With a 5-6 record, the Atlanta Falcons are clinging to first place in the NFC South, which is by far the weakest division in the NFL.
After starting the season 4-3, they lost three games in a row, but they did defeat the New Orleans Saints, who are also 5-6 but are in second place in the division, last Sunday.
While Atlanta has multiple question marks heading into the stretch run of their schedule, head coach Arthur Smith told Pat McAfee that he feels his team is hitting its stride.
“Bijan Robinson and the offensive line played really well last week..
We’ve got a lot of good weapons and it feels like we’re hitting our stride heading into December” ~ Artie Smith #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/5rhryCSBMf
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 1, 2023
McAfee and Smith specifically mentioned rookie running back Bijan Robinson, who is having an excellent season and has scored all three of his rushing touchdowns this season in his last four games.
Overall, Robinson has run for 703 yards on a 5.0 yards per rush attempt average, and he has added 240 yards and three touchdowns in the air.
Tyler Allgeier, the team’s No. 2 running back, has also contributed 466 yards and three touchdowns on the ground.
The Falcons’ biggest question mark is at quarterback, where second-year man Desmond Ridder has just 1,908 passing yards and seven touchdown passes to go along with eight interceptions in 10 games this year.
Ridder was benched earlier this season in favor of Taylor Heinicke, but he regained his QB1 spot ahead of their Week 12 win over New Orleans.
The fact that the NFC South is so devoid of talent will give the Falcons a pathway to the playoffs, especially given that their remaining schedule is manageable.
Their fight for a playoff spot could come down to their Week 18 game on the road against the Saints.
NEXT:
Falcons QB Opens Up About Relationship With Arthur Smith
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