Atlanta Falcons: A look at the 2016 schedule
The Atlanta Falcons have one of the toughest schedules in all of the NFL. What games do they realistically have a shot at winning in the 2016 season?
Football Outsiders has recently projected that the Atlanta Falcons, despite offseason improvements, will finish the season 7-9.
If that prediction is accurate, what seven games should the Falcons be able to win this season?
Here is a look at the Atlanta Falcons 2016 schedule:
Sunday, Sep. 11 – vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sunday, Sep. 18 – @ Oakland Raiders
Monday, Sep. 26 – @ New Orleans Saints
Sunday, Oct. 2 – vs. Carolina Panthers
Sunday, Oct. 9 – @ Denver Broncos
Sunday, Oct. 16 – @ Seattle Seahawks
Sunday, Oct. 23 – vs. San Diego Chargers
Sunday, Oct. 30 – vs. Green Bay Packers
Thursday, Nov. 3 – @ Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Sunday, Nov. 13 – @ Philadelphia Eagles
Sunday, Nov. 20 – BYE
Sunday, Nov. 27 – vs. Arizona Cardinals
Sunday, Dec. 4 – vs. Kansas City Chiefs
Sunday, Dec. 11 – @ Los Angeles Rams
Sunday, Dec. 18 – vs. San Francisco 49ers
Saturday, Dec. 24 – @ Carolina Panthers
Sunday, Jan. 1 – vs. New Orleans Saints
There’s no denying the Falcons have a very tough schedule. There are six games that they should be able to win, with a seventh win that is debatable.
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The Atlanta Falcons first win of the season should come on Sep. 11, when they face the Bucs at home. The Falcons should have a great deal of determination and energy in this game, and should be able to contain Jameis Winston at home.
Next, the Falcons should be able to win on Oct. 23 against the San Diego Chargers. The Chargers, who were 4-12 last season, should be an easier opponent for the Falcons compared to the ones they will face in the weeks prior.
The Atlanta Falcons third win could come on Nov. 13, when the Falcons play the Philadelphia Eagles on the road. Though any road game presents a challenge, the Eagles are currently facing some challenges of their own, including a new coach.
The fourth win for the Falcons could be another away game, this time against the Los Angeles Rams on Dec. 11. It appears as though the biggest challenge for the Falcons will be to stop Todd Gurley. While that may not be the easiest task, it is doable.
Next, the Atlanta Falcons could find another win at home against the San Francisco 49ers on Dec. 18. The Falcons lost this game last year when it should have been an easy win. Hopefully they learned their lesson and the outcome will be different this time.
A sixth win for the Falcons could be at home against the New Orleans Saints on Jan. 1. It’s the New Year, the last game of the season, and the Falcons’ final game at the Georgia Dome. That should be reason enough for them to pull off a win against this rival team.
So where will that seventh win come from? It could come on their Nov. 3 road trip to Tampa, but that is also debatable. The Bucs swept the Falcons last season, so it would be nice if Atlanta could turn around and do the same to them this year.
While it would be nice to be able to be optimistic and say that the Falcons have a chance to go 8-8 or 9-7…maybe even 10-6 somehow this season, when you take a look at the schedule it becomes extremely difficult to pinpoint where those wins could come from.
Next: Georgia Bulldogs: Will Chubb be ready for season opener?
When it comes down to it, 7-9 might not only be a realistic prediction, but also difficult enough to achieve in itself.