New Orleans Eliminated From Playoff Contention; Falcons vs Panthers for the NFC South Next Week

Carolina defeated Cleveland, 17-13 and Atlanta beat New Orleans, and the Saints were eliminated from the playoffs.

New Orleans was one of the sexiest Super Bowl picks in the preseason, and why not? They improved the defense in the offseason via free agency and the draft, gave a hefty contract to tight end Jimmy Graham, and several of their toughest games were at home (Green Bay, San Francisco, Cincinnati, and Baltimore).

So what happened?

For starters, the Saints uncharacteristically struggled at home. Despite a 1-3 start with losses to the Falcons, Browns and Cowboys, the favorable home schedule should have helped the Saints get back into the playoff mix. At 4-4, they hosted the 49ers, Bengals and Ravens in consecutive weeks … and shockingly lost all of them. Drew Brees threw for nearly 1,000 yards in those games, but the defense couldn’t stop the run – the Saints have one of the worst rushing defenses in the league – and injuries to Jimmy Graham, Mark Ingram and rookie Brandon Cooks all hindered the offense.

So the Falcons or the Panthers will win the NFC South – they play next week in Atlanta – with a losing record.