ESPN’s latest NFL power rankings didn’t do much to reward the Falcons for what they’ve done since Michael Penix Jr. returned in Week 3.
Atlanta just beat the Saints by 21 points in New Orleans, giving the Falcons their second straight primetime win by that same margin. In those two games, Atlanta has piled up 80 points on offense and scored eight touchdowns on the ground. That kind of surge usually moves a team up the board in a hurry.
Instead, the Falcons landed at 25th.
“The first two weeks of the season were absolutely disastrous,” Falcons beat reporter Marc Raimondi writes. “Tua Tagovailoa sustained an oblique injury, and Michael Penix Jr. was not ready to return from his ACL injury.
Third-string quarterback Cooper Rush was thrust into the starting role - with back spasms to boot - and the Falcons’ offense was hideous. They had a league-low 16 combined points in the first two weeks, going 27 straight series without taking a snap in the red zone.
The latter was tied for the second-longest skid in 45 years. But with Penix back, Atlanta’s offense has scored 80 combined points in two weeks, the most in the NFL in that span.”
Raimondi’s blurb tells the story of the season so far, but he isn’t the one setting the ranking. ESPN said the list came from more than a dozen NFL analysts, and that anonymous group placed Atlanta behind the 0-4 Texans, two spots behind the Packers and four spots behind the Saints.
That’s a tough sell after what’s been on TV the last two weeks. Atlanta hasn’t just looked better; it has looked like a different team.
The whole point of power rankings is to strip away the record and focus on how a team is playing right now, with injuries factored in. By that standard, the Falcons’ first two games - when they were stuck with a third-string quarterback who couldn’t throw the ball past the line of scrimmage - should carry far less weight than what’s happened since.
None of that changes the bigger picture. Atlanta still has plenty to prove, and two strong performances won’t erase the last eight seasons. Falcons fans know that as well as anybody.
In Other News...
Falcons-Ravens Suddenly Feels Very Different After Lamar Jackson Update
What sounded like a short-term concern for Lamar Jackson has quickly turned into something much more uncertain for the Ravens. Baltimore head coach Jesse Minter initially downplayed the left ankle injury, indicating Jackson would not be expected to miss multiple games, but the latest word has changed the outlook around Sundays matchup with Atlanta and how the rest of the schedule might unfold.
Ian Rapoport reported that Jackson now has only an outside chance to play against the Falcons, with Tyler Huntley the likely starter if Baltimore chooses to hold him out. For Atlanta, that kind of shift matters because it changes the kind of offense the Falcons may be preparing for, and it also leaves open the possibility that Jackson could sit beyond this week, including in a possible game against the Browns. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Penix Jr. Is Changing What Falcons Fans Expect
Michael Penix Jr. has given the Falcons a different kind of energy since returning from a torn ACL, and the offense has started to reflect it. Atlantas 45-24 win over the Saints was the latest sign of that shift, with teammates openly praising the way Penix has settled in and lifted the group around him.
The numbers back up the feeling, too. Penix has completed 33 of 45 passes for 479 yards with two touchdowns and one interception this season, and Atlanta has piled up 80 points over its last two games. For a team that has spent years searching for a steadier offensive identity, winning by more than 20 points in consecutive games for the first time since 2016 is the kind of stretch that changes expectations fast. [Read more 🡒]
Falcons Could Catch Ravens In A Spot They Did Not Expect
The Week 5 matchup with Baltimore suddenly looks more intriguing for Atlanta than anyone expected when the schedule came out. The Ravens are dealing with uncertainty around Lamar Jacksons ankle, and that has the potential to change the shape of the game plan on the fly. For the Falcons, it adds another layer to a trip that already comes with plenty of intrigue, especially with the way their offense has been humming around Bijan Robinson and Michael Penix Jr.
Atlanta has leaned into a balanced approach lately, and that identity could matter even more if Baltimore is forced to adjust. The Falcons do not need this game to become a shootout to feel good about their chances, but they do need to keep doing the things that have made them effective on offense. If the Ravens are missing their biggest difference-maker under center, it is the kind of opening Atlanta has to be ready to press. [Read more 🡒]