How One Falcons Win Changed Everything in the NFC South Race

After securing their first victory, the Atlanta Falcons are all of a sudden back in contention for the NFC South in the young NFL season with a 1-2 record.

Atlanta defeated the Green Bay Packers 35-14 on Lambeau Field on Sept. 24’s Week 3 edition of Thursday Night Football.

Meanwhile, all other division teams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Carolina Panthers, and New Orleans Saints, suffered Week 3 losses.

The Bucs are a winless 0-3 after falling to the Minnesota Vikings 23-16 and losing their starting quarterback, Baker Mayfield, to a dislocated right thumb, his throwing hand. The quarterback will miss at least three weeks and will turn to undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels to orchestrate the offense.

As for the Panthers, they came back down to earth after embarrassing the Falcons 34-3 in Week 2. The Panthers lost to the Cleveland Browns 21-18. Carolina’s Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn is out indefinitely and could miss the remainder of the 2026 season with a torn quadricep.

And finally, the Saints, Atlanta’s next opponent, fell to the Kirk Cousins-led Las Vegas Raiders 35-27.

Now there’s a three-way tie in the NFC South entering Week 4, with Atlanta, Carolina, and New Orleans all having a 1-2 record.

But the Falcons can take sole possession of first place in the NFC South if they defeat the Saints on Monday Night Football and Carolina loses to the Detroit Lions on Sunday Night Football the night before.

The Falcons being in a prime position to take an early lead in the division was something many probably didn’t think was possible when the 2026 season kicked off.

The Falcons had back-to-back uninspiring losses to the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 1 and to the Carolina Panthers in Week 2, to the point of being booed at their home field, Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Cooper Rush was unexpectedly quarterbacking Atlanta’s offense after the named season-opening starter, Tua Tagovailoa, went down with an oblique injury and Michael Penix Jr. was working back from a partially torn ACL. The results weren’t favorable as Atlanta sputtered with Rush under center.

But now with Penix back as the starting quarterback and leading a revived offense and top-performing defense, there’s hope in Atlanta.

Hope can become a reality starting this upcoming Monday against one of the Falcons’ arch rivals at Caesars Superdome. They will have to win another primetime game in enemy territory to make that jump in the divisional rankings.

The Falcons-Saints Monday Night Football game kicks off at 8:15 p.m. on ESPN on Oct. 5.

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