The Atlanta Falcons have already been on a roller coaster season. They began the season 0-2 and look like they're going to be in the running for the No. 1 overall pick in April's NFL Draft. Michael Penix Jr. comes back, and they look like a legitimate playoff threat.
They stumbled against the Lamar Jackson-less Baltimore Ravens team that was beatable, before getting their doors blown off by the Chicago Bears.
So naturally, they beat the unbeaten San Francisco 49ers on Sunday.
I think we can wipe the first two games off the board while the team was playing Cooper Rush after signing him as an emergency quarterback the day training camp opened. If we do that, we see a 3-2 team that has shown signs of being really good with a competent quarterback under center.
So, it's no surprise the national media has been slow to get behind this Falcons team after a big win. This isn't a team that has handled the spotlight very well in the past.
But there are signs this year could be different with talent up and down the offense, and an overachieving defense that will be getting some key players back soon, including edge rusher James Pearce Jr. in two weeks.
NFL Network: No. 13
NFL Network's Nick Shook is driving the Falcons' bandwagon. He's been a fan of this team from the beginning of the season and has moved Atlanta up from No. 19 to No. 13. He's just as apprehensive as any Falcons fan about the lofty ranking.
"Look, I’m with you: I don’t know who the Falcons are, either," Shook wrote. "They were an inspired bunch on Sunday, outplaying a strong 49ers. Michael Penix Jr. looks very comfortable in Kevin Stefanski’s offense, and Jeff Ulbrich’s defense played with a higher level of aggression. A win like this makes me believe in this team. Hopefully, it doesn't deliver the opposite this Sunday in Tampa."
The Buccaneers are coming off a strange blowout win against the Carolina Panthers. The score was 43-13, and Tampa has 64 passing yards.
Sports Illustrated: No. 16
SI gave the Falcons the biggest jump in the rankings this week, going from No. 23 to No. 16, first in the NFC South.
"Tommy Rees called one heck of a game against the 49ers, taking Michael Penix’s struggles against secondary blitzes and turning the offense into something that offered plenty of comfort blanket throws while also rolling him out of trouble," Connor Orr wrote on SI.
CBS Sports: No. 19
Pete Prisco may have felt burned earlier in the season after elevating the Falcons after a big win over Green Bay. He had the Falcons at No. 23 coming into the week and moved them to No. 19 after their win over San Francisco.
"Rallying to beat the 49ers is big for this team after losing two straight. The defense made the plays when they needed to be made," Prisco wrote on CBS Sports.
ESPN: No. 19
ESPN is the only outlet that doesn't provide any corresponding context for their power rankings. They gave the Falcons the smallest rise, going from No. 22 to No. 19, and they left the 49ers in the No. 1 spot.
What's Next
The Falcons have seen these ups and downs before over the course of the last few seasons. The arrow is pointing in the right direction now, but in order to make believers out of more people, and more importantly, advance their playoff agenda, they'll need to beat a 2-5 Buccaneers team in Tampa on Sunday.
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