After Win over Saints, Are Falcons best in the NFC South?

The Falcons needed a win. More so they needed a divisional win. Before breaking a  6 game losing streak against the Saints, the Falcons looked to be the worst team in the NFL. The defense was ranked last in turnovers and sacks and they were giving up a league-worst, 35 points a game. However, the Defense looked brand new in Sunday’s win over divisional rival, Saints.

Despite being on a 6 game losing streak, the Falcons were never truly out of playoff contention. I mean has there ever been a 1-7 team to win a Superbowl? But what truly matters is the fact that none of the 7 losses came to a divisional opponent which truly makes the difference. While this may speak to the weakness of the NFC South, it only indicates that the Falcons are definitely still in contention and their divisional path might allow them to be the NFL’s biggest Sleeper. 

About a week ago the Atlanta Falcons saw their season fleeting before their eyes. After a 6 sack performance by the defense, the Falcons were able to keep Drew Brees under control and off the field. The defensive communication helped the Falcons neutralize one of the best passing attacks in Brees to Thomas and the consistent offense led to the dominant defensive showing. 

The Falcon rushing attack is what made the difference as they were dead last in the league in rushing coming into this game. Before Devonta Freeman was ruled out with an ankle injury, he had rushed for 38 first-half yards, which nearly came close to his full game average. Although not the best performance, it surely propelled the rest of the offense to control the clock and not make any mistakes. 

The 2-7 Falcons are the best 7 loss team in the NFL. Although a very odd statement to make, the type of optimism that the Falcons should have right now is reserved specifically for them. From a fan perspective, the Falcons can go as far as they want to. But from my perspective, the likelihood of the Falcons winning all 6 divisional games is extremely slim, however, if any team is capable of doing this, the number 1 passing offense in the NFL can accomplish the impossible. 

-By: LeMarkus Bailey

Blogger/ Interviewer