Following their Week 8 win over the Panthers, the Atlanta Falcons temporarily led the NFC South, although their reign atop the division was short-lived. Atlanta lost its next two games within a five-day span to drop into second place.
Every time the Falcons are about to take that next step, it seems they take two steps back instead. This inconsistency has caused the team to bounce around in most NFL power rankings. Touchdown Wire’s Week 10 rankings moved the Falcons down four spots — from 19 to 23 — following their ugly loss to Carolina on Thursday night.
TD Wire’s Mark Lane suggests the magic might be wearing off in Atlanta:
As we examined Tuesday morning, the Falcons are still in pretty good shape in the NFC South. With seven games left, including one against the division-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Atlanta just needs to start stringing some wins together.
On Sunday, the Falcons will host the Chicago Bears (3-7) at Mercedes-Benz Stadium and fans will get a first-hand look at QB Justin Fields. The team passed on Fields for tight end Kyle Pitts, but the two are going in different directions this season.
Few questioned the decision to take Pitts after his 1,000-yard rookie season. However, Fields has come on strong over the last few games, while the Falcons have struggled to get Pitts involved this season. We’ll see who gets the last laugh in Week 11.
