3 Results Falcons Fans Should Root For in Week 12

The Atlanta Falcons don't have a game, but there are still outcomes Atlanta fans should be pulling for on Nov. 24.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Atlanta Falcons won't be playing a game the weekend before Thanksgiving. But there are still plenty of matchups Sunday that will impact Atlanta's playoff chances.

The Falcons entered the weekend with a 1.5-game lead in the NFC South. They still have wiggle room despite a 2-game losing streak. But the Falcons don't want that lead to shrink anymore.

Plus, with six games left in the season, it's not too early to begin thinking about playoff seeding.

Overall, there are eight games Sunday that could impact the NFC South race or playoff seeding for the Falcons. Here are the three most important results Atlanta fans should be rooting for:

New York Giants beating Tampa Bay Buccaneers

This one is the biggest no-brainer result Falcons fans are pulling for Sunday. The New Orleans Saints also have a bye week, and the Carolina Panthers aren't close enough in the standings to be a true threat.

So, the best NFC South result the Falcons could get is for the Buccaneers to lose. That would restore the Falcons' two-game lead in the division race.

In the matchup, the Falcons will be rooting for a team that just benched their former top 10 quarterback. Tommy DeVito will replace Daniel Jones, who the Giants released on Friday.

Seattle Seahawks over Arizona Cardinals

With the blowout loss to the Denver Broncos, the Falcons dropped to the No. 4 seed in the NFC. The Cardinals slipped ahead of the Falcons because of their victory over the Jets.

Arizona has won four consecutive games. But this Sunday, the Cardinals will put that winning streak on the line against the Seahawks, who are 5-5.

This is where things getting a little complicated rooting for other results. A Seahawks win over the Cardinals will make the NFC wild card picture more jumbled.

But since the Falcons sit in a comfortable position in the NFC South, results that help their seeding should take priority. If the Seahawks beat the Cardinals, then the Falcons and NFC West-division leader will both be 6-5.

Chicago Bears over Minnesota Vikings

I almost went with the Kansas City Chiefs beating the Carolina Panthers as the third result Falcons fans should desire Sunday. But as previously mentioned, the Panthers aren't really involved in the NFC South race at 3-7.

Other NFC matchups such as Eagles-Rams and Packers-49ers include two teams that the Falcons could need to finish in front of to have the best playoff seed in January.

But the Bears sit at 4-6, so Falcons fans should feel comfortable rooting for them to knock off the Minnesota Vikings.

The Vikings don't lead the NFC North, so their loss won't help Atlanta's current seeding. But a Vikings loss would help in the event the Falcons drop out of first place and need to earn a wild card spot.

Minnesota leads the NFC wild card picture with an 8-2 record. Should the Bears defeat them Sunday, the Falcons would move to two games behind the top NFC wild card team (although they'd still have a higher seed being a division leader).