Things have changed dramatically for the Atlanta Falcons this past week. They turned to their new franchise quarterback Michael Penix Jr., put 34 points on the board at home, and watched the Cowboys stun the Buccaneers on Sunday Night Football to move back into first place.
This week's Sunday Night Football matchup will also have a lot at stake, and possibly even a division at stake.
Falcons win and a Buccaneers loss puts a bow on the NFC South
It is pretty simple, if the Buccaneers lose at home to the Carolina Panthers in the early slate of games on Sunday, the Falcons will play for a division title in primetime.
It all comes down to the tiebreaker. The Falcons hold first place thanks to their sweep of the Bucs. Both teams are 8-7 so with a Falcons one-game lead in the win column, the best the Bucs could do is tie them in Week 18.
However, if Tampa Bay beats Carolina, Atlanta will be under a lot of pressure in Washington D.C. A loss puts them a game behind and would require a Week 18 win over Carolina and a Tampa Bay loss to New Orleans (not likely). A win would put them in position to win the division next week with a win and/or a Tampa Bay loss.
Also Read: Teams wishing they had drafted Michael Penix Jr. after his first start
Naturally, fans won't be too optimistic about the Panthers beating the Bucs on Sunday. Nevertheless, Carolina has been a tough team of late and would love nothing more than to spoil the defending division champ's season. They should've won their first matchup considering they had the lead late in regulation and then possessed the ball in overtime on TB's side of the field so you know they can hang with them.
All in all, we will know what exactly is at stake for the Dirty Birds before they take the field Sunday. This is the most important week for this franchise since the divisional playoffs in 2018.