Atlanta Falcons: Five Things We Learned From the Falcons Schedule
By Deke Lloyd
2. November Is Vital In The Battle For The NFC South
The NFC South will be decided in the month of November. The Falcons will open the month in New Orleans to face off with their bitter rival, the Saints. The Falcons will stay in the road warrior mindset when the next week when they’re in Carolina to play the Panthers. The last two weeks of the month will see the Falcons back home to play their last divisional opponent, Tampa Bay, before closing the month out against the Saints.
November is going to be a slog for the Falcons. A team within your division is always going to play a little bit harder than the other 29 teams. It seems that way, at least. The NFC South title will be fought for by the Falcons, Panthers, and Saints. Maybe, Bruce Arians can fix the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but I don’t think this is the season he does it or as long as Jamies Winston is the QB. For the Falcons, in November, with two games against the Saints, the fate of the Falcons playoff life will be decided in this month.
The Falcons have one of the toughest divisions in all of football. The NFC South sent three teams to the playoffs only 2 years ago. Cam Newton and Drew Brees are still a major threat, and if Jamies Winston can ever put it together, he can be thrown in that category, too. Having to play those four games in a row is a vicious stretch of games. The opening of the season is going to be tough but this part of the schedule looks to be even more taxing.