While some of the NFL’s top playoff contenders found themselves in Week 17 battles, the New Orleans Saints throttled the Carolina Panthers, 42-10 on Sunday to secure a 13-3 regular-season finish.
It was a convincing win, but it wasn’t enough to clinch a first-round playoff bye despite the impressive record. Thanks to rallying from a 17-3 halftime deficit to beat the Detroit Lions, the Green Bay Packers also secured a 13-3 record and one of the two first-round byes in the NFC thanks to a tiebreak edge over the Saints.
Saints’ 1st-round fate lies with Seahawks
The second bye remains up for grabs and hinges on Sunday night’s clash between the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks for the NFC West.