The Falcons have regained first place in the division.
Chaos reigns in the NFC South. The Falcons (8-7) decimated the Giants 34-7 on Sunday, and the Buccaneers (8-7) fell to the Cowboys 26-24 on Sunday Night Football. With Sunday’s results, Atlanta now finds itself +115 underdogs to take home the NFC South crown, per FanDuel Sportsbook.
The Falcons control their own destiny once more after surrendering the divisional lead to the Bucs during their four-game losing skid. By sweeping Tampa Bay in the season series, Atlanta will advance to the playoffs if the two teams finish the year with identical records, courtesy of a tiebreaker.
Should the Falcons win out, they will secure their first NFC South title since 2016. They’ll simply need to match the Bucs’ record the rest of the way in order to punch their postseason ticket.
Rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. made his NFL debut on Sunday, and his stat line belies how effective he looked on the field. Penix completed 18 of 27 passing attempts for 202 yards and an interception (that was not his fault), and was the victim of multiple drops in key situations. He looked poised in the pocket and completed a number of passes across the middle of the field to keep the chains moving.
He will be tasked with continuing that passing performance against the Commanders (10-5) on Sunday Night Football, by far the toughest challenge for the Falcons remaining on the schedule.
Atlanta sits as a 4.5-point underdog on the road against Washington next week.