Falcons fans are thinking they’ve seen this movie before, and they might want to change the channel.
Atlanta’s 24-15 loss in Philadelphia on Sunday was its third in five games, dropping its record to 6-4 on the year. The Falcons’ season has a similar feel to that of last year, when they started 5-0 and 6-1 before they dropped their next six games en route to an 8-8 finish.
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The Falcons, though, dodged a couple bullets Sunday. Instead of closing the gap on the NFC South leaders, the Carolina Panthers and New Orleans Saints both choked away golden opportunities, losing their games in the most improbable of ways.
The Panthers held a 17-0 lead until 10 seconds to go in the first half before eventually falling to the Chiefs, 20-17. With the score tied at 17 apiece, Carolina had two possessions in the final five minutes to win the game. While the first one sputtered after one Panthers first down, the second was disastrous. On the first play of the series, Cam Newton found receiver Kelvin Benjamin for a 14-yard gain, but Benjamin was stripped of the ball by Marcus Peters.
In celebration, Peters punted the ball into the stands and was assessed just a five-yard delay of game penalty, but the Chiefs were still in field-goal range. A few plays later, Cairo Santos booted the 36-yard game-winner.
The Saints’ loss at home to the Broncos was even more heartbreaking. With 1:22 left on the clock, a pin-point Drew Brees pass found its way through three defenders and into the hands of Brandin Cooks for a 32-yard score to tie the game, 23-23. All New Orleans needed to seal the victory was a Wil Lutz PAT.
But PATs are not what they used to be, evidenced Sunday at the Superdome when Lutz’s kick was blocked by the Broncos’ Justin Simmons and returned by Will Parks for two points the other way. Final score: Denver 25, New Orleans 23.
WATCH: Broncos stun Saints with blocked kick return
The Bucs were the only NFC South team to win Sunday, beating the Bears 36-10 to pick up a game on Atlanta. At 4-5, Tampa is tied for second in the division with New Orleans, both within reasonable distance of the 6-4 Falcons. Carolina fell to 3-6.
The Eagles, meanwhile, improved to 5-4. They were able to run the ball at will against Atlanta and held the Falcons to just 11 first downs. Ryan Matthews carried the ball 19 times for 109 yards and two touchdowns, and Wendell Smallwood added 70 yards on 13 carries.
Atlanta has a bye next week and then has home games against Arizona and Kansas City — no post-break cake walk. A victory by the Saints at Carolina on Thursday night would keep the heat on the Falcons.
The Bucs’ remaining schedule, meanwhile, looks daunting: at Kansas City, vs. Seattle, at San Diego, vs. New Orleans, at Dallas, at New Orleans and vs. Carolina.
No matter what their division rivals are up to, though, the Falcons need to get back on track to regain the confidence of their nervous fans.