The Atlanta Falcons lost for the second time to the NFC-leading New Orleans Saints in Week 13. Now sitting at 4-8, the Falcons would have to win out just to avoid a third-straight losing season.
With two games remaining against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and one against the Kansas City Chiefs, there’s a strong possibility that Atlanta will finish with a top-10, or even a top-five pick in the upcoming draft. As Mark Schofield of Touchdown Wire puts it in his latest power rankings, the Falcons can affect the playoff picture, but won’t be participating in the postseason this year.
Here’s what Schofield wrote about Atlanta, who dropped two spots to No. 28 in the new rankings:
For Atlanta, they still have a chance to make an impact on the playoff picture. Not as a participant, but as a spoiler. They have two games coming up against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and they could really ruin the holiday season for Tom Brady and company with some magic of their own in the final three weeks of the season.
The Falcons do have one more favorable matchup, taking on the 3-9 Los Angeles Chargers in Week 14. After losing to the Saints in Week 11, Atlanta responded with a dominant 43-6 win over the Raiders.
We’ll see if the team can bounce back in a similar fashion against the Chargers this weekend.
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