ESPN NFL Power Rankings: How Far did Falcons Fall?
The Atlanta Falcons fell to the Washington Football Team in a familiar fashion on Sunday, a blown fourth-quarter lead on the way to a 34-30 loss.
Atlanta led Washington 30-22 and had the ball with 12:42 left in the fourth. From that point Atlanta ran just eight offensive plays before conceding two touchdowns and the lead to Washington.
The loss dropped the Falcons to 1-3 on the season and dropped them two spots from 25 to 27 on ESPN's latest NFL Power Rankings.
Cordarrelle Patterson had a career game with three touchdown receptions, but he was nowhere to be found in the fourth quarter.
READ MORE: Where was Cordarrelle Patterson in the Fourth Quarter?
Still his production and all-around ability as an x-factor in the Falcons offense has been one of the most pleasant surprises of the season.
Michael Rothstein made note of Patterson in his submission for ESPN's Power Rankings.
Biggest surprise: RB Cordarrelle Patterson
Why it's a surprise: Patterson has been a revelation in an otherwise struggling offense in Atlanta, as he is on pace for the best rushing season of his career (he already has 27 carries for 119 yards) and his best receiving season (already having 18 catches for 235 yards). Arthur Smith has been able to find a way to create opportunities for him, which led to him scoring three touchdowns against Washington -- as many receiving touchdowns as he had in the past four seasons. Patterson has been a pleasant surprise for Atlanta in every way. -- Michael Rothstein
The Falcons head to London on Thursday to take on the 1-3 New York Jets. The Jets are just behind the Falcons at 29, up from 32, in ESPN's rankings. New York got a first win of the season last week against the Tennessee Titans in overtime.
It's fitting that this game is being played in the home of English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur, because the locals would refer to this game as an early-season “relegation scrap.”
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In international football, teams get moved down, “relegated,” to the lower league if they finish in the bottom three positions (out of 20).
However in this game, the loser will be looking at the reward of a possible No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NFL Draft as their season continues to tank.
