This should be the thrilling ending to a quality season for the Atlanta Falcons, but we’ll have to settle for “mathematically alive.” Either way, it’s still a battle with the team’s most hated rival with real stakes.
Win and you might be in the playoffs, assuming the Buccaneers lose. Lose and you’re eliminated at last from playoff contention, facing down another 7-10 season and left to brace for whatever comes next. There’s a pretty wide gulf between those two outcomes, but either way, Arthur Blank and company have a big decision to make with their coaching staff and the team must spend the upcoming offseason getting the quarterback position right after a couple of years of outright negligence.