The Falcons are only 3-2 through the first five weeks, a similar spot they found themselves in last year under Arthur Smith, but it just feels different with this group.
Yes, Atlanta hasn’t played great football, winning three one-score games, but you’d be a fool to say this isn’t sustainable because of last year. The Falcons under Raheem Morris have a different gravitas about themselves.
It’s not like, “Hey, we got lucky to win those games.” It’s more like, “Hey, we know we can win games in these kinds of situations now.”
There’s a lot to clean up, particularly when looking at the big picture. The Falcons have yet to play a complementary football game, with at least one facet of the team disappointing each week. But in a sense, that is complementary football. When one unit falters, another one is there to pick them up.
More than anything, Falcons fans should feel optimistic going forward because of how much this team has to grow. They’re 3-2, undefeated in the division and haven’t played anywhere near their best football. They’re coming off an impressive comeback win over the Buccaneers in which Kirk Cousins played the role of hero by throwing for over 500 yards, breaking his personal best mark and the franchise’s record with Matt Ryan in attendance. It was electric, and the entire NFL world is starting to come around on the Dirty Birds.
Thanks to that win, the Falcons have soared up NFL power rankings.
Sports Illustrated, 11th
Last Week: 18th
There was much to celebrate amid Kirk Cousins’s ripper of a performance against a good Buccaneers defense on Thursday night. For me, seeing his high percentage throws to the deep third of the field removes a lot of lingering doubt about his ability to hit his plant foot and drive balls downfield accurately. Remember, this offense aspires to be vertical. It’s why their long-term plans rest with Michael Penix, who is a great driver of the ball.
NFL.com, 12th
Last week: 19th
That’s five one-possession outcomes in five weeks. Kirk Cousins had a career game Thursday night, and his pass catchers seemed to step up with big plays for him. Mistakes piled up, and that really should have cost Atlanta the game, but the Falcons don’t care about that. There’s a little mojo now, and they’re pretty darned seasoned in a playoff-like atmospheres with this spate of highly competitive games. The Falcons are 3-2 and atop the NFC South for now, but it feels clear that we should assume this division race — like every Atlanta game — will come down to the wire. The rematch with the Bucs in Week 8 and a tough slate of games loom before the bye in Week 12. If the Falcons clean up the self-inflicted wounds and find a pass rush, they’re dangerous.
The Athletic, 10th
Last week: 15th
The good: Darnell Mooney’s average draft position was 174, but he’s 51st in points per game (15). The bad: Bijan Robinson’s average draft position was fourth, but he’s 74th in production (13.5 ppg). The downright wild: Kirk Cousins’ 509-yard, four-touchdown performance Thursday was the second-best fantasy performance of his career (34.4 points), and he’s 47th in points per game (15.34). Cousins became the first player in NFL history to throw for 250-plus yards before halftime and 250-plus yards after halftime in the same game.
Bucky Brooks of Fox Sports even went as far as to put them 7th in his top 10 teams right now. As I mentioned earlier, I think what’s most encouraging about this Falcons squad is the fact that they haven’t played anywhere near their best ball and are in this position.
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Photographer: Rich von Biberstein/Icon Sportswire
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