Barring ties in Week 17 鈥?and there are some wild scenarios should certain games end in draws Sunday 鈥?the road to the playoffs is quite straight in the NFC. The path to a first-round bye in the AFC has a bunch of curves in it.Already in are NFC division winners Dallas (East) Youth Ryan Ramczyk Jersey , New Orleans (South), Chicago (North) and the Los Angeles Rams (West). AFC divisions clinched belong to New England in the East and, well, nobody else. But there are clear leaders .Seattle owns an NFC wild card, and the LA Chargers have one in the AFC, though they can still win the AFC West."You either believe in something or you don't," says coach Pete Carroll, whose 9-6 Seahawks made the postseason in what was considered a rebuilding year. "I think just staying the course and knowing we're on to something. Believing in the history. We know what we're capable of doing. We've shown it over a lot of years. You're always adapting, but it's staying what you're true to. I think that's what is happening. We look like a team that we have seen before, and that's powerful."Most powerful so far has been New Orleans, with the league's best record at 13-2, and a dynamic offense led by Drew Brees. The Saints have home-field advantage throughout the conference playoffs.The Rams (12-3) get the other opening-round bye if they beat San Francisco on Sunday. If they lose and the Bears win at Minnesota, Chicago (11-4) earns the week off and Los Angeles drops to the third seed.A Bears win also could keep the Vikings (8-6-1) out of the postseason, providing defending champion Philadelphia (8-7) wins at Washington. Only the Vikings or Eagles can get the second NFC wild card."We've got to empty the bucket, and that's the way we've got to play next week at home," Vikings tight end Kyle Rudolph says. "I'm really looking forward to that environment."In the AFC, seeding is more muddled. Any of four teams could be the top or second seed.The simplest route is if Kansas City (11-4) and New England (10-5), currently the top two in the conference, both win Sunday. But if the Chiefs lose at home to Oakland and the Chargers (11-4) win at Denver, Los Angeles moves into the top spot.Houston (10-5) also could wind up No. 1 in the AFC with losses by the Chiefs, Patriots against the Jets, and Chargers. New England, the only unbeaten team at home this year, would get the first seed with a victory and losses by the Chiefs and Chargers.And get this: Houston doesn't even own a division title. If the Texans fall at home to Jacksonville, the winner of the Colts at Titans game in Tennessee takes the AFC South, and the Texans become a wild card Ryan Ramczyk Jersey Stitched , joining either the Chiefs or Chargers.Texans coach Bill O'Brien, whose club began the season 0-3, is intrigued by the division being so ensconced in the playoff picture this year."I think that's an interesting question because I can remember the question was, two years ago, 'Why is the AFC South so bad?'" he says. "Now, 'Why is it so good?'"...I've never thought it was bad. I think every year it's been extremely difficult to win games in the division. I just think there's a lot of great coaches. You've got Frank (Reich) in Indy, Mike (Vrabel) in Tennessee, Doug (Marrone) in Jacksonville. You've got a lot of great players, quarterbacks, so you've got a tough division."The AFC division often looked at as the toughest has been the North, which, not surprisingly, has come down to Baltimore vs. Pittsburgh. Except the Ravens (9-6) host the Browns, while the Steelers (8-6-1) must beat visiting Cincinnati and hope their archenemies from Cleveland sidetrack Baltimore, either beating or tying the Ravens.Neither the Ravens nor the Steelers can be a wild card 鈥?except if Pittsburgh ties the Bengals, then Indianapolis and Tennessee also tie. Then the Steelers are in.Of course, Pittsburgh also can win the North with a draw and a loss by Baltimore.Your head spinning yet? Good morning Y’allAs always, for our novice readers or non-New Orleanians, welcome! Let’s start with some definitions:Beignets (English: /b蓻n藞je瑟/; French: [b蓻刹蓻], ben-YAY literally bump) are distinctly New Orleans, a delicacy intimately connected to the city’s rich French heritage. Best enjoyed heavily powdered with sugar.Caf茅 au lait (/藢k忙fe瑟 o蕣 藞le瑟, k忙藢fe瑟, k蓹-/; French: [kafe ol蓻]; French for “coffee with milk”) is a delicious New Orleans way to start your day. This is your “After-Saints-Game” breakfast, where we talk