The Atlanta Falcons are a mysterious team. On the one hand, they just sold one off one of their best defensive players in safety Jessie Bates and an offensive lineman for draft assets before the NFL's trade deadline. That's clearly seller behavior. At the same time, they've got loads of offensive firepower and every reason to believe a division title is still in play in the NFC South.
So as a showdown with the Kansas City Chiefs looms in Week 10, what should we think of a 3-6 Falcons team? We reached out to our friend Jason Kandel, editor of Blogging Dirty, to tell us more about the Chiefs' next opponent and just how concerning this matchup shoudl be.
The Falcons are not far out in the NFC South but they also traded away Bates. What’s the competitive feel right now for ATL?
You can argue this team is the most talented in the NFC South, but it is incredibly inconsistent. Since Michael Penix Jr. returned to the lineup, the Falcons have wins over the 49ers, Packers, and Saints, yet had particularly ugly performances against the Bengals and Bucs.
Whenever they win a game, they’re unable to string a second consecutive strong performance together. The fanbase is growing restless, but the Jessie Bates trade signals they have some level of self-awareness that they don’t expect to compete this season. He’s 29, set to be a free agent after the season, and was more than likely not going to be retained, but they don’t expect his departure to sink their hopes of winning the division, though a brutal schedule may do it instead.
So the Falcons are entering Week 10 with the full intention of chasing a division title, as if the trade deadline never happened?
I wouldn’t say that. Jessie Bates was still one of the most important locker room presences the Falcons had and was the most productive defender they had. I think they more so traded him because of what the Jaguars offered rather than a willingness to give up. Besides, they can’t say they’re punting on the season publicly or they’ll lose the locker room.
What are Chiefs fans overlooking this week when they casually view the Falcons?
I think the wide receiver room. The connection between Michael Penix Jr. and Drake London is the most important aspect of this passing game. Jahan Dotson has quietly been one of Atlanta’s better free-agent pickups, and Zachariah Branch has been a fun gadget guy in his rookie season. When you think of this Falcons offense, you primarily think of Bijan Robinson, but even with a quality cornerback room, Atlanta will want to let Penix regain some confidence as a downfield passer in Week 10.
If you had to make a final prediction...?
I would say 28-13 Chiefs
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