Atlanta can still wreak havoc on the playoffs and power rankings despite being eliminated.
This has been one of the most frustrating Atlanta Falcons seasons in recent memory. Not because the lows were shocking, but because the highs kept pulling you back in. It feels like a long road to get here, full of false starts, brief surges of hope, and the familiar realization that this team was never quite ready to take control of its own story. Performances like the one we saw on Monday remind you why expectations existed in the first place. For a moment, they looked like the kind of team that should win the NFC South.
But seasons aren’t remembered by moments alone.
This is the same Falcons team that lost both head-to-head matchups against the Carolina Panthers, now sitting in the driver’s seat for the division. The same team that failed to score a single point against the Miami Dolphins during the bleakest stretch of their year. And despite all of that, this season will likely end not with a sweeping reset, but with Arthur Blank retaining Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot, with the lone significant change expected to be the firing of special teams coordinator Marquice Williams.
Another offseason where the answers feel partial, at best.
That’s the exhausting part. This team asked fans to stay invested all year, even as the results rarely matched the promise. A lost season that never felt fully alive, yet not truly dead, just an arduous grind that carried Falcons fans all the way to January.
And yet, here we are, one last week left, with the NFC South still capable of doing the funniest thing possible. If the Buccaneers take care of business against the Panthers, Carolina could end up needing a Falcons win to get into the postseason. After everything this year has put us through, it would be fitting for Atlanta to still have a hand in the final result.
Most of the playoff picture is already set, outside of some elimination games in the AFC North and NFC South. There’s even a potential heavyweight matchup that could decide the NFC’s No. 1 seed. The league keeps moving forward, as it always does.
For the Falcons, though, this final week feels less about stakes and more about closure. One more game. One more chance to make sense of a season that asked for a lot and gave just enough to keep Falcons fans watching.
Okay, enough talk. Let’s get into the final week of power rankings:
1) New England Patriots (13-3) (+1)
Go ahead and load up the MVP chants. Drake “Drake Maye” Maye has captained a beautiful season for this Patriots team, and it has a chance to end with them snatching the #1 seed in the AFC.
2) Seattle Seahawks (13-3) (-1)
Did they find a way to win? Absolutely. But I’m having flashbacks to the Sam Darnold that showed up at the end of the year for the Minnesota Vikings, and I’m having some trepidations. Still an amazing football team with a great defense that would deserve the #1 seed in the NFC if they pull it off against the 49ers.
3) Denver Broncos (13-3) (+1)
They keep finding ways to pull it out. I can’t be too upset about it. But how sustainable is this method of relying on the defense to do enough? We’ll see, but for now, the Broncos are probably going to be the #1 seed in the AFC, so long as they don’t lay an egg against the Chargers’ second string.
4) San Francisco 49ers (12-4) (+4)
They’re back. The 49ers offense looks like the well-oiled machine that we have come to know and love from Kyle Shanahan.
5) Los Angeles Rams (11-5) (-2)
That was…shocking. I mean, the #1 seed was still in play for this Rams team, but I guess the Falcons’ defense, especially Xavier Watts, was a bit too much for them.
6) Buffalo Bills (11-5) (-1)
Despite the loss to Philadelphia, Buffalo still has the best player in these playoffs in quarterback Josh Allen. Keep him healthy, and let’s see if he can will this ship to the promised land.
7) Los Angeles Chargers (11-5) (-1)
With the way the injury luck has been for the Chargers, I’d sit everyone, too.
8) Chicago Bears (11-5) (-1)
The Bears have been showing for weeks that they are a team that deserves your attention. Despite letting up 42 points to San Francisco last week, the Bears have shown that they are ready to take on some of the league’s best.
9) Jacksonville Jaguars (12-4) (+1)
Liam Coen has Duval humming right now. I’ll admit when I’m wrong, and boy, was I wrong about these Jags. I can’t wait to see how Trevor Lawrence looks with this offense in the playoffs. For now, let’s down the Titans one more time and walk in with their first division title since 2022.
10) Houston Texans (11-5) (+1)
Can the Houston Texans pull off the AFC South after an abysmal start to the season? Yes. Will it matter? Not really. I don’t think there’s a team in the conference that wants to see this version of the Texans defense.
11) Philadelphia Eagles (11-5) (+1)
I love and hate the way the Eagles play football right now. I love the way they sort of bring anybody down in the mud with them with this Vic Fangio defense. But, this offense is an affront to football fans everywhere.