about the state of the Black and Gold, we debate the goings-on in the NFC South, and paint the playoff picture in the NFC up to this point of the season. So Youth Marcus Williams Jersey , sit back, take a bite and a sip while your brain slowly wakes up, and let’s catch up on some football. *What Just Happened?After the Saints got humbled in Dallas about 10 days ago, here is what I wrote in my postgame “Beignets and Caf茅 au lait” piece: “This loss could be a blessing in disguise however, as losing always prompts needed adjustments that are easier to overlook after a win. This is now the time for Sean Payton, Drew Brees and company to look within, self-scout and find a way to make their team better ahead of another tough road game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on December 9.”Yesterday in Tampa Bay, the New Orleans Saints offense waited about two and a half quarters to finally adjust, but adjust they did. After a blocked punt by quarterback/running back/special teams ace Taysom Hill, the Saints scored a touchdown and a two-point try with 4:43 left in the third quarter to get within three points of the Buccaneers, at 11-14. They didn’t know it at the time, but the Bucs would not score again, as New Orleans would win the game 28-14.The unit that did not need long to make adjustments was the Saints’ defense. Dennis Allen gets a lot of flak when the Saints’ defense is not playing well, and he should get a lot of credit for the way his unit has played in New Orleans’ last five games: The Saints have not given up more than 20 points in their last five contests. In the NFL, yards are the most misleading statistics. But what matters most in terms of winning is the scoreboard, and since week 10, New Orleans has given up 13 points-per-game. That, friends, is winning football!The Saints (11-2) are now your two-time defending champions of the NFC South division, a first in franchise history.New Orleans is also back in first place in the NFC after Los Angeles’ (11-2) 15-6 loss at Chicago last night. New Orleans once again has their playoff-seeding destiny in their own hand: win out and the route to the Super Bowl will run through the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. I’d take that any day of the week and thrice on Sunday!Five Numbers...That Don’t Lie25: The number of points the Saints scored without allowing any to the Buccaneers en route to their victory yesterday. When Tampa Bay scored a touchdown to go up 14-3 on the Saints with 26 seconds left in the first half, here is what their remaining six drives looked like (yards gained, outcome of the drive):That my friends, is what playing Super Bowl-like defense looks like and right now, the Saints’ defense is playing at an elite level.12: You know how I talked about how this Saints’ defense is playing well? With three games remaining in the regular season, Cameron Jordan now has 12 sacks, tied for 5th in the NFL. The only players ahead of him? Oh Marcus Williams Jersey Stitched , just guys like Aaron Donald (16.5), Von Miller (13.5), J.J. Watt (12.5) and Myles Garrett (12.5). Jordan is now only one sack away from tying his 2017 total of 13 and I’m willing to bet that he’ll surpass that number before the regular season is over on December 30.5: Seems like we have a defensive theme going on in this segment: 5th is the Saints’ rank in the NFL in takeaways. New Orleans has 10 interceptions and 9 fumble recoveries. When the Saints have been really good under Sean Payton, they’ve had a defense that could take the ball away. This season however, not only can the Saints take the ball away, they can stop the run (1st in the league allowing only 75.3 rushing yards per game, and 1st in allowing 3.55 yards-per-rush). The Saints are a two-headed monster on defense this year, turning their opponents over and making them one-dimensional. Look out, NFL!3: This one is in the “Oh No” category: Drew Brees has now thrown a pick in three consecutive games. The most disturbing part about this unfortunate trend is that each one of those interceptions (against the Falcons, Cowboys and Bucs) came with pressure right in his face. Someone (cough, Sean Payton, cough) needs to tell the Saints’ quarterback that taking a sack is always better than throwing an ill-advised pass. Brees is way too experienced to throw “panic” interceptions, which he has now done three games in a row. Fortunately for the Saints, they are 2-1 in those three games, but come playoffs