Atlanta Falcons first four games will decide their season

The Atlanta Falcons kick off their 2021-22 season with four straight games about NFC opponents. There is plenty of reason for Falcons fans to be excited about seeing the Eagles in week one. But getting off to a hot start after that is absolutely key.

The Atlanta Falcons get to see the defending Super Bowl champs in week two, which will be an early litmus test for the team.

Sure, everyone will be acclimating to a new season, but the Buccaneers are returning all 22 starters which theoretically gives them a much better advantage than a team like the Falcons. They have had to fill a lot of holes with cheap free agents.

The Falcons may have the easiest strength of schedule but that doesn’t take into account growth from other teams.

The first four games of the Atlanta Falcons schedule will make or break their season.

Three of their first few games are against NFC East teams. That division was abysmal last year, but there’s no reason to believe that will be the case two years in a row. Some major weapons return like Saquon Barkley, coaches enter their second year like Ron Rivera and other teams added nice talent like the Eagles.

If Atlanta hopes to make the playoffs, they have to win games that matter against similarly skilled NFC teams.

Let’s be real, tiebreakers matter.

There have been too many seasons where the Atlanta Falcons dug themselves into a hole because they lost games against the wrong teams. They can afford to take an L at the hands of the Bills or the AFC East. The same can’t be said for NFC teams.

The Falcons probably aren’t going to win their division. Instead, they will be fighting for a wild card spot. The key to securing one will no doubt come down to head-to-head matchups. That means Atlanta can’t afford to drop early, winnable games if they hope to play meaningful ones down the stretch.

If the Atlanta Falcons go 3-1 to start the season, that puts them in a good position to absorb some bumps later on, like when they travel to San Francisco or inevitably lose to the Patriots as Cam Newton makes his return to Atlanta.

There’s no reason to think the Falcons shouldn’t go 4-1 to start the season, as they take on the Jets in week five.

The only downside is that leaves them open to a late-season collapse as they get an earlier than expected bye week. None of that matters though if the Falcons stumble out of the gate, which is something they have done for the past three seasons.