As for the Falcons and Saints, they will be facing off against one another in the regular season finale. A win for either team, coupled with a Bucs loss, would be enough to win the division. For Atlanta, it’s NFC South or bust, whereas New Orleans can earn a wild card berth with a win, a Seattle Seahawks loss/tie, and a Green Bay Packers loss/tie.

With that all laid out, what reason is there to believe the Saints will end up hosting a playoff game at the Superdome next week? Let’s run through three of them below.

Saints general manager Mickey Loomis mentioned this week his expectation that fans would create a raucous environment in Week 18’s home game, just as they always do. And that might end up being the difference in the Falcons-Saints matchup.

It’s not as if Dennis Allen’s team has been a juggernaut in home games in 2023. The Saints have a winning record in the Superdome…barely. But four wins is more than three losses, so, home field advantage.

On a related note, the Falcons have struggled away from their home turf. Arthur Smith’s team is 2-6 in games not taking place in Atlanta. The two wins? A 16-13 victory over the Bucs and a 13-8 win over the Tim Boyle-led New York Jets. Enough said there