The Falcons sent a message to the NFL on Monday Night Football with not only an unexpected victory against the heavily favored Buffalo Bills, but also a dominating performance where their defense absolutely
suffocated reigning MVP Josh Allen and his prolific offense.
The vibes this season have never been higher than right now, as the Birds are coming off of back to back wins in what was thought to be their toughest part of the schedule on paper, beating Buffalo and Washington on either side of the bye week.
Next, Atlanta turns its attention to the Bay area and a date with the San Francisco 49ers in another prime time matchup, on Sunday Night Football. San Fran, led by former Falcon assistant Kyle Shanahan, have navigated a myriad of injuries to sit atop the NFC West at 4-2.
Here is the scenario the Falcons face if they beat the San Francisco 49ers in Week 7, as well as if they lose.
If the Falcons win
They will have gone 3-0 through what was thought to be the gauntlet of their schedule, against the Commanders, Bills, and 49ers all back to back. This is the type of run which can really propel a team into real playoff contention, not just from a record perspective but also from a belief perspective.
Consistency seems to be Atlanta’s big problem right now. Take earlier in the season as a perfect example — a dominating Sunday Night Football triumph in Minnesota was followed by a humiliating 30-0 shutout suffered at the hands of the division rival Panthers. A win in San Fran would go a long way in mitigating some of those consistency concerns, at least psychologically.
The 4-2 start to last season will have been matched, as the Falcons try to set the stage for some redemption after last season’s collapse where they went 2-7 in the second half of the season. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers play one of their toughest games of the season on Monday Night Football against the Detroit Lions, and that will be an opportunity for the Birds to potentially tie them in the loss column atop the NFC South.
If the Falcons lose
Georgia Tech Football head coach Brent Key had a profound quote after his team’s win against the Clemson Tigers earlier this season, which he heard from the legendary Nick Saban while his assistant at Alabama: “more people die on the way down from Mt. Everest than on the way up.” The Falcons over the years have been a testament to this quote, as a team that lets their guard down following up a big win.
This will as such once again be one of those instances where a big victory is followed with a disappointing loss. For all of the good vibes felt in the city over the past few weeks, Atlanta will still be sitting there with a 3-3 record, outside the playoff picture and with a 2-3 conference record along with an 0-2 divisional record also proving to be a hindrance.
The Birds could potentially fall to a 2.0 games behind Tampa in the division and could potentially fall to third place in the NFC South with a Carolina Panthers win over the winless Jets. Atlanta gets what seems to be a bit of a reprieve with a game against the struggling Dolphins next week, but then they face the Patriots and Colts, who both look much better than anticipated coming into the season.
