Can the Falcons sustain this way of winning games?

The Falcons sit atop the NFC South with a 5-3 overall record and a perfect 4-0 mark in the division, thanks to their season sweep of the Buccaneers.

Kirk Cousins has seemingly started to find his footing following the first major injury of his career. He threw for 276 yards and four scores on 23 of 29 passing, making him fourth player in NFL history with 750 passing yards and eight touchdowns against a single opponent in a season, according to ESPN Research.

Cousins now ranks 3rd in the league with 2,106 passing yards, 5th in passing touchdowns (14), 9th in completion percentage (68.3%), and 8th in EPA per game. Thanks to their quarterback’s play, the Falcons are finally recouping some of their investment in the Big 3 of Kyle Pitts, Drake London, and Bijan Robinson.

The Falcons offense won the team the game on Sunday, similar to their club’s first meeting with the Bucs, but they have won games in different ways this season. Against the Saints, the special teams and defense shouldered the load. It was an all-hands effort against the Eagles, but there’s been a consistent theme in each of their victories.

Other than the Panthers, the Falcons’ wins have been of the one-score variety, something they were constantly lacking under Arthur Smith. It brings about a fair question: can the Falcons sustain this formula of winning games?

Atlanta is winning games, but their scoring margin is -1. That would indicate they’re not much better than average by those metrics. The great teams evolve over the course of the season — i.e., Tom Brady’s Patriots and the Chiefs under Andy Reid.

The Falcons are a team that was thrown together in one offseason. Okay, that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but not completely. A new head coach, two new coordinators who are first-time play callers, and a new quarterback coming off an Achilles injury are a lot of moving parts.

The hope is Atlanta isn’t done growing and becoming the best version of themselves. Playing your best ball in October isn’t a consistent theme of champions; it’s about playing your best ball down the stretch. The Falcons probably can’t sustain this way of winning games, but this also doesn’t have to be who they are as a team at the end of the season.

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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire