Part of what has made the NFL so wildly popular is the importance of each game. Until the very end of a season, each game is increasingly important with teams approaching each week with a level of urgency. For the Atlanta Falcons, that level of urgency should be at a season-high as they take on Tampa today.
Atlanta has already put themselves into a must-win spot earlier in the season. After dropping a very winnable game to the Kansas City Chiefs the Falcons dropped to 1-2 staying home to host the Saints. Losing that game would have you at 1-3 with your chances of recovering extremely slim. Now the Falcons are in a similar spot after a blowout loss to the Seattle Seahawks traveling to Tampa to battle for the NFC South lead.
Atlanta cannot be taken seriously if they can't beat an injury-riddle Tampa Bay roster
Tampa was already dealing with a myriad of injuries and lost Mike Evans and Chris Godwin this past Monday night. Losing both of their star receivers left Atlanta as the favorites and in a spot where they must deliver. Despite beating this healthy offense early in the year, this game will be a far more defining one for the Falcons.
'Winning this game puts the team at 5-3 with every reason to believe they are heading for the playoffs. Losing in Tampa with the injuries this team is facing is season-changing no longer is Atlanta looked at as a serious contender in the conference. This is as close to a must-win as you can get at this point in the season.
Aside from the obvious divisional control, the win would grant you would have a 4-0 record in the division as well. Holding all the tiebreakers and giving you plenty of breathing room ahead of a tough matchup with Dallas. This is a defining moment for Atlanta's season, one they have so often dropped in years past. This is the game that answers whether this team has a different mentality or whether it is the same Atlanta Falcons who fooled many for the first six weeks of the season.