Week 14, Dec. 13: at Chargers
Again, the Falcons play pretty well in December and I don’t see them falling to rookie Justin Herbert in crunch time with a playoff spot on the line. This front office is battle tested with a roster that has experience in big games. This game might be the biggest of the season because if Atlanta wins here, it brings the team that much closer to a wild card spot. I don’t think the Chargers have enough experience across the board to beat Atlanta in the late-season swing. Yes, Los Angeles is a good team, but I don’t see the Falcons face-planting to a rookie with the front office’s jobs on the line or a playoff spot in view.
OUTCOME: WIN, 8-5
Week 15, Dec. 20: vs. Buccaneers
The Buccaneers, man. They had a spectacular offseason shadowed by the signing of the best quarterback ever, Tom Brady. They have talent flying around the depth chart and they are a substantially better team than they were last year. They’re going to likely be aiming for a playoff spot as well, and I think the experience of Tom Brady and the projected camaraderie between that offense will lead Tampa Bay to a convincing victory here. If Jameis Winston could have good games against the Falcons, it’s hard to imagine Tom Brady would ever have a bad one.
OUTCOME: LOSS, 8-6
Week 16, Dec. 27: at Chiefs
The Chiefs are phenomenal. No sugar-coating it. They just won the Super Bowl and at this time, may be heading for the same result. I would be mightily surprised if the Falcons beat Kansas City at the end of the season. I just don’t think its realistic.
OUTCOME: LOSS, 8-7
Week 17, Jan. 3: at Buccaneers
I think if Falcons fans have learned anything, it’s to never bet against Tom Brady with something on the line. In this case, I imagine that something is a playoff spot. The Buccaneers have such good talent across the board. I think they’ll either fall apart completely or be a very realistic Super Bowl contender. I don’t trust the Falcons against Tom Brady, especially in Week 17.
OUTCOME: LOSS, 8-8
FINAL RECORD: 8-8
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