Atlanta Falcons fans wondering whether or not the franchise could enjoy its first winning season since 2017 aren't going to have to wait to find out where 2026 is headed. Atlanta's schedule is an undeniably difficult slate when it comes to the matchups outside of the NFC South. This includes an early four-week stretch that is going to be the perfect measuring stick of what this roster is capable of accomplishing. After opening the season against Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers, the Falcons take on the Carolina Panthers, Green Bay Packers, and New Orleans Saints.
Two matchups against 2025 playoff teams and two divisional matchups to start the season are going to tell fans exactly what they need to know about this team. If the Falcons are unable to take care of business against the division and split between the Packers and Steelers, the season is going to quickly fall in the wrong direction.
After these four games, the Falcons take on four straight 2025 playoff teams, including Caleb Williams and Lamar Jackson. These are elite offenses more than capable of taking control of the game early and beating Atlanta based simply on the advantage they have at the quarterback position.
With this in mind, to survive the early part of the season, the franchise must get off to a hot start. As difficult as it might be with a new head coach and a number of notable roster changes, there simply isn't any margin for error based on the layout of the schedule.
A Slow Start to the 2026 Season will End Falcons Playoff Chances
As harsh as this reality is to face, it is a fair take looking at the difficult schedule laid in front of Atlanta through the first weeks of the year. Taking care of business within the division and splitting against the mediocre rosters the Falcons are scheduled to face is the clear path to returning to the playoffs and putting together the first winning season dating back to 2017.
Fans are hopeful that the leadership of Matt Ryan and new head coach Kevin Stefanski will prove to be the difference. While there is a lot of respect for Raheem Morris and what he meant to the city and organization, there is no denying he was a net negative when it came to managing his roster and late-game situations.
The hope is that the change in leadership pushes the Falcons back to relevance, and a hot start gives the needed confidence to survive a difficult early stretch.
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