Falcons Feel 'Future's in Our Hands' After Taking NFC South Lead

The Atlanta Falcons' victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers secured a one-game margin atop the NFC South.

The Atlanta Falcons took the lead in the NFC South on Sunday with help from a strong performance by receiver Darnell Mooney. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

TAMPA, Fla. -- Atlanta Falcons head coach Raheem Morris is firm in his stance that stats are for losers. Evidently, the saying applies even when it supports one of his biggest goals.

The Falcons (5-4) took a one-game lead in the NFC South with a 31-26 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-4) on Sunday afternoon at Raymond James Stadium. Atlanta not only leads the division, but it owns a 4-0 record against NFC South foes.

When Morris, the Falcons' first-year head coach who was hired Jan. 25, first addressed his team in April, he said his goal was to "outrun the South." Atlanta has done that so far -- yet Morris is unfazed.

"I’m really even keeled when it comes to those things," Morris said postgane. "It’s all grey matter when it comes to those things and separation from where you’re at. It’s about where you want to go. We talked about the race to 10 (wins), and we learned those lessons the hard way.

"We’ve got to go out there and keep applying pressure and keep going. That’s got to be the mentality in Atlanta."

Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins, who completed 23-of-29 passes for 274 yards and four touchdowns, echoed similar sentiments. Cousins said Atlanta didn't get too caught up in the aspect of Sunday's game being a divisional contest, citing how much football is still left to play.

It grows more valuable, Cousins said, during the final few weeks of the regular season. For now, the Falcons are trying to play their best football and seeing where it leads them.

On Sunday, it led them to the top of the division -- and split opinions on the feat's significance.

"So important, man," said defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, a 10-year Falcons staple. "You want to start off hot and we've got to keep the momentum going. Bringing (Morris's) words to life -- just super, super happy how the thing's going, and we can still be better."

That notion certainly applies to Atlanta's defense, which allowed 432 net yards and 26 points -- but abiding by Morris's approach that stats lack substance, the unit did enough to win.

The Falcons shut down Tampa Bay's ground game, which had 70 yards through the first three drives but just 32 the rest of the way. Falcons outside linebacker Arnold Ebiketie said Atlanta wanted to put the ball in Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield's hands, a mission achieved after Tampa Bay's rushing lanes closed.

Mayfield went 37-of-50 for 330 yards and three touchdowns, but he also threw a pair of interceptions in the second half that ultimately helped Atlanta put the game away.

Falcons safety Jessie Bates III intercepted one, which was his second takeaway of the day after forcing and recovering a fumble on the Buccaneers' opening drive, while cornerback A.J. Terrell picked off another.

Toss in Atlanta's special teams unit stuffing a fake punt, and the Falcons kept the Buccaneers off the scoreboard on three consecutive drives after halftimes.

Tampa Bay scored nine points in the fourth quarter and had a look at the endzone as time expired, but Atlanta's defense ultimately did enough.

And in the eyes of Bates, a team captain who's played in the Super Bowl, the Falcons' response to the Buccaneers' early gut punch speaks volumes about the team's makeup -- an important development as the season rolls onward.

"It's not about how you start; it's all about how you finish," Bates said. "As a team, we're going to be in very close games like this moving forward. We're going to be in bigger games, playoff type of games. Being able to respond how we did, that's how you do it."

Falcons receiver Darnell Mooney, who caught five passes for 92 yards and a touchdown Sunday, played one postseason game as a rookie on the Chicago Bears in 2020. He's spent the last three seasons trying to get back, but to no avail.

Atlanta, sparked by its 4-0 start in division games, is on track to help Mooney end his spell.

"It's important for whatever division you're in," Mooney said of the Falcons' undefeated NFC South record. "You want to be able to lead, you want to be able to gain a No. 1 spot, take over your division, set the standard and let everybody understand we're trying to be No. 1."

Mooney added the difference between playoff teams and non-playoff teams is third down efficiency and turnover margin. The Falcons checked both boxes Sunday, converting 6-of-12 third down attempts and both of their tries on fourth down while winning the turnover battle 3-1.

Atlanta had its defensive struggles, and kicker Younghoe Koo missed a field goal with jusr over one minute remaining in regulation, but the Falcons made enough plays in all three phases to win.

Such complementary football, Ebiketie said, is the biggest difference between the last two years' Falcons teams and this year's. Another is the divisional success.

"It's big, kind of just staying on track to what we're really trying to accomplish," Ebiketie said. "And I think right now, we're in the prime position. Just continue to work, continue to go 1-0 every week."

Several Falcons reiterated Ebiketie's message of going 1-0 each week, including Terrell, whose interception was his second in a three-game span.

Still, the team's 4-0 record in NFC South play matters.

"Definitely, when it comes to division play, we want to dominate that," Terrell said. "That's the easiest ticket to the playoffs -- winning your division. So, only we handle that like we've been doing. Just keep coming in, working and doing the right thing, week in, week out -- the future's in our hands right now."

The Falcons have several first-year faces in key places, including Morris, Cousins and Mooney, among others. But for players like Jarrett and Terrell, who have been with the organization through three coaching staffs, making statements to the rest of the NFC South carries legitimate weight amidst Atlanta's six-year playoff drought.

"Feels good for sure," Jarrett said. "It makes you want to go even harder. But more than anything, man, it just makes me happy for everybody involved right now in this time and we just want to keep pushing to be better."

Atlanta enters November with a one-game lead over the Buccaneers, a three-game edge on the New Orleans Saints and a four-game advantage on the Carolina Panthers.

The Saints have lost six consecutive games since starting 2-0. Carolina, at 1-7, is one of only two teams in the NFL with one victory, joining the Tennessee Titans.

Thus, the Falcons' path to the NFC South crown doesn't appear to be complicated. Barring a drastic turnaround from New Orleans or Carolina, the division will come down to Atlanta and Tampa Bay.

It's a battle the Falcons have already swept -- and while they still have plenty of work to do, satisfying Morris's stated goal from April seems well within reach.

"We talk about ‘outrun the South’ and the guys have absolutely bought in to what we want to do," Morris said. "It’s nice to take a nice lead like that."