Atlanta Falcons 2023 Opponents Officially Revealed

As many of us were resigned to, the Atlanta Falcons season ceremoniously ended today with playoffs once again out of our talons’ grasp. While the previous seasons were almost “expected” to not have January football, this one had the caveat of the division being less than subpar for roughly the entire schedule. Some of that can be attested to the division actually being closer than many wish to give credit; others will say “The NFC South needs to be relegated” just to make a quick buck.

With relation to the Falcons, their season actually went much better than many would’ve said back in May, August, or any time for that matter. Keep in mind, Atlanta was ranked dead last in many reputable power rankings throughout training camp and the first quarter of the season.

This was supposed to be the team that was “#1 pick watch” or had the “worst roster in the NFL” despite having the largest dead cap number in league history. Nobody wanted to give Atlanta a little bit of slack for that, and for good reason; you EARN your record based on the field, not what a bunch of reports say.

However, finishing the year 7-10, which was dead on in my prediction article (despite going 13-4 officially for a .765 win percentage), means the Falcons played well enough to give them confidence with their current young team that was missing Kyle Pitts for the last six games.

With the Atlanta Falcons season officially over, we now turn the page to 2023 with the list of teams they will face.

Whenever a season ends, based on the final divisional standings, a team can officially begin marketing their next season for the fans to begin attending. Given that the Falcons officially finished in fourth place in the NFC South (technically tied for second at 7-10, divisional tiebreakers affect placement), that means their opponents for 2023 are as follows (time and date will be revealed post-2023 NFL Draft):

Home Matchups:
New Orleans Saints

Carolina Panthers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Green Bay Packers

Minnesota Vikings

Indianapolis Colts

Houston Texans

Washington Commanders

Road Matchups:

New Orleans Saints

Carolina Panthers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Detroit Lions

Chicago Bears

Jacksonville Jaguars

Tennessee Titans

Arizona Cardinals

New York Jets

At first glance, the Falcons’ schedule for 2023 is about as daunting as the 2022 schedule looked on paper. While there are some big question marks regarding the team’s immediate future, the same can be said about some of their opponents.

• Will Tom Brady be playing in the NFC South or a different team?
• What’s the status of Aaron Rodgers with the Packers?
• Can Matt Ryan stay around long enough (and pass a physical) to return with Indianapolis?
• How will Atlanta match up against “The Prince That Was Promised” and his wrestling aficionado owners?
• Can Arthur Smith find a way to shut down Tennessee in his return?

In short, the Falcons played a very fair 2022 regular season. While the postseason continues to elude the 404 for another year, a word comes to mind: “progress”.

It’s how the Falcons progressed from last year to this year that ultimately determines the early trajectory of their future. Coming in with no respect and seemingly earning it is a positive; what’s imperative is how the players responded.

With ~$80 million in cap space projected for this offseason, look for the Falcons to be very vigilant in the draft process (and NOT make that ridiculous Lamar Jackson trade suggestion), free agent spending, and be ready to shock the world in 2023.