One month ago, the Falcons held a commanding lead in the NFC South and the future looked bright. Following Sunday’s 42-21 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, Atlanta has lost four straight games and five of its last seven.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 14 to improve to 7-6. With that win, the Buccaneers have surpassed the Falcons in the NFC South standings.
The Carolina Panthers lost to the Eagles to drop to 3-10. Lastly, the New Orleans Saints defeated the New York Giants for their fifth win of the season.
NFC South standings after Week 14
| Pos | Team | Games Back | Record | Div Record | Next Opponent |
| 1 | Buccaneers | – | 7-6 | 2-2 | @ Chargers |
| 2 | Falcons | 1 | 6-7 | 4-1 | @ Raiders |
| 3 | Saints | 2 | 5-8 | 2-3 | vs Commanders |
| 4 | Panthers | 4 | 3-10 | 1-3 | vs Cowboys |
The Falcons no longer control their destiny within the division. Even if they win out, Atlanta needs Tampa Bay to lose at least one game over the final four weeks to have a chance.
Head coach Raheem Morris did not sound intent on making the move to Michael Penix Jr. after Sunday’s loss but said he still needed to look at the film.
If the Falcons continue to play like they have on this four-game losing streak, the Saints may very well catch them in the standings. This scenario was hard to fathom just a few weeks ago.
Something needs to change for this Atlanta team before the entire season goes down the drain.