Since the Saints have ruled out quarterback Derek Carr, the Falcons’ playoff hopes are in the hands of Saints rookie QB Spencer Rattler.

Sometimes, the grass isn’t always greener on the other side. Falcons fans have found that out the hard way this season, most of whom begged for the organization to move on from Arthur Smith, which they did following a Week 18 blowout loss to the New Orleans Saints last year.

Here's the Atlanta Falcons' playoff scenarios, and the odds they make the postseason for the first time since 2017.

The New Orleans Saints no longer have any possible route to the playoffs after the Falcons defeated the Giants. But that doesn’t mean they have nothing to play for:

The Carolina Panthers (4-12) and the Atlanta Falcons (8-8) meet Sunday in a Week 18 regular-season finale at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET (CBS). Let's analyze BetMGM Sport

How do you see this one playing out to close out the season? Here are our staff picks with final scores and bold predictions for Saints vs. Buccaneers in Week 18:

The Falcons beat the Panthers 38-20 on Oct. 13 in Charlotte. The Bucs beat the Saints 51-27 on Oct. 13 in New Orleans. But the Falcons defense will have to play better than they did in the second half and overtime against the Commanders.

Dave Canales, Bryce Young and the Panthers will have a chance to finish strong and play spoiler against the Falcons in Week 18.