Getty Gallery: 2/6
No. 1 New Orleans Saints
The Saints are in the playoffs but are still competing with the Rams for the No. 1 seed in the NFC. New Orleans has an opportunity to get one step closer to home-field advantage with a win over a struggling Panthers team on Monday night. Carolina still has a chance at a Wild Card spot, so it is not a guaranteed win for the Saints, especially on the road.
Drew Brees discussed what the stretch run has been like for the Saints.
“You try to climb right, continue your climb and keep stacking the bricks so to speak," Brees said per the Saints website. "Keep building on what we have already established, what we have already accomplished and yet understanding that each game becomes the most important game, right? Just because there's so much at stake. We want to continue to play our best football and be an ascending team going to the playoffs...Yeah I mean we recognize it and that's why there is a great sense of urgency and it's great to be in a position where you control your own destiny. We don't need to be scoreboard watching, right. We focus on our stuff and all of it takes care of itself.”
The Saints have a tough remaining schedule with two games against the Panthers with a Week 16 contest against the Steelers sandwiched in between. Playing at the Superdome is one of the best home-field advantages in the NFL, so the Saints will be locked in for the rest of the season as they try to secure the NFC's top seed.
No. 2 Los Angeles Chargers
If you have not learned by now, don't count the Chargers out until the clock strikes zero. The Chargers once again pulled out a late comeback on primetime as they upset the Chiefs on Thursday Night Football. The team now finds themselves in a tie with the Chiefs in the AFC West, which also happens to be the No. 1 seed in the conference.
With two games remaining, the Chiefs hold the tiebreaker in an important divisional race. The Chargers win over the Chiefs clinched a playoff spot, but there is a major difference in finishing first or second. The winner of the division will likely secure one of the top two seeds in the AFC which means a first-round bye and home field. The second place team will have to go on the road in the Wild Card round.
Philip Rivers once again showed us he still has the goods as he led a similar comeback against the Steelers just a few weeks ago. Chargers wide receiver Mike Williams was a major part of L.A.'s victory and explained how the team has become so resilient.
“This season means a lot seeing the fight in this group, it’s a group who doesn’t quit," Williams said per Chargers.com. "We had a lot of close games this year and we found ways to win. That’s the main thing. Last year, we weren’t winning those games and this year, we’re finding ways to win. You can see the fight in this group.”
The Chargers have a difficult Week 16 matchup against the Ravens then take on the Broncos in Week 17.