12) Green Bay Packers (9-6-1) (-3)
Tune up the band, University of Houston’s own Clayton Tune is set to start on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.
13) Pittsburgh Steelers (9-7) (even)
It’s hilarious that Mike Tomlin will never have a losing season in Pittsburgh, despite how disjointed the operation may seem. Can they parlay this into a playoff spot that nobody at the start of the season saw coming? They have a great shot to do so.
14) Baltimore Ravens (8-8) (even)
There’s truly no way the Ravens don’t get into the playoffs, right? Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson, there’s no way the Ravens don’t find a way to get it done with these two on the team, right?
15) Carolina Panthers (8-8) (even)
I need the Panthers to lose, not because I’m bitter about the sweep, but because sweeping the Falcons and then relying on them to beat the Saints to get into the playoffs, while under .500, would be the perfect way for the NFC South champion to limp into this year’s playoffs.
16) Minnesota Vikings (8-8) (+3)
This defense truly is something. Now, J.J. McCarthy comes out for one more game against the Green Bay Packers, at home, to show that he truly is the QB of the future.
17) Detroit Lions (8-8) (-1)
What an ass-whooping. The Lions had no answer for the Vikings and the pressure this defense sent their way. There’s going to be some real soul-searching after this season.
18) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-9) (-1)
There’s no other way to say it: This finish to the season for Tampa Bay has been disappointing, to say the least. Tampa can’t find a way to get the offense going, and Baker Mayfield doesn’t look like himself. It’s been a rough go.
19) Dallas Cowboys (7-8-1) (+1)
The way this Dallas offense has been playing, they probably deserve to be playing in the playoffs, but there are three phases of the game, and the defense took too long to catch up with the offensive output. Maybe next year, Cowboys fans.
20) Indianapolis Colts (8-8) (-2)
This has been an unfair season for Colts fans. And now, they don’t have their first-round pick for the next two years, while the player that they traded those picks for is defending himself on social media. It’s not looking great.
21) Atlanta Falcons (7-9) (+2)
What a way to end the season. Four straight victories. Man, the Falcons haven’t had a stretch like this at the end of the year since 2019…when Dan Quinn saved his job despite the team looking lifeless for most of the season…
Ah, it’s going to be fine…
22) Miami Dolphins (7-9) (+1)
Despite the Tua situation, it’s nice to see the Dolphins play winning football down the stretch.
23) Cincinnati Bengals (6-10) (even)
I’m going to keep saying it: Boy, it feels good to see Joe Burrow play football again.
24) Kansas City Chiefs (6-10) (-3)
Did you know that the Kansas City Chiefs have not had a 1000-yard receiver since 2021? The only player to eclipse the 1000-yard mark was Travis Kelce in 2022 (1,338). Crazy…anyway.
25) New Orleans Saints (6-10) (+1)
Tyler Shough has accomplished his mission: Get a chance to start next season. With the Saints not being bad enough to be in play for what’s probably going to be a two-quarterback race, Shough has provided the freedom to build the team around the position. That is, unless the Falcons harass him enough to force an abysmal game out of him…
26) Washington Commanders (+1)
They may have lost, but at least they showed a bit of fight. The Commanders got bit bad by the injury bug this season. Hopefully, they can find some silver linings in that.
27) Arizona Cardinals (3-13) (-2)
With a loss, this will be the first time the Cardinals have lost nine straight games to end a season since 1944. Not great, Jonathan Gannon. Not great.
28) Cleveland Browns (4-12) (+2)
With the Steelers being more focused on keeping Myles Garrett away from the sack record, the Browns were able to sneak another victory in there before the end of the season. And, who knows, maybe Garrett still does snag the record this week.
29) Tennessee Titans (3-13) (-1)
The Titans have been playing spoiler for the Jaguars since 1999. Wouldn’t it be something if they could spoil their chances for a division title, too?
30) New York Jets (3-13) (-1)
We don’t have to talk about it, Jets fans. Let’s just…let’s just move on.
31) New York Giants (3-13) (even)
Here is your winner (or loser?) of the Toilet Bowl. With Jaxson Dart in tow, I guess it didn’t really matter who won, but the Giants will have some buyers come April, since this is only a two-quarterback draft.
32) Las Vegas Raiders (2-14) (even)
Fernando Mendoza, come on down!
Category: General Sports
