The Atlanta Falcons have been officially eliminated from playoff contention following their loss in Week 14. This marks the eighth consecutive season in which the team has recorded at least nine losses, placing them alongside the New York Jets as the only teams to reach this mark each year during that span.
Week 14 featured several games with significant implications for the NFL playoff picture. The Buffalo Bills staged a comeback led by Josh Allen, while the Houston Texans defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, reducing Kansas City’s postseason chances to just 14%. The Green Bay Packers continued their strong performance, and the Los Angeles Rams rebounded after a recent defeat.
In other matchups, the Seattle Seahawks outscored Atlanta 31-3 in the second half after being tied at halftime. This was Seattle’s fourth half this season scoring at least 30 points, a feat surpassed only by the 2013 Denver Broncos since 2000.
Matthew Stafford of the Rams had a standout game according to Next Gen Stats, completing eight of ten passes for 170 yards and three touchdowns on throws of more than ten air yards. He was also perfect on deep attempts, completing all three for 87 yards and two touchdowns. Puka Nacua was his top target during this performance.
Other teams saw changes in fortune as well. The New England Patriots maintained an unbeaten streak since late September and are set to face Buffalo next week. The Chicago Bears fell from first place in the NFC after losing to Green Bay, ending a five-game winning streak.
The Colts’ early-season success appears to be fading as they struggle in recent weeks. Meanwhile, DK Metcalf of Seattle accumulated 148 receiving yards against Baltimore—the most he has recorded since Week 4 of 2022.
With their elimination from playoff contention confirmed, “the Falcons were officially eliminated from playoff contention with this loss. Atlanta now has at least nine losses in each of the last eight seasons, joining the Jets as the only teams with nine losses or more in each season during this span.”
Elsewhere around the league, several teams are still fighting for postseason spots while others have seen long droughts continue; notably, “the Jets have been eliminated from playoff contention for the 15th consecutive season, which is the longest active drought in all four major North American sports.”
As Week 15 approaches, attention turns to key matchups such as Patriots vs. Bills and Packers vs. Broncos—games likely to further shape playoff possibilities across both conferences.
