Atlanta Falcons: NFC Power Rankings, Week 11

The Chicago Bears are okay? Maybe? They did eviscerate the St. Louis Rams 37-13 at the Edward Jones Dome on Sunday, thanks to the great play of TE Zach Miller and RB Jeremy Langford. In the first three weeks, many thought this was the worst team in football. Now they have an outside shot at a Wild Card spot.

What gives them an edge over some other 4-5 teams in the NFC is that their coaching staff is doing an unbelievable job getting the most out of its players. QB Jay Cutler is having a bit of a renaissance under OC Adam Gase. The Bears are winning with house money. Their defense is surprisingly sound under DC Vic Fangio. They might actually beat the Denver Broncos at home on Sunday. Brock Osweiler is starting.

The vibes coming out of DC about their professional football team are uncharacteristically high entering Week 11 and that’s fine by me. While I don’t think this is the most talented team of the 4-5 bunch in the NFC, I love their competitiveness and most importantly, the division they play in.

Washington is only half a game back of first place New York in the NFC East. I see that divisional race coming down to the wire between the Giants and the Redskins. The 9-7 to 7-9 range will yield this year’s winner and why not Jay Gruden’s football team? The amount of dysfunction normally surrounding this organization isn’t hurting the team terribly this year!

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I hope that the bye was what the doctor ordered because the Atlanta Falcons need to start playing better to hold on to their NFC Playoff hopes. Atlanta cannot go worse than 3-4 and feel confident about the club’s chances to make the postseason. Going 4-3 and finishing out 2015 at 10-6 should do it, but can the Atlanta Falcons get there?

They should if they can get healthy, especially at wide receiver and in the secondary. The pass rush is coming this year and Matt Ryan can’t look aesthetically worse, right? They aren’t as good as we thought they were entering Week 6 at 5-0, nor are they as bad as we think after their embarrassing road loss in San Francisco in Week 10. Atlanta is good enough to make the playoffs and honestly, they should.

Panic is in the air in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers have now lost three straight games and are not in first place in the NFC North. Green Bay had an embarrassing home loss to Detroit, who NEVER wins at Lambeau Field on Sunday. The offense is having major issues across the board and pass defense is abysmal.

The Packers were my pick to win the Super Bowl at the start of the year, but now they may not get out of Wild Card weekend in the NFC Playoffs. Like Atlanta, the two-game lead in the Wild Card race helps and they are only a game back of first place Minnesota in the NFC North. Green Bay should make the playoffs and could still win the North. Since they have a better shot at winning their division than the Atlanta Falcons do entering Week 11, I’d give the Pack the edge over the Dirty Birds this week.

Next: Tier I: Projected NFC Division Winners