time, the Saints will face teams that can pressure the QB. It’s time for Brees to shore up that part of his game: punting is okay, Drew. No, really!2: Division championships in a row for your New Orleans Saints!!!! Remember when no one could win the NFC South in consecutive years? Then from 2013 to 2015, the Carolina Panthers won the South three years in a row! With that hex finally broken, the Saints have now followed suit by winning the division in 2017 and 2018. What’s even sweeter, the Saints will face the Panthers next Monday night knowing that Carolina can’t catch them in the division. Hopefully this will help the team play loose as they look to stay on top of the NFC through their last three games.*Keep Your Enemies CloserTalk about a good Sunday for the Black and Gold: with the Saints taking care of division foe Tampa Bay themselves, they also received welcomes help from the Cleveland Browns (4-7-1) who defeated the Carolina Panthers (6-7) 26-20 in Cleveland. The loss was Carolina’s fifth straight loss.Back in week 9, after a 42-28 win over the Bucs, the Panthers were 6-2 and very much a threat to compete for the division. Now at 6-7, even the playoffs are a long shot for the Fightin’ Cam Newtons.The Atlanta Falcons (4-9) have jumped the shark. After a 34-20 loss at Green Bay (4-7-1), the Fightin’ Matty Ices are done and I am actually inclined to think that they are tanking. Dan Quinn’s tenure in Atlanta is tenuous at best Youth Alvin Kamara Jersey , but the Falcons’ season was derailed by injuries on defense and on the offensive line early and never got back on track. The Falcons now have firmly turned their attention to the 2019 NFL draft, eyeing a top 10 draft pick.The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (5-8) looked like the team that defeated the Saints in week one for about two and a half quarters yesterday. Then a Taysom Hill blocked punt happened and a re-energized Saints team took the game over. Yesterday, the Saints offense reminded me of shooters struggling in basketball: it only takes one basket for them to find that rhythm again. Right after Hill’s block, Mark Ingram ran on first down for 11 yards to Tampa Bay’s 19-yard line. At that point of the game, this was the Saints’ best run. From then on, New Orleans would not look back and score on each of its next three possessions, definitively crushing the Bucs’ then-slim playoffs hopes.* If the Playoffs Started TodaySaints’ fans are not huge fans of the Chicago Bears (9-4), especially those who experienced the 2006 NFC Championship Game at Soldier Field. But yesterday night, Da Bears did the Saints a huge favor: by defeating the Los Angeles Rams (11-2) 15-6, the Bears gave the Saints the number one seed in the NFC back. Courtesy of their head-to-head win over the Rams, the Saints would get the NFC top seed if they finish, at a minimum, with the same record as Los Angeles.Chicago sits in third at 9-4, and the ever-surging Cowboys are now in fourth place with a firm hold on the NFC East. The Seahawks and the Vikings are 5th and 6th respectively, but these standings may change as both teams face off in Seattle tonight on Monday Night Football. Below is a graphic with the NFC conference standings:NFC conference standings courtesy of msn.com (z = clinched division)According to fivethirtyeight.com, the Saints still have the highest ELO rating in the entire league at 1716. New Orleans has now clinched both the division title and a playoff berth, while they have a 95% chance of earning a first-round bye, up from 84% after the loss in Dallas. New Orleans’ estimated chances to win the Super Bowl went up from 22 to 26%. In the NFC South, only the Panthers have a slim 7% chance of making the playoffs, while the Falcons and Bucs have less than a 1% chance of making it to the postseason. Saints playoffs predictions through week 14 according to fivethirtyeight.com*What’s Next?New Orleans gets a slightly longer rest as they face the Carolina Panthers on Monday Night Football in Charlotte on December 17. The rest will be helpful as the Saints hope to get left tackle Terron Armstead back from a pectoral injury that has sidelined him the past four games. The contest against Carolina will be the first of two games against the Panthers in three weeks, games that will go a long way in determining the Saints’ seeding in the NFC South. Buckle up!*Hey, how come you’re still here reading? Get on with your day already and see you next week!