the 2017 NFL playoff picture. The defending NFC champions are trying to hold off the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17 and clinch the conference’s second wild-card berth.

Atlanta and Seattle share a 9-6 record and are the only teams competing for the No.6 seed. The Falcons own the tiebreaker because of their head-to-head win over the Seahawks at CenturyLink Field in Week 11. That means all Atlanta has to do is win Sunday afternoon to get into the postseason.

If the Falcons lose, they can still reach the playoffs with a loss by the Seahawks. In the unlikely event that Atlanta has a tie, they’ll need Seattle to lose or tie.

Winning in Week 17 won’t exactly be easy. The Falcons host the Carolina Panthers, who still have plenty on the line. Carolina is still in contention to win the NFC South, and they’ve got an outside chance to clinch a first-round bye. The bye might be out of reach by the time the contest between Atlanta and Carolina begins at 4:25 p.m. EST.

Seattle has a much easier task. They’ll host the Arizona Cardinals, who are under .500 and have nothing on the line. Only a handful of teams are bigger Week 17 favorites than the Seahawks, according to the betting odds at OddsShark.

The Panthers beat the Falcons 20-17 when they hosted Atlanta in Week 9. The Seahawks beats the Cardinals 22-16 on the road in Week 10.

Just last week, the Falcons still controlled their own destiny in the division. They could have repeated as NFC South Champions with victories in Week 16 and Week 17, but they lost in New Orleans 23-13.

The Seahawks defeated the Dallas Cowboys in Week 16 to stay in the wild-card hunt. The Los Angeles Rams have already clinched the NFC West title.

While six teams are in contention for the final three NFL playoff spots, the Falcons are probably the best team that has yet to clinch a postseason spot. They’ve got just one loss to a team that has a below .500 record, having played against one of the league’s toughest schedules. Atlanta has wins over Seattle, Detroit, Dallas and Green Bay, all of whom directly trail the Falcons in the standings.

Atlanta infamously blew a 28-3 lead in last year’s Super Bowl to the New England Patriots. They last made the playoffs in the 2012 season when they reached the NFC Championship Game.

The Seahawks have reached the playoffs in each of the last five years, winning at least one postseason game every season.