NFC Playoff Scenarios: Mike Smith Prepares To Face Former Team Needing Win To Secure Falcons Playoff Spot

Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith will prepare to face off against his former team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, on Thursday night needing a victory to help secure a playoff spot in the NFC.

Atlanta Falcons head coach Mike Smith will prepare to face his former team, the Jacksonville Jaguars, while recovering from chest pains and a comeback victory over the Carolina Falcons. With a win on Thursday, maybe Smith's heart will rest easy as every win gets his team one step closer to another playoff bid.

Here are the updated NFC playoff scenarios headed into week 15:

Rank	NFC	W	L	T	PCT	DIV	CONF	SOS	SOV	REASON
1	z - Green Bay	13	0	0	1.000	4-0-0	10-0-0	.446	.446	NFC North Champ
2	z - San Francisco	10	3	0	.769	3-1-0	8-2-0	.449	.406	NFC West Champ Wins tie break over New Orleans based on best win percentage in conference games.
3	x - New Orleans	10	3	0	.769	3-1-0	6-3-0	.464	.454	NFC South Champ
4	NY Giants	7	6	0	.538	2-2-0	4-6-0	.515	.433	NFC East Champ (Wins tie break over Dallas based on head-to-head win percentage.)
5	Atlanta	8	5	0	.615	2-2-0	6-4-0	.470	.340	Wins tie break over Detroit based on head-to-head win percentage.
6	Detroit	8	5	0	.615	3-2-0	6-5-0	.515	.375
7	Chicago	7	6	0	.538	2-2-0	6-3-0	.521	.407	Wins tie break over Dallas based on best win percentage in conference games.
8	Dallas	7	6	0	.538	2-2-0	5-4-0	.467	.382
9	Arizona	6	7	0	.462	3-2-0	6-5-0	.470	.395
10	Seattle	5	7	0	.417	2-1-0	4-4-0	.516	.469
11	Philadelphia	5	8	0	.385	3-1-0	4-6-0	.491	.375