Canal Street Chronicles
After seventeen weeks, the 2025 NFL Regular Season comes to a close, and even though the New Orleans Saints are out of the playoff race for the fifth consecutive year, hopes haven’t been higher in New Orleans in a very long time. There is a sense that the Saints are on the precipice of returning to contention in the NFC South in 2026, but before a massive offseason in New Orleans begins, a score needs to be settled with the hated Atlanta Falcons here at the end of the 2025 NFL season. The Saints’ arch-rivals got the best of the Black & Gold in New Orleans back in Week 12, and the Saints are looking to return the favor this week in Atlanta.
Although this is certainly the last time we see the Saints this season, this may very well be the last time we see Saints legends Cam Jordan and Taysom Hill in a Saints uniform. No matter what happens on Sunday, it is impossible to downplay the contributions both men made to this franchise for all the years we have had the honor to watch them play. Maybe one comes back next season, maybe both, but regardless of the future, we should celebrate the present, and hopefully they both have a few surprises left for this special season finale.
Now let’s take a look at the Saints’ regular season finale as well as all of the pivotal matchups in the final week of the 2025 NFL Season!
Last week, I went 9-7
I told you so: Giants over Raiders!
What do I know: Rams over Falcons?
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Saturday, January 3rd – Saturday NFL Special
Playoff Scenario: A Carolina win, or an Atlanta win over New Orleans, clinches the NFC South title. A Tampa win, coupled with a New Orleans win over Atlanta, wins the NFC South title.
How the 2025 NFC South Division Championship will be won isn’t exaxctly complicated, but more convoluted than anything else. As usual, over the past half-decade, nobody seemingly wants to win this division, so it comes down to this. Tampa Bay has been in a stunning freefall since the start of November, losing 7 of their last 8 games, but they will fight like hell at home against their rivals with a record fifth-straight NFC South title on the line.
Carolina has alternated wins and losses every week since Week 7, and fortunately for them, this is their win week. Carolina will find a way to hang on to victory in a very close game, winning this game outright, and avoiding the need to root for an Atlanta win the next day. Carolina wins the NFC South for the first time in a decade, holding that space for now. Carolina wins 22-21.
Pick: Panthers
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Saturday, January 3rd – Saturday NFL Special
*Playoff Scenario: *Winner clinches...
