Falcons Fans Urged Not to 'Overreact' to Week 11 Debacle

NFL.com's Jeffri Chadiha argued that fans shouldn't overreact to the latest loss from the Atlanta Falcons.

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

It's amazing how quickly things can change in the NFL. Just two weeks ago, the Atlanta Falcons were in a great position in the NFC playoff picture. But after two consecutive losses, things have changed drastically.

Not necessarily in the NFC South standings, where the Falcons still hold a 1.5-game lead and all the tiebreakers. But the good vibes around the team are absolutely gone.

NFL.com's Jeffri Chadiha tried to remind fans Monday, though, that there's still a long way to go in the 2024 season. Chadiha included the "Falcons coming back to earth" among his five NFL developments from Week 11 not to overreact to.

"Look, there's no denying Atlanta needs to figure out its defense," Chadiha wrote. "It's had problems pressuring opposing passers all season, and that was the case once again on Sunday.

"The nice thing about Atlanta is that the NFC South is far from the toughest division in football. The Falcons already are 4-1 in the division, and New Orleans would have to get red hot to surpass them in the next few weeks. Atlanta also finishes the season with some winnable games against the Raiders,Giants and Panthers.

"The Falcons head into their bye at 6-5. Unless they completely melt down, they're going to find at least three more wins before the season ends. It's not an ideal scenario, but Atlanta remains the safest bet to take the South when it's all said and done."

I had a couple (proper, not over) reactions to Chadiha's analysis. First, he's overall correct. Because of the nature of football being once a week, we always overreact to every result. That's how this works. It will be worse for the Falcons after Week 11 because they'll go two weeks without playing a game.

The Falcons will have every opportunity to prove that our concerns about the team heading into December are an overreaction.

But at the moment, the concerns appear more than valid. For one, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are probably the biggest threat to the Falcons winning the division, not the New Orleans Saints. Yes, the Falcons already swept the Buccaneers, but Tampa Bay's schedule is easier than Atlanta's in December and January.

Furthermore, the situation Chadiha presented -- where the team wins the division because they will be able to beat the NFL's bottom feeders -- the Raiders, Giants and Panthers -- sounds an awful lot like the Falcons backing their way to a division title.

After no playoff appearances for seven years, the Falcons will probably take what they can get. But winning the NFC South by default wasn't on anyone's mind when the team was sitting at 6-3.

No, the sky isn't falling in Atlanta. The Falcons are still the safest bet to win the NFC South. But it did appear to be a lot safer of a bet just a week or two ago, which rightfully has Falcons fans on egg shells.