5 NFL teams poised for a fall in 2016

The 2015 Atlanta Falcons came up a few games short of making the NFC Playoffs at 8-8, but might be in for a very tough 2016 NFL season as the Falcons’ schedule is BRUTAL! Atlanta went 1-5 in the NFC South last year and draws the entire AFC West, the entire NFC West, the Green Bay Packers, and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Of their eight road games in 2016, Atlanta will play four either in the Pacific or Mountain Time Zones (Denver, Oakland, Los Angeles, Seattle). There is a chance Atlanta could go 0-4 on those four West Coast road trips.

While the Falcons fortunately get Green Bay at home and won’t have to play in the Frozen Tundra of Lambeau Field, Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia is about the furthest thing from a friendly road environment to play in.

Last fall, first-year head coach Dan Quinn didn’t seem to understand how important NFC South games were. That division has always been insanely competitive and his Falcons can go worse than 3-3 if they want to sniff at the NFC Playoffs. Perhaps he can lend the Falcons his expertise on the NFC West from his time as the defensive coordinator of Pete Carroll’s Seahawks?

In short, Atlanta faces arguably the worst 2016 NFL slate in terms of strength of schedule. Atlanta will have to play exponentially better than it did at times under Quinn in 2015 if the Falcons want to think about finishing around .500. Atlanta could be sitting at home again in January for the fourth straight season.

Next: 1. Denver Broncos