NFC Playoff Picture: Falcons Falling During Bye Week?

The Atlanta Falcons did not play Sunday, but their playoff positioning had the chance to improve.

Jeremy Brener | Dec 12, 2022

The Atlanta Falcons are about to kick things into gear once again after their Week 14 bye is coming to an end.

With the Falcons off, they got to watch Sunday's action from the sideline and saw mixed results.

The New Orleans Saints, who host the Falcons next, were also on bye, leaving just the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Carolina Panthers to battle it out on the west coast against the San Francisco 49ers and Seattle Seahawks, respectively.

The Bucs had an opportunity to take a two-game lead in the NFC South, but instead suffered their worst loss of the season at the hands of the 49ers and quarterback Brock Purdy, the 7th-round rookie making his first career start.

Meanwhile, the Panthers pulled off an upset on the road against the Seahawks in just their second win away from home this year.

While the Bucs' loss keeps the margin between them and the Falcons at just one game, the Panthers have sandwiched themselves in between with a 5-8 record.

Winners of three games in the last four weeks, the Panthers are proving themselves to be contenders for the NFC South crown. The team has found a new lease on life with Sam Darnold under center, winning the two games he's started at quarterback.

The Panthers (5-8, 3-1 in NFC South) leapfrogged the Falcons (5-8, 1-3 in NFC South) in the standings as a result of a better division record.

So, the Falcons keep pace in the race, but they've got a little more company now. As long as they take care of their own business, the Falcons will have a shot at their first postseason berth in five years.

Follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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Published Dec 12, 2022

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.