The New York Times’ NFL playoff picture simulator doesn’t like the New Orleans Saints’ chances to go the distance. After Week 8’s games, the NYT gives the Saints a 55% shot at making the playoffs — and just a 33% chance of winning the NFC South.
That’s a little unusual given the circumstances. The Saints are tied with the Atlanta Falcons for the division lead right now with both teams limping to a 4-4 record. Atlanta just benched (but not really?) their struggling starting quarterback Desmond Ridder, and they’ve lost their best defensive lineman Grady Jarrett for the season.
But the NYT likes the Falcons better. Atlanta has a 71% chance at reaching the postseason and a 54% shot at winning the division. How they arrived at these conclusions is a mystery wrapped within a knot of advanced stats and various rating systems (which you can read more about here).
And the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are still in the mix, trailing the 4-4 Saints and Falcons with their 3-4 record. The NYT playoff picture simulator gives the Bucs a 29% shot at making the playoffs but just 13% odds of winning the NFC South. At the end of the day it’s too soon predict anything definitively. We’ll just have to let the games play out and see where everyone stands once the dust settles.
