FLOWERY BRANCH, Ga. -- Roddy White understands the dynamics of his team's situation.
The 5-8 Atlanta Falcons, currently in first place in the NFC South, control their own destiny for the playoffs, and they don't even have to win Sunday's game against the Steelers to do so. As long as the Falcons win their final two games against the Saints (5-8) and Panthers (4-8-1), they would would win the division and earn a postseason berth. And they could become the first team in NFL history to go undefeated in the division with a losing overall record, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.
"I understand the numbers that if we lose [Sunday] and then we go to New Orleans and beat them and then win our last game [at home versus Carolina], we're in," White said. "I understand that we'd be undefeated in the division and [possibly] have the same record. But I'm trying to win these last three, big dog. We want to win this week."
The Falcons currently hold the tiebreaker over the Saints after a 37-34 overtime win in the season opener. But the next matchup between the teams on Dec. 21 is in New Orleans, which makes it much more difficult for White and crew. The Saints have won three straight over the Falcons at the Superdome and have won seven of the past eight at home in the series.
"You want to win all three of these games because New Orleans is such a hard place to go down there and win," White said. "In the past, we haven't gone down there and won a lot of times. You just can't count on that: We just got to get two wins to get in the playoffs or anything like that. You've got to go out there and get all three. Then, we'll be in.
"That's been my goal. That's what I'm preaching to the guys. We just can't go in there and say, 'Well if we lose this game, we'll be all right,' because it's going to be a lot of pressure to win the last two."
Free safety Dwight Lowery is on the same page with White in regard to not focusing on the final two games against the division foes, although those games are the most crucial in the equation.
"You've got to look at it from a morale perspective; you've got to look at it from a confidence perspective," Lowery said. "If you lose two games in a row going into playing your division opponent in what would be a pretty huge game, I'd rather go in winning than losing. Everything matters. Everything counts.
"You look ahead in the sense that you want to win every single game. But at the same time, you've got to take it one game at a time. The Steelers are focused on us because they have to win, too. And next week, it will be New Orleans, then Carolina. They could win, we could win. They could lose, we could lose. If you start thinking too far ahead, it might actually handicap you when you actually get to that game."
No team in the NFC South can finish above .500. And by the way, the worst combined record for any division in NFL history, according to Elias, is the 2008 NFC West with a 22-42 overall mark and .344 win percentage. This year's NFC South currently is 16-35-1 for a .317 win percentage.