As we enter Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season, technically speaking all 32 teams are tied in the standings and they all have the same chances of reaching the Super Bowl - even with a Superteam looming out in Los Angeles.
It certainly doesn't feel that way for the Atlanta Falcons, though.
With just a handful of days to go before their season debut against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Atlanta looks about as vulnerable as any team in the NFC outside of the Arizona Cardinals - and even they have a better quarterback situation going for them than the Falcons.
According to a fresh batch of power rankings from The Athletic, Atlanta ranks 26th in the league going into Week 1.
"Amid all the questions about the Falcons’ quarterback competition between Tua Tagovailoa
and Michael Penix Jr., it’s easy to forget that this team lost last year’s 15th pick, Jalon Walker, to an ACL tear and last year’s 26th pick, James Pearce Jr., to an eight-game suspension. Tagovailoa will start, but things aren’t looking great in Atlanta."
It's certainly possible that either Tua Tagovailoa or Michael Penix Jr. - or maybe even rookie Jack Strand - could surprise us all and establish themselves as the Falcons' franchise quarterback with a strong season. On paper it definitely looks like a remote possibility, though.
On the other side of the ball, Atlanta's pass rush, which ranked second in the NFL in sacks last year, is likely to take a huge step back with Jalon Walker out for the season and James Pearce Jr. suspended for half of it.
This is still probably the most-talented roster in the NFC South, but winning the league's weakest division looks like a hell of a challenge given this team's limitations going into the season.
This article originally appeared on Falcons Wire: Falcons drop 2 spots in Week 1 NFL power rankings
