Falcons have one of the league’s worst divisional records

One of the biggest keys to winning your division is to beat your division rivals, and the Atlanta Falcons have simply not done that.

It is obvious that Atlanta has not faired well against their division rivals—excluding the Panthers for the most part—but you might not have known they have one of the worst records in the NFL against their division over the past two years.

Falcons sit near the bottom when it comes to winning pivotal divisional games

The Atlanta Falcons have not made the postseason in four straight seasons for a variety of reasons, but their inability to consistently beat divisional opponents is the biggest factor. After all, beating a division rival counts for more than just a single win.

Only the lowly Jets and Jaguars have a worse record against their division than the Atlanta Falcons, while the Falcons are tied with the Panthers, and Lions, yes, the Lions with three wins. This is simply pathetic.

Those three victories in two years have come against the Panthers twice and the Saints.

Atlanta has been swept by Tampa Bay in two straight seasons. Their last win against them came when Deion Jones picked off Jameis Winston on the first play of overtime and took it for a game-winning touchdown. That feels like forever ago as it came on December 29, 2019.

Moving on, the Falcons were swept by the Saints in 2020 and then split the season in 2021. No one can stand being swept by New Orleans, so we cannot have that happen again.

Finally the team the Atlanta Falcons have had the most success against in recent memory—the Carolina Panthers—which is not saying much as they have split wins during the past two years. Prior to that, if you remember, the Falcons had won five straight against Carolina.

So, we can only hope that Arthur Smith can turn the Falcons fortunes around when it comes to playing their three division rivals.

If there is good news it is that the Panthers continue to have a mess at the quarterback position, the Saints have a horrible cap situation, and Tom Brady is getting closer to retirement, at least we hope.

Maybe Atlanta can become the king of the south in the next few years, which in turn, usually results in playoff appearances.