NFL playoff picture: What does Saints-Packers mean for NFC standings

Game result: The Packers blew out the Saints to clinch a playoff spot. Green Bay wasn’t able to back in on Sunday after the Falcons win, so they punched their own ticket.

The Saints were eliminated before even taking the field when the Falcons won on Sunday

Week 16 of the 2024 NFL concludes with a game between the Green Bay Packers and the New Orleans Saints at historic Lambeau Field.

While both teams may learn their playoff fate before kickoff, there are potential postseason implications for this Monday Night Football contest. For the Packers, they are on the doorstep of a playoff berth and may have already locked up a spot when this game kicks off.

For the Saints, they are on the brink of elimination.

Here are the playoff scenarios for Monday night’s Packers-Saints game.

The Saints are one of the NFL teams facing playoff elimination this weekend.

With a loss or a tie against the Packers on Monday Night Football, the Saints are eliminated from the playoffs.

However, New Orleans can be eliminated ahead of Monday. If the Atlanta Falcons beat the New York Giants in the early Sunday window, the Saints are officially eliminated. Should Atlanta lose that game, the Saints would remain alive, at least until Sunday Night Football.

In that game the Dallas Cowboys host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and if the Buccaneers win or tie on Sunday night, then the Saints are eliminated.

If both the Falcons and the Buccaneers lose on Sunday, then the Saints still have a playoff chance, but would need to win on Monday Night Football.

The playoff implications for the Packers are fairly simple.

With a win or a tie against the Saints, Green Bay is in the playoffs.

However, the Packers may have already clinched a playoff spot by the time this game rolls around. There are two scenarios where Green Bay locks down a playoff spot on Sunday while they are watching the games along with the rest of us.

First, should the Atlanta Falcons lose or tie against the New York Giants, and the Los Angeles Rams lose or tie against the New York Jets, then the Packers will have locked up a playoff spot.

Second, if the Falcons lose or tie against the Giants, and the Seattle Seahawks lose or tie against the Minnesota Vikings, then the Packers are in the playoffs.

However, if neither scenario materializes on Sunday, then a win Monday night guarantees that the Packers are in.

As this is the only meeting of the season between these two teams, should they finish the year tied for a Wild Card spot, the winner of this game would have the first tiebreaker advantage over the loser.