The New Orleans Saints are in a rather unusual position at this stage of the 2014 NFL season.
Despite being 4-6 this year, the Saints can still make the playoffs. From there, they could even go on to win the Super Bowl .
In order for this to happen, they must finish the season above the Atlanta Falcons, who are also 4-6 at the moment. The fact that a 4-6 team is leading an NFL division has stunned football fans and pundits alike. The situation has even inspired some to poke fun at the fortunes of the New Orleans Saints and other NFC South teams.
It seems strange to some, even unfair, that a badly performing team like the New Orleans Saints could earn a coveted 4th seed position in the NFC (as better performing teams in other divisions across the NFL miss the playoffs). There are those championing for a change in the rules, in the hopes that teams with a more flattering win/loss ratio will be given a fair chance.
For now, there are various sports news sites and pundits speculating as to just how bad things could get for the New Orleans Saints, but not so bad that they couldn’t win their division.
Is it possible for the New Orleans Saints to lose more games than win and STILL make the playoffs?
Yes, and it has happened .
In 2010, the Seattle Seahawks finished with a 7-9 record . Football pundits and experts have already begun to make playoff predictions, and will continue to do so over the next few weeks.
A five-win NFC South champion is a real possibility: http://t.co/2xx0rcuRbb pic.twitter.com/S0jsOikhqw
— SundayNight Football (@SNFonNBC) November 20, 2014
For the NFC South, the matter might not be settled between the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons, or for that matter, the Carolina Panthers.
The third-place Panthers are a dark horse in the division, at least until the very last game of the season. According to Pro Football Talk , it’s not beyond the realm of possibility that the Carolina team could beat out both New Orleans and Atlanta with a 5-10-1 record.
NFC South Team Most Likely To Finish With Winning Record: #Falcons #Saints or #Panthers pic.twitter.com/i9uCQgj63E
— NFL Network (@nflnetwork) November 21, 2014
For now, the Saints must put aside talk and speculation and concentrate on their upcoming game. The New Orleans Saints will host the Baltimore Ravens on November 24 at 8:30 p.m. It is an important game for the Ravens, perhaps more so than for New Orleans. Baltimore has a 6-4 record and is currently third in the AFC North division.
Do you think the New Orleans Saints will finish at the top of their division?
[Image Credit: The Baltimore Wire ]