2017 Falcons Schedule: Analysis and Predictions
Week 14: vs. New Orleans Saints, December 7, Thursday Night Football (8:25 PM EST, NBC/Amazon) – WIN
The Falcons’ fourth game in primetime pits bitter rivals for the first time this season. You can never accurately predict the outcome of Falcons-Saints matchups, regardless of how dominant or disastrous each respective team’s season has been.
Atlanta’s first taste of the 2017 New Orleans Saints will be no different.
Ageless wonder Drew Brees is still capable of dropping yards on the best of defenses in a hurry, and with second-year standout Michael Thomas in his arsenal, the Falcons and Saints engage in a high-scoring shootout on national television.
The Saints defense was downright pitiful in 2016, and even with any additions in the NFL Draft, this unit still has a long way to go to have the ability to shut down an offense like Atlanta’s.
Week 15: @ Tampa Bay, December 18, Monday Night Football (8:30 PM EST, ESPN) – WIN
Facing the Bucs in primetime is like dining at a fancy restaurant that serves tiny portions. The whole ordeal is over quick, and you leave with a great taste in your mouth.
Atlanta’s recent meetings with Tampa in front of national audiences have been blowouts of borderline-comedic proportions. While this improving team poses the biggest threat to Atlanta’s aspirations to repeat as NFC South champs, the Falcons quash those concerns with yet another Buccaneers dismantling on Monday Night Football.
Week 16: @ New Orleans Saints, December 24 (1:00 PM EST, FOX) – LOSS
Brees gets retribution for the Saints’ Week 14 loss. Falcons fans know how tough an environment the Mercedes-Benz Superdome is, and with the historic unpredictability of Falcons-Saints games, it may be the factor that tilts this one in New Orleans’ favor.
Sporting a four-game winning streak to this point, I would not be shocked at all to see the Falcons fall flat against the Saints on Christmas Eve.
Week 17: vs. Carolina Panthers, December 31 (1:00 PM EST, FOX) – WIN
The final game of the season is a home game, and Atlanta is at the top of the NFC playoff picture with an 11-4 record. The Panthers come to town for their first game in Atlanta’s new home, and they leave town with a loss in their back pocket.
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Everyone saw the veritable fortress that the Georgia Dome became in its final games last season, and Mercedes-Benz Stadium will prove no different. Filled to the rafters with rowdy Falcons fans, Atlanta avenges its Week 9 loss and dismantles Carolina as they cruise into the playoffs.