Media's 'Best-Case Scenario' for Falcons is Bad

Bleacher Report (B/R) has published a speculative column on "Every NFL Team's Best-Case Scenario for Rest of the 2021 Regular Season."

Unfortunately for Atlanta Falcons Fans, B/R seems to think the best case for the 3-3 Falcons is to just pack up, go home, and wait for next year.

Writer Chris Rowling covers the Cincinnati Bengals full-time and dabbles in the NFL for B/R, and he sees little to like with the 2021 version of the Falcons despite winning three out of four.

Writes Rowling on B/R:

The Atlanta Falcons again tried to straddle the line between contender and rebuilder this offseason, most notably by trading Julio Jones but keeping Matt Ryan under center.

A 3-3 start was a predictable result, with the team's only wins coming against both putrid New York squads that have three combined wins and a one-win Miami team.

Since the Falcons aren't catching Tampa Bay in the NFC South and New Orleans looks good with Jameis Winston under center, the best possible scenario the rest of the way is forging a path that makes a rebuild as easy as possible.

Head coach Arthur Smith's offense has struggled thus far after his superb work as a coordinator in Tennessee. He's got the rest of the year to fine-tune the approach and keep getting the most out of fourth overall pick Kyle Pitts, who after four ho-hum showings has 282 receiving yards and a score over his last two games.

If "forging a path to a rebuild,'' that is, tanking the season, is best-case for this team, we'd hate to think what his worst-case scenario looks like.

Frankly, even the most jaded of long-time Falcons fans see things to like with this team, including rookie Kyle Pitts who's ho-hum start netted nearly 200 yards before his 21st birthday.

After an 0-2 start, 3-3 was anything but predictable. The Falcons have shown tremendous improvement in the early parts of the season, while still having four games against the Panthers and Saints.

The Panthers have lost four in a row and one of the Saints losses came against one of those putrid New York squads Rowling used to discredit the Falcons. The good looking N ew Orleans Saints and Jameis Winston lost to the 2-5 Giants... at home... in Week 4.

The Falcons' out-of-division games include home games against the New England Patriots (3-4) and Detroit Lions (0-7) with road trips against the Jacksonville Jaguars (1-5) and San Francisco 49ers (2-4).

The Falcons will be heavy underdogs against their remaining three opponents: at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and road trips to the Dallas Cowboys and Buffalo Bills.

Best case scenarios against this schedule would include a 6-2 record against the Saints and teams with a losing record and a possible home upset against the Buccaneers. A 7-4 record would see the Falcons finish 10-7 and in the hunt for a wild card berth.

A more realistic scenario has the Falcons splitting their winnable games and dropping their three games against the division leading Buccaneers, Cowboys and Bills, leading to a 7-10 finish.

Anyone who thinks this team should just pack it in and build for next year hasn't been paying close enough attention to the strides this Falcons team has made in a short period under new head coach Arthur Smith.

Atlanta Falcons Remaining Schedule:

Sun, Oct 31 vs Carolina (3-4)
Sun, Nov 7 @ New Orleans (4-2)
Sun, Nov 14 @ Dallas (5-1)
Thu, Nov 18 vs New England (3-4)
Sun, Nov 28 @ Jacksonville (1-5)
Sun, Dec 5 vs Tampa Bay (6-1)
Sun, Dec 12 @ Carolina (3-4)
Sun, Dec 19 @ San Francisco (2-4)
Sun, Dec 26 vs Detroit (0-7)
Sun, Jan 2 @ Buffalo (4-2)
Sun, Jan 9 vs New Orleans (4-2)