Wednesday, October 7, 2020

Atlanta Falcons Week 5 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

Throughout the 2020 NFL season, we will compile a consensus NFL Power Rankings that averages the rankings of all 32 NFL teams.

Here is where the Atlanta Falcons rank in terms of average, best and worst:

  • Average ranking: 26.2 (27th)
  • Best ranking: 23rd (The Athletic)
  • Worst ranking: 29th (ESPN)

Below you will find a Week 5 roundup for the Falcons in our consensus 2020 NFL Power Rankings.

The Athletic -- Rank: 23

If this were a one-game thing, we could chalk it up to injuries. But the version of the Falcons we saw on Monday night is one we've seen far too often over the past three seasons. In Weeks 2 and 3, Atlanta lost heartbreakers after playing well for three quarters. But against the Packers, they were never competitive. There were seven league-wide instances in Week 4 of touchdowns where the defense didn't have a single player within 6 yards of the receiver. Two of them occurred against Atlanta. Aaron Jones didn't have a defender within 13 yards of him on a 6-yard touchdown in the first quarter, according to Next Gen Stats. And the offense doesn't deserve a pass. Play-caller Dirk Koetter went with a run-heavy script and has shown no ability to maximize Atlanta's talent. I say this every week, but writing about the Falcons just makes me sad.

CBS Sports -- Rank: 27

They are 0-4 and the defense is a mess. Dan Quinn could be in trouble if they lose to the Panthers this week.

USA Today -- Rank: 24

Have to admire them for trying to win from a 17-point deficit instead of with a 17-point lead. But back to the drawing board ... which reveals some very winnable games over next five weeks.

ESPN -- Rank: 29

FPI chance to make playoffs: 4.5%

That figure is just right for how the Falcons had been playing through the first four weeks. When you blow two fourth-quarter leads of 15-plus points in consecutive weeks, you don't deserve much of a pass. It might take a miracle for them to get back into playoff contention. Then again, the Falcons fully understand from Super Bowl LI that miracles do happen for some teams. -- Vaughn McClure

NFL.com -- Rank: 28

Bill O'Brien got the hook from the Texans. Could Dan Quinn be the next head coach to go? The Falcons didn't blow another huge fourth-quarter lead on Monday night because they couldn't keep pace with the undefeated Packers in a 30-16 loss at Lambeau. The Falcons are 0-4 for the first time since 1999. Aaron Rodgers threw four touchdown passes against just six incompletions, and the Falcons' banged-up secondary made tight end Robert Tonyan look like the next Travis Kelce. Meanwhile, how does Calvin Ridley finish Monday without a catch in a game that saw Julio Jones (hamstring) exit at halftime? Messy.

+ Previous update: Atlanta Falcons Week 4 NFL Power Rankings Roundup

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