Atlanta Falcons: December will make or break the Falcons’ season

Dec 21, 2014; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) is sacked by Atlanta Falcons defensive tackles Corey Peters (91) and Tyson Jackson (99) during the third quarter at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-USA TODAY Sports

Up next is a brief break from the NFC South with a trip to Jacksonville. It’s a third straight road game and this will be a test for Atlanta, but they will have a favorable matchup here.

The Jaguars were hit with a major setback when first round pick Dante Fowler Jr. was lost for the season, and this leaves problems on defense. On paper, the Falcons should be too strong. Unfortunately, football isn’t played on paper, and this will be no walk in the park.

Playing on the road for a third week in a row isn’t easy, and it’s also possible the Jags could be out of contention by then and will be playing with no fear. In football, anything can happen.

It’s back to the division in Week 16, but the Falcons will be relieved to play their final two games in the comfortable environment of the Georgia Dome.

Up first is the Panthers just two weeks after meeting in Carolina. It will be a similarly tough task as it was a fortnight prior, but the Falcons will have home field advantage this time around. Of course, that didn’t pan out as expected last year with the Falcons and Panthers beating each other on the road.

The Falcons finish the season at home to the New Orleans Saints. After a rare season sweep of the Saints, the visitors will be looking to leave a major dent in any playoff hopes Atlanta have, and could possibly punch their own ticket to the postseason. Will there be any playoff implications in this game? There’s a strong chance there will be. And who knows, maybe this will be a winner-takes-all contest?

Next: Recent history highlights December's importance