NFL Playoff Picture 2018: New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys Know Their Postseason Seeds In Week 17

Nine NFL teams have already clinched playoff berths, but most of them are still looking to improve their seed in the postseason. Only the New Orleans Saints and Dallas Cowboys have nothing on the line in Week 17 when it comes to the 2018 playoff picture.

New Orleans clinched the NFC South title weeks ago, and they earned home-field advantage until the Super Bowl with a victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 16. When the Dallas Cowboys defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in their last game, they won the NFC East. A win for the Chicago Bears a few hours later solidified Dallas’ spot as the No.4 seed.

The Seattle Seahawks don’t have much to play for in Week 17 since they know they’ll be a wild-card team. Russell Wilson and Co. will play a road game on Wild-Card Weekend no matter what happens Sunday, though they could drop from the No.5 seed to the No.6 seed.

Because the Saints have a first-round bye, it’s difficult to narrow down their possible opponent in the Divisional Playoffs. As the No.1 seed, they’ll face the lowest seed that survives Wild-Card Weekend.

Dallas only has two potential opponents in their first playoff game. They’ll host the No.5 seed, which will either be the Seahawks or Minnesota Vikings. The Philadelphia Eagles and Vikings are still fighting for the NFC’s final wild-card spot, but only Minnesota has a chance to finish with better than the No.6 seed.

If the top NFC seeds win on Wild-Card Weekend, the Cowboys will visit the Saints in the second round. New Orleans lost at Dallas 13-10 in Week 13

Saints’ head coach Sean Payton was adamant with the media that he plans to play his starters in Week 17 against the Carolina Panthers. Maybe key players like Drew Brees and Alvin Kamara will rest in the second half, but they are expected to begin the contest on the field.

Unlike the Saints, the Cowboys won’t have a week off in between the end of the regular season and their first playoff game. Dallas owner Jerry Jones and head coach Jason Garrett told reporters after their Week 16 victory that the healthy starters will play in Week 17 against the New York Giants, via the Fort-Worth Star-Telegram.

Oddsmakers don’t seem to believe Dallas’ starters will play the whole game. The Cowboys are six-point underdogs against the 5-10 Giants, per OddsShark. The Saints are nearly favored by double digits at home against the Panthers.