This Sunday the Falcons have a chance to put themselves in a position they haven't seen in a few years, and not many thought possible coming into this season. Having a record above 0.500 and being firmly in the playoff conversation. Right now, the Falcons sit one spot out of a wild card position in the NFC, and a win over the Panthers could well propel them into one of those spots. Now it is way too early in the season to be getting ahead of ourselves in the playoff conversation, but it's always a fun conversation to have nonetheless.
Related Content:
The Falcons have looked like a whole new ball club since ironing out some kinks in the first couple weeks of the season. Winners of three of the last four games, they have been able to protect Matt Ryan and consistently convert third-and-short situations. Things that seemed far-fetched early on in the season. There is still a lot of room for improvement, but these are not insignificant wins for a football team's morale.
Take a look at who we think the top 10 players were in this Sunday's game between the Atlanta Falcons and the Miami Dolphins.
No. 1, Kyle Pitts: The rookie tight end tallied his second 100-plus yard receiving performance on Sunday. He had seven catches for 163 yards, and stepped up in clutch situations late in the game. (Photo by Mark Brown/Atlanta Falcons)
No. 2, Matt Ryan: Arthur Smith commended Matt Ryan's performance on Sunday, saying the quarterback is "criminally underrated" as a quarterback in this league. Ryan finished the day 25-for-40 through the air with 336 passing yards, two touchdowns and one interception. (Photo by Dakota Williams/Atlanta Falcons)
No. 3, Younghoe Koo: You can't talk about this game without bringing up Koo's game-winning 36-yard field goal. It's why he's No. 3 on this list. He delivered when he needed to.
No. 4, Foye Oluokun: The Falcons linebacker finished the day with 13 combined tackles, but it was his interception in the fourth quarter that really sent shock waves through the Miami offense. Oluokun returned it 56 yards, setting the offense up for the quick score a few plays later. (Photo by Dakota Williams/Atlanta Falcons)
No. 5, Russell Gage: The Falcons have been without Gage for a month as he worked through a high ankle sprain. He made his return in entertaining fashion as it was a day highlighted by a 49-yard touchdown catch from Matt Ryan.
No. 6, Jaylinn Hawkins: Like Oluokun at No. 4 on this list, Hawkins also came up with a momentum-swinging interception. Hawkins' came in the final minutes of the first half as he flew through the endzone to come up with the pick.
No. 7, Deion Jones: The Falcons linebacker was arguably Atlanta's most dominant defender on Sunday. He finished the day leading the Falcons in tackles (15), sacks (1) and tackles for a loss (3).
No. 8, Calvin Ridley: The Falcons No. 1 receiver made his return to the field after missing the London game two weeks ago. Ridley didn't have a superb day (he only had four catches after being targeted 10 times). But Ridley did have a touchdown catch that displayed just why he's so important to this offense.
No. 9, Cordarrelle Patterson: Though not as dynamic as he normally is in the passing game, Patterson's offensive contribution cannot be overlooked. He finished the day with 60 rushing yards, averaging just over four yards a carry, and a rushing touchdown.
No. 10, Grady Jarrett: Though Jarrett's final stat line wasn't one that normally catches the eye, that doesn't mean he didn't contribute. He did, and he did so in ways that don't show up in numerical form. Jarrett made plays happens for others by getting Tua Tagovailoa off his spot. Take Foye Oluokun's interception as an example: It was Jarrett who put on the pressure that caused Tagovailoa to make a mistake. (Photo by Dakota Williams/Atlanta Falcons)
The Panthers on the other hand come into Sunday with a lot of uncertainty. After winning their first three games they have now dropped four straight. They will be without star running back Christian McCaffrey again on Sunday, and are dealing with quarterback woes after starter Sam Darnold was benched in favor of Phillip Walker mid-game after he struggled to convert against the Giants. Throw in the fact that the Panthers have given up 24 sacks this season and this might just be a coming out party for the Falcons defensive line.
The Falcons are 9-2 in the last 11 games against the Panthers, and have guys like Kyle Pitts, Calvin Ridley, Cordarrelle Patterson, and of course Matt Ryan, playing some of their best ball right now. All that being said, this is a divisional game, which always seems to bring a different atmosphere, so don't count these Panthers out. They recently signed Stephon Gilmore, who is on track to make his Panthers debut this Sunday and will assuredly make things difficult for the likes of Ridley.
With all that to digest let's take a look at who the experts have picked to win on Sunday.
*Picks made as of Oct. 28
| Author | Outlet | Pick | 2021 Record |
|---|---|---|
| Jarrett Bell | USA Today | Falcons | 5-1 |
| Matt Bowen | ESPN | Falcons | 3-3 |
| Gregg Rosenthal | NFL.com | Falcons | 4-2 |
| Gary Davenport | Bleacher Report | Falcons | 2-4 |
| Brad Gagnon | Bleacher Report | Panthers | 4-2 |
| Vinnie Iyer | Sporting News | Falcons | 4-2 |
| Rob Ninkovich | ESPN | Falcons | 3-3 |
| Jason La Confora | CBS Sports | Falcons | 4-2 |
| Pete Prisco | CBS Sports | Falcons | 4-2 |
| Lorenzo Reyes | USA Today | Falcons | 4-2 |
For more complete picks, visit: ESPN, CBS Sports, USA Today, Bleacher Report, and NFL.com
