Each week, Falcons vice president of football communications Reggie Roberts sits down with an expert and talks about the Falcons as well as what’s going on in the rest of the league. This week’s expert is Minneapolis Star-Tribune columnist Jim Souhan, who breaks down what happened around the league in the 11th week of the regular season.

Reggie Roberts: Minnesota has a first-year head coach in Leslie Frazier and is playing with rookie QB Christian Ponder. Despite their 2-8 record, do you see signs of improvement from Minnesota?

Jim Souhan: This is a bad week to ask that question. After winning a close game at Carolina with Ponder playing well, the Vikings had a bye week, then were blown out at Green Bay before playing an incredibly sloppy game against Oakland, and losing, 27-21. The score sounds close, but it was close only because the Raiders committed so many penalties.
Frazier is respected by his players, but hasn’t been able to wring much production out of an older group of veterans who were the lifeblood of this team two years ago when it almost beat New Orleans in the NFC title game. Ponder is a smart, talented kid who is much faster and more athletic than anticipated. When given time, he throws accurately and reads defenses well, but he’s playing behind a poor offensive line, and the Packers and Raiders were able to blitz him and force him into mistakes.

RR: Given Green Bay’s 10-0 start, who is left on their schedule that stands a strong chance of handing the Packers their first loss of the season?

JS: I think the Packers face a bunch of challenges down the stretch. I think they’ll probably win easily over Kansas City, but the other five games remaining offer distinct challenges. Their game at Detroit could be challenging, because of crowd noise, and remember, Brett Favre in his prime had trouble playing well in Detroit. If Jay Cutler were healthy, I’d say the Bears had the best chance of beating the Packers. They’re physical on defense, and have done a good job of limiting Aaron Rodgers in the last few meetings. Without Cutler, though, the Bears probably don’t have a chance. Oakland is physical and fast and thus presents a challenge. The Giants are highly unpredictable, and Eli Manning has an ability to win big games. And the biggest question facing the Packers is whether their streak of excellence has taken a toll on them. There’s a reason nobody goes undefeated in the NFL: It’s hard to be at your best physically and mentally every week. We also don’t know how Mike McCarthy will handle playing his starters once the No. 1 seed is wrapped up. The Packers could lose because they’re not really trying to win at the end of the season.

RR: Atlanta – Minnesota’s opponent on Sunday at the Georgia Dome – got back on track by recording 432 yards on offense and limiting Titans Pro Bowl RB Chris Johnson to just 13 yards on 12 carries. How do you see Sunday’s matchup between the two clubs.

JS: I think the Falcons are set up to win big. Adrian Peterson has a high ankle sprain. The Vikings have seemed deflated in their last two games. The Vikings’ front isn’t as good against the run as it has been for most of the last decade, and the Vikings’ secondary, a weakness entering the season, has been decimated because of Antoine Winfield’s injury and Chris Cook’s arrest. If the Falcons are competent, they should win easily.

RR: Let’s switch over the AFC and talk about Tim Tebow. You’ve covered the NFL for a long time. Can the Broncos win long term with the way they constructed their offense to fit Tebow’s strengths?

JS: I think Tebow can beat bad teams, and teams that let the Broncos hang around until the fourth quarter, when a scrambling quarterback playing in four-down situations can be particularly dangerous. But the more Tebow plays, the more defenses will adapt to the option plays and scrambles that have allowed him to shine. So far Tebow has been clutch, but he hasn’t been a good NFL quarterback. I see his run of “success” coming to an end soon.

RR: What your take on the San Francisco 49ers? Are they as good as their 9-1 record would suggest or are they the beneficiaries of a soft division in the NFC West?

JS: Both. They have a tremendous front seven and a good running game, and Jim Harbaugh is getting the best from Alex Smith. I think it’s a measure of the NFL that the 49ers might be the second-best team in the league, and nobody thinks they’re all that good. I think the 49ers will have trouble keeping up with a prolific offense. If they face Green Bay or New Orleans in the playoffs, I think they’ll lose. But they’re still a remarkable success story due largely to Harbaugh.

RR: The Vikings will enter a hostile environment on Sunday at the Georgia Dome. Since Mike Smith took over as head coach, the Falcons are 23-6 at home (.793 winning percentage). Give us your take on Sunday’s matchup.

JS: I think the Falcons will get off to a good start, take a lead, and harass Ponder into a few mistakes. Without Peterson, the Vikings’ offense will be down to one dynamic playmaker, Percy Harvin. And while Harvin is an exceptional athlete, he’s not an every-down threat. I’d call it Falcons 31, Vikings 13.

RR: And finally, please give us your six teams from the AFC who you think will make the playoffs as well as your six from the NFC?

JS: AFC: Patriots, Raiders, Ravens, Texans, Steelers, Bengals. NFC: Cowboys, 49ers, Packers, Saints, Falcons, Bears.