The Atlanta Falcons missed an opportunity to further increase their NFC South lead in Week 10, falling to the New Orleans Saints on the road for their first divisional loss of the season.
With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing to the San Francisco 49ers, the Falcons could have gone up by three games in the division had they taken care of business. However, Week 10 saw the two NFC South bottom dwellers get victories.
Not only did the Saints end their seven-game losing streak, but the Carolina Panthers defeated the New York Giants in Germany. All three games were decided by three points.
Updated NFC South standings for Week 11
| Pos | Team | Record | Div. Record | Games Back | Next Game |
| 1 | Falcons | 6-4 | 4-1 | – | @ Broncos |
| 2 | Buccaneers | 4-6 | 1-2 | 2 | Bye |
| 3 | Panthers | 3-7 | 1-2 | 3 | Bye |
| 4 | Saints | 3-7 | 2-3 | 3 | vs Browns |
Don’t look now but the Saints and Panthers are knocking on the door of third place. The Falcons can’t let this result get the better of them as the season isn’t over and they could easily allow the Saints and Panthers to play themselves back into contention.
The next time the Falcons will see another NFC South team, it’ll be the season finale against the Panthers. In the interim, they can take care of business and not put themselves in a position where they have to win against Carolina.
