With six weeks of the 2024 NFL regular season over, the pretenders and contenders are starting to take shape, and the Atlanta Falcons are in a spot where it’s time to put up or shut up.
We polled the Pro Football Network staff to generate the latest version of our consensus Week 7 NFL Power Rankings. Scroll down for our take on the Falcons and where teams rank above and behind them.
To view the complete list, head to our NFL Week 7 Power Rankings article, where we rank all 32 teams from best to worst.
Where Do the Atlanta Falcons Rank in Our Week 7 NFL Power Rankings?
13) Atlanta Falcons (3-2, Last Week: 14)
The development of this Atlanta Falcons team is encouraging. We saw Kirk Cousins throw for 509 yards in Week 5, and in Week 6, they relied on the ground game. That level of offensive versatility was missing a season ago and fuels the optimism that this team can make the playoffs for the first time since 2017.
The defense has been good enough, and if that continues to be the case, it’s not hard to see this team put together a nice regular season. If they can sustain their current momentum and show well over the next month, a double-digit win season is a possibility due to an easier finishing kick (they play the Raiders, Giants, and Panthers as a part of their final four games).
Teams Above the Falcons in PFN’s Power Rankings
Looking for all 32 teams? Check out our full NFL Week 7 Power Rankings article, where you can get analysis on every team.
10) Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2, Last Week: 11)
With 114 points over the past three weeks, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers look a lot like the early-season Saints. Baker Mayfield is operating with the utmost confidence, and Chris Godwin has proven to be a stabilizing force since being moved back into a full-time slot role.
The pass defense is vastly improved from where they finished last season, though their run defense will be tested on Monday night with the Ravens coming to town. This division isn’t full of well-rounded teams – a consistently aggressive offense with even an average defense should be enough to get this team into the postseason.
11) Philadelphia Eagles (3-2, Last Week: 10)
The Philadelphia Eagles weren’t exactly sharp in their return from the bye, but they did just enough to get past Cleveland in Week 6 (20-16 win). Jalen Hurts looked comfortable with his two primary weapons back, and that gives this offense elite potential, with Saquon Barkley looking as good as any back in the league.
This defense has picked up its blitz rate (25.7% from 21.6% last season), and if it can be selectively aggressive in supporting its offense, this team has the potential to live up to the promise that it has shown in spurts over the past two seasons. With the Giants, Bengals, and Jaguars on its upcoming schedule, this team could be considered one of the best in the conference by this time next month.
12) Chicago Bears (4-2, Last Week: 17)
The Chicago Bears opened the season with four straight one-score games, but they’ve out-scored the Panthers and Jaguars 71-26 over the past two weeks as Caleb Williams has shown plenty of development in a short window.
In those games, the top overall pick in April has racked up 530 passing yards and six touchdowns on just 58 attempts, not to mention 90 yards on the ground. This defense has been a top-five unit across the statistical buffet since the mid-way point of last season and is looking a lot like a team that could make noise in the loaded NFC North (three straight divisional games from Weeks 11-13).
Teams Below the Falcons in PFN’s Power Rankings
14) Pittsburgh Steelers (4-2, Last Week: 12)
The Pittsburgh Steelers dictated tempo against the Raiders, and whenever that’s the case, this team is difficult to beat. That could well be the case over the next two weeks, with both New York teams on tap before their Week 9 bye.
Russell Wilson was available for the first time of the season on Sunday, but a quarterback controversy seems unlikely as long as this team succeeds. To make the playoffs, this team will have to stack wins before we get to the middle of December – Eagles, Ravens, Chiefs in Weeks 15-17.
15) Seattle Seahawks (3-3, Last Week: 13)
Has the clock struck midnight on the Seattle Seahawks?
They opened the season with wins over Bo Nix, Jacoby Brissett, and Skylar Thompson (allowed 14.3 PPG) but have now lost three straight against the likes of Jared Goff, Daniel Jones, and Brock Purdy (35.7 PPG).
I’d argue that this team doesn’t get another game against the bottom-rung of QBs in the NFL this season, making these recent struggles a major concern. Geno Smith has a pair of multi-interception games this season and that’s two more games in which he has multiple touchdown passes.
If this defense is as ordinary as it has looked over the past three weeks, the 13th ranking we assigned them entering Week 6 could prove to be their high watermark moving forward. Seattle travels to Atlanta next week before hosting the Bills, bringing a five-game skid very much into the picture.
16) Los Angeles Chargers (3-2, Last Week: 19)
The Los Angeles Chargers looked good coming off their bye and have a manageable schedule coming up (the struggling Cardinals before facing the Saints, Browns, and Titans). Jim Harbaugh has himself an old-school team that aims to keep games close and make plays late.
Is that a sustainable way to make a living, given this roster? That’s to be determined, but the defense is playing at a high level, and the ground game has been good enough.
This profile would be much more appealing if they had an alpha receiver to threaten defenses, but they don’t, and that means running away from opponents is going to be difficult (they led 23-0 entering the fourth quarter in Week 6 and had to hang on for dear life because they couldn’t land a knockout blow against the Broncos).
