Saints playoff possibilities heading into Week 17

With the Saints now in the playoffs for the first time since 2013, questions remain as to who they will play and where.

Of course, the primary question is whether New Orleans can make a run at a second Super Bowl championship.

That this team is in this position, at this point, is remarkable.

Who else in the league could survive losing 10 starters and numerous other players and earn their way to an 11-4 record?

It started with Nick Fairley and continued with Delvin Breaux before the season even began. Then came Alex Anzalone, Alex Okafor, Kenny Vaccaro and A.J. Klein on the defensive side of the ball.

On offense, Coby Fleener was lost for the season and Michael Hoomanawanui went down at the same position. John Kuhn was lost for the year with a biceps injury. Willie Snead missed the first three games of the year.

Up front, it has been a musical chairs game. Zack Strief was lost for the season while at various times, Terron Armstead, Andrus Peat and Larry Warford have gone down. Armstead has been out for five games, Warford has missed two games and Peat has missed one. Only Max Unger, among starters, and Senio Kelemete, among reserves, have played in all 15 games.

That the Saints are in this position is a testament to a great coaching job by Sean Payton and his revamped staff and a superb job by Mickey Loomis, Jeff Ireland and the scouting staff of identifying talent and, along with Payton, building a roster built to win, with real depth.

Of course, the constant is Drew Brees.

He has enjoyed a Pro Bowl season ad the age of 38 without having to carry the team, for a change. The hope is that the Saints are still playing when Brees turns 39 on Jan. 15.

Alvin Kamara and Marshon Lattimore, in my estimation, are the top rookies offensively and defensively in the NFL.

Now, we look ahead to what is to come.

The Saints can finish anywhere from third to fifth in the playoff seedings. Philadelphia and Minnesota have clinched the top two seeds and coveted first-round byes.

To get to the third spot, the Rams would have to lose at home to San Francisco and the Saints have to win at Tampa Bay. While Los Angeles is favored, the 49ers are a hot team, having won four straight with Jimmy Garoppolo at quarterback. While the Bucs are 4-11 and have lost five straight games, they took both Atlanta and Carolina to the wire and Jameis Winston played well in both games.

To hold the fourth spot, the Rams would win and the Saints would win.

To finish fifth, the Saints would lose and the Panthers would win at Atlanta to win the NFC South.

Under that scenario, the Saints would travel to Carolina for a third meeting between the two rivals this season. Of course, the Saints would host the Panthers if both win or if both lose.

Should the Saints get to the third spot and Carolina beats Atlanta, Seattle can get in as the sixth-seed by virtue of a home victory over Arizona. If that is the case, the Saints would host the Seahawks.

Looking down the road, Philadelphia has clinched home field advantage throughout the playoffs. The Eagles are not as daunting as they would have been with Carson Wentz at the helm. They struggled mightily on offense in Monday night’s win over the Raiders.

The Vikings have a great defense. They whipped the Saints in the season opener in Minnesota. The Rams beat the Saints in Los Angeles. Jared Goff is vastly improved, Todd Gurley is elite and the L.A. defense is pretty good.

In terms of matchups, the best draw may be the Eagles, for obvious reasons.

That said, you would have to play outdoors, likely in very cold weather, at the very least. Of course, the Saints are better constructed to play in such conditions with their improved run game.

On the other hand, New Orleans would play in ideal conditions (indoors) in Minnesota and likely in Los Angeles (sunny, 60’s or 70’s).

Then, there is the matter of the most important position.

With Brees at the helm, the Saints will be the equal, at the very least, of any team they face. In fact, they will have an advantage with Brees, who has enormous playoff experience and big game experience. Cam Newton, Matt Ryan and Russell Wilson have been there as well. Goff, Case Keenum and Nick Foles have not.

Keenum has been surprisingly good for the Vikings but would you prefer Keenum or Brees in a playoff game? Only Tom Brady (104.2) and Alex Smith (104.7) have higher quarterback ratings than Brees (103.6) this season.

If the Saints are healthy enough, they have a shot. With Foles, rather than Wentz at quarterback, the Saints may have an edge on Philadelphia. Minnesota and Los Angeles would be deserved favorites, at home, against New Orleans.

At this point, I would rank New England, Pittsburgh, Minnesota and the Rams ahead of the Saints and I would put New Orleans ahead of Philadelphia and Jacksonville, given their quarterback positions.

Can the Saints win the NFC without the benefit of a bye?

In the 2012 season, the Baltimore Ravens won the Super Bowl as a fourth-seed out of the NFC, beating the 49ers in New Orleans to win it all.

Since then, it has been all top-seeds getting to the big game, with one exception.

In 2013, the Seahawks crushed the Broncos in a Super Bowl matchup of top-seeds.

In 2014, the Patriots held off the Seahawks for the championship in a matchup of top-seeds.

In 2015, it was top-seeded Denver beating top-seeded Carolina for the Lombardi Trophy.

Last season, the top-seeded Patriots rallied past the second-seeded Falcons to win a fifth Super Bowl championship.

The evidence is clear.

Getting a bye is the easiest, most predictable, most likely way to reach the Super Bowl. The Saints will not have that luxury this time around, as they did in 2009. They will have to earn their way to Super Bowl LII at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis.

Should the Saints face the Vikings down the road and win in the playoffs, they will have already played twice in the stadium when the Super Bowl takes place on Feb. 4. Only the Vikings would have more familiarity with the facility, if they get there.

While the Saints have a very good young nucleus, the opportunity is now. While Brees has shown no signs of regressing, he is not getting any younger. The same is true of Brady, who is 40, but he already has five Super Bowl championship rings. If Brees can get a second, it would be a crowning achievement to an already brilliant career.

First, there is the matter of taking care of business at Tampa Bay.