(Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

There was much on the line for both teams participating in Thursday Night Football this week.

A win put that team closer to an opportunity for a playoff berth, while a loss was crucial for their chances.

The New Orleans Saints lost to the Los Angeles Rams in this game, bringing their season record to 6-8.

A recently-tweeted graphic from B/R Gridiron mentions that the Saints’ chances to make the playoffs have now dropped to 24 percent, down from 71 percent had they won.

Saints would’ve had a 71% chance with a win pic.twitter.com/04jD4gkE76

— B/R Gridiron (@brgridiron) December 22, 2023

The Saints still have a unique opportunity to make the postseason, depending on how the rest of the year shakes out in the NFC South.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a 7-7 record, and the Atlanta Falcons have a 6-8 record.

If both teams lose this weekend, the Saints’ chances of making the playoffs via a division title are still alive.

However, if the Buccaneers beat the Jacksonville Jaguars, they will have a two-game lead on the Saints, effectively ending their chances of winning the division.

The Saints will monitor that game closely, hoping the Buccaneers find a way to lose.

With a matchup with the Buccaneers pending for Week 17, the Saints could find themselves in a favorable situation depending on how the weekend plays out.

Before the season, the Saints were expected to run away with this division.

Derek Carr was brought to this team for a reason: to use his NFL experience to get the Saints out of their rut.

While he has played well at times, he hasn’t been able to do enough to give this team a commanding presence within the division.

Fans will be interested to see what happens over the next two weeks and what it will mean for the Saints in 2024.

The post Saints Playoff Chances Take A Big Hit After Loss To Rams appeared first on The Cold Wire.