After destroying a pathetic Raiders team, the Falcons are 5-3 and legitimately in the playoff race.That's the good news, but the bad news is that the schedule over the final eight games of the season is going to get tougher. In the first half of the season, Atlanta has wins over the Lions, Chiefs and Raiders--three of the worst teams in the league. Over the final half of the season, Atlanta has only two games against teams that are under .500 right now.
So if the Falcons are going to figure out a way to make the playoffs, they will earn it. But it's actually a possibility because Atlanta has a lot games against teams sitting right around .500. To be safe, Atlanta probably needs to go 5-3 over the next eight as well, although 4-4 could get them in in a year where parity rules everything.
A win over the Rams (2-6) in the season finale looks likely, and the Falcons actually have a good chance to be favored against the underachieving Chargers (3-5). But to get to the playoffs, Atlanta will have to figure out a way to snag wins against the Saints (4-4), Broncos (4-4) and Vikings (4-4). There's not one of those teams that should blow the Falcons out, and Mike Smith has gotten his team to show up most every week, so it is possible.
It's too early to think that the Falcons are likely to make it to the playoffs, but it's amazing enough to think that they have a legitimate chance.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
11-03-2008 @ 9:41AM
Angelia said...
You know, I love how everyone is picking the Falcons and Saints to go to the playoffs...and somehow overlooking the Panthers. Did you forget we blew out the Falcons? AND the Saints? Hmmm....ALL I will say is GOOOOOOO PANTHERS!!!!!!!
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11-03-2008 @ 2:21PM
Brian said...
The Panthers stink and will find a way to blow it like they do every year.... Lets see how you do @ Atlanta in 3 weeks.
11-03-2008 @ 2:39PM
Angelia said...
Get ready Brian. Its gonna be fun to kick some Falcons Butt! Oh and by the way, I WAS a fan of the birds, probably before you were even born. So I KNOW about teams who suck, I stuck with them for YEARS, Do you remember when Tommy Nobis played/ How about Steve Bartkowski? How about Alfred Jenkins? The year they signed Vick, I knew it was over for them. And that was when I gave up on them. I will give you one thing...this is probably the best Quarterback they have ever had, But as I say, GO PANTHERS!
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11-04-2008 @ 9:01PM
leann said...
Through think and thin....bandstander!!! Go Falcons
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11-04-2008 @ 11:19PM
Frank said...
Don't you realize that the reason the Panthers aren't talked about in this article is that the article is about the Falcons??
Contrary to what the first poster said, Carolina is talked about often and picked by most to win the NFC south. The gist of the article is that what was considered impossible at the start of the season is now very feasible, and that's that the Falcons have a legitimate shot at a wildcard spot. Sorry poster #1, but not every article is going to be about your team. Looking back at the train wreck that was last season, I already consider this season a success, playoff spot or not. Yeah, I've been a "bird" since the beginning. I understand if you decided to switch allegiances, particularly if Charlotte is closer to where you call home, But don't click on a Falcons story and be disappointed that it's not about your Panthers. They might be better than us but really, they're just not good enough to be in every article labled NFC south. Parity does seem to abound this season. Even the middle of the road teams like Atlanta and Carolina have a chance to make the playoffs :-)
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