The Falcons have been outscored by 108 points this season and they have a 6-7 record, but they remain very much alive in the NFC playoff picture.
Sunday’s 29-21 win over the Panthers leaves the Falcons in the mix for a postseason berth as they turn their attention toward next Sunday’s game against the 49ers. Head coach Arthur Smith noted that the team’s performance was “not perfect” against Carolina, but it was enough to get a win and keep attention focused on what comes next.
“I told them that I’m proud of them like I always am to coach this team,” Smith said, via the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “It’s a great group of guys in there. They work extremely hard and they fight. It’s an unselfish group so I’m always reminding them how proud I am to be their coach. Then we turn to the task at hand. We’ve got to get back to work tomorrow and we’ve got a big game next weekend.”
The Falcons may not be perfect, but being in the playoff conversation at this point in the season with a roster that elicited few commendations heading into the season counts as a victory in Smith’s first year in Atlanta.