The Falcons fell to the Steelers on Sunday, and it was yet another demoralizing loss. Atlanta’s home field advantage is now non-existent. The team, which is usually full of life, came out flat, and the simplest things, like tackling, seemed impossible for the Falcons. The NFL Power Rankings reflect that, as they take their rightful place in the bottom third of the league, but the one good thing: they’re still ahead of the Saints, who fell embarrassingly to the Buccaneers on national television. At one point, New Orleans led Tampa Bay by 13 points late in the fourth quarter before Tom Brady led the Bucs to two touchdown drives to win 17-16 in the final minutes.
ESPN
24. Falcons (18 last week): “The second-year pro has bounced between defense and offense — starting his career as a corner before moving to running back this year — but his biggest contribution has been on special teams. He has 16 returns this year for 279 yards. Even though he’s tied for 17th in return numbers, he’s tied for third in yards and been a game-changer at the position for Atlanta, which also has the all-time NFL leader in kick return touchdowns, with Cordarrelle Patterson as their kick returner.” — Michael Rothstein
25. Saints (19 last week)
Yahoo!
23. Falcons (18 last week): “The Falcons didn’t record a sack on Sunday for the second straight game. They have just 17 sacks this season, and only the Bears have fewer. Atlanta has a lot of needs for next offseason but finding a pass rusher has to top the list.”
26. Saints (27 last week)
NFL.com
25. Falcons (25 last week): “The Falcons operate an offense that relies heavily on the run, but no team can succeed in the modern NFL without the ability to move the ball through the air when necessary. Week after week, Atlanta has been hamstrung by its one-dimensional nature, and we saw that again in a frustrating 19-16 loss to the Steelers. The weak NFC South is still there for the taking, which might explain why Arthur Smith has decided to stay with Marcus Mariota at quarterback. With the bye coming up, it feels like the time to turn to rookie Desmond Ridder — both for a spark in 2022 and a look at what the team might have for 2023 and beyond.”
26. Saints (26 last week)
Team website
22. Falcons (21 last week): “Falcons are sliding in the wrong direction. Gotta get right over the bye to save the season..”
27. Saints (25 last week)
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Photographer: David J. Griffin/Icon Sportswire